How Madrid Trademark Fees Are Calculated: China and Saudi Arabia Examples (2026)

Three recent Madrid System updates are all about money. Since 1 October, US-based Madrid applications go through WIPO's platform and fees are paid in Swiss francs directly to WIPO (news). WIPO renamed its deposit account WIPO Wallet and cut the opening deposit from CHF 2,000 to CHF 200 (news). And Saudi Arabia can be designated from 8 October, with a per-class individual fee (news). Budgets often quote "the cost of a Madrid application" as one number, but the fee is built up country by country and class by class. This guide explains how Madrid fees are calculated, using China and Saudi Arabia as examples.

The three parts of a Madrid fee

Fees paid to WIPO for an international application are in Swiss francs and fall into three groups:

1. Basic fee: CHF 653 for a mark in black and white, CHF 903 if the mark includes colour. Payable on every application.
2. Supplementary and complementary fees: for designated parties that do not charge an individual fee. The complementary fee is CHF 100 per such party; the supplementary fee is CHF 100 per class beyond three. If every designated party charges an individual fee, no supplementary fee is due.
3. Individual fees: many parties charge their own fee instead. Each party sets the amount, usually per class, and it is normally much higher than the complementary fee. This is where budgets differ most.

WIPO's Schedule of Fees is the reference. Individual fees change with exchange rates and national decisions.

China: CHF 220 for one class, CHF 110 for each additional class

WIPO Information Notice No. 9/2026 changed the individual fee for designating China from CHF 249 for one class and CHF 125 per additional class to CHF 220 and CHF 110, from 12 April 2026. China receives its fee in its own currency, and when the Swiss franc equivalent falls by 10% or more for over three months, WIPO resets the amount. The renewal fee for China is now CHF 441 for one class and CHF 220 per additional class.

So designating China in three classes costs CHF 440 in individual fees. Older quotes based on the previous amounts are out of date.

Saudi Arabia: CHF 1,397 per class

Under Information Notice No. 37/2026, Saudi Arabia's individual fee is CHF 1,397 per class (CHF 1,719 for collective or certification marks). Renewal is CHF 1,397 per class, or CHF 1,612 within the grace period. These amounts apply from 8 October 2026. Saudi Arabia also extended its refusal period to 18 months.

A worked example

A European company files a black-and-white mark in three classes, designating China and Saudi Arabia:

• Basic fee: CHF 653
• China: 220 + 110 + 110 = CHF 440
• Saudi Arabia: 1,397 × 3 = CHF 4,191
• Supplementary fee: none, because both parties charge individual fees
• Total: CHF 5,284

With a colour mark the basic fee rises to CHF 903 and the total to CHF 5,534. Before filing, run the actual designations through WIPO's Fee Calculator; the amounts applicable depend on the date the office of origin receives the application.

Subsequent designations and renewals

• Subsequent designation: adding a country after registration costs a basic fee of CHF 300 plus that party's individual fee or complementary and supplementary fees. Holders of existing international registrations can extend them to Saudi Arabia this way.
• Renewal: every ten years, basic fee CHF 653 plus each party's renewal fee. Renewing within the six-month grace period adds a surcharge of 50% of the basic fee.

Costs outside WIPO's fees

1. Office of origin: some offices charge their own handling or certification fee. US applicants now pay the USPTO certification fee to WIPO in Swiss francs as well.
2. Responding to provisional refusals: if China or another designated party refuses provisionally, a local agent usually has to respond. In China, a foreign applicant without a domicile there must use a recorded Chinese trademark agency.
3. Currency and payment: bank transfers in Swiss francs carry charges and delays.

Is WIPO Wallet worth opening?

WIPO Wallet, formerly the Current Account at WIPO, is a deposit account in Swiss francs with no account fee. The new terms require an opening deposit of at least CHF 200 and a minimum balance of CHF 200; businesses or individuals with at least four transactions with WIPO per calendar year can open one. For firms that regularly pay Madrid, PCT or Hague fees, renewals and subsequent designations, it replaces one-off transfers and confirms payment faster. The account must be synchronised with a WIPO Account, and WIPO may close accounts below CHF 200 or unused for two years.

Is Madrid always cheaper for China?

Not necessarily. For China alone, CNIPA's official fees for a direct national filing are lower than the Madrid individual fee, though a foreign applicant then pays a Chinese agency from the start; and Chinese subclass practice means the goods description matters more than the route. Madrid's advantage is central management: one registration, one renewal, and easy subsequent designations. See Madrid or direct national filing and the three routes to international registration. Our China trademark guide covers national filing requirements.

FAQ

In what currency are Madrid fees paid? Fees due to WIPO are in Swiss francs. Some offices of origin collect them in local currency and forward them.

Do extra classes always cost more? It depends on the parties. Per-class individual fees rise with each class; where only the supplementary fee applies, the first three classes are included and each further class costs CHF 100.

How long is a fee quote valid? Individual fees change; China's changed in April 2026. Recalculate with WIPO's current schedule before filing.

J&C Intellectual Property Agency (JCIPO), founded in 2008, is a CNIPA-recorded trademark agency and a member of the China Trademark Association. We handle Madrid designations of China, responses to provisional refusals and national filings, see our international trademark service. Patent filings are handled through an affiliated patent agency.