Indonesia Trademarks After the October 2026 Fee Rise: Madrid Designation or National Filing?

From 24 October 2026, designating Indonesia through the Madrid System costs CHF 125 per class, up from CHF 91. This time it is Indonesia's own revision of its individual fee, not one of the exchange-rate recalculations WIPO made for many members in April. At the same time, a national filing with Indonesia's Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) has cost IDR 2,800,000 per class for general applicants since 1 August 2026. With the two official fees now in a similar range, the choice between Madrid and a national filing turns less on fees and more on agents, timing and the risks of each route. This guide sets out the comparison. It gives general rules; a specific case needs professional advice.

The fees side by side

National filing: IDR 2,800,000 per class for a general applicant, under Government Regulation No. 30 of 2026, paid at filing. There is no separate registration fee on approval, and the fee does not rise with the number of items in a class. A reduced rate applies to Indonesian micro and small businesses with the required local documents.

Madrid designation: CHF 125 per class as Indonesia's individual fee, on top of WIPO's basic fee for the international application. The new amount applies to international applications received by the office of origin on or after 24 October 2026, to subsequent designations received on or after that date and to renewals due from that date.

At current exchange rates the two per-class amounts are in the same range; the national fee is about USD 158 per class by our guide's conversion. Check the CHF amount for your filing date in WIPO's fee calculator or our Madrid fee calculator.

Where the routes really differ

Local agent. An applicant with no domicile or fixed place of business in Indonesia must file a national application through a registered Indonesian IP consultant, whose address serves as the address for service. A Madrid designation needs no Indonesian agent at filing; one is needed if DJKI issues a refusal and you want to respond.

Dependency. A Madrid registration depends on the basic application or registration for five years. If the basic mark is refused or cancelled in that period, protection in Indonesia falls with it, unless you convert it into a national application within the time allowed. A national filing stands on its own.

Specification. A national filing lets you draft the goods in Indonesian practice from the start. A Madrid designation carries the international specification, which may need limiting if DJKI objects.

Several countries at once. If Indonesia is one of several markets, one Madrid application with several designations is usually simpler to manage and renew. If Indonesia is the only target, a national filing is often the cleaner route.

What is the same either way

Publication comes early. Indonesia publishes an application within 15 working days of filing, for two months, before substantive examination, so an opposition can arrive soon after you file. Watch the official gazette if your brand is already known there.

Short deadlines. A refusal must be answered in writing within 30 working days from the date the notice is sent; failing to answer leads to refusal.

First to file. An application for a mark similar to an earlier application or registration for goods or services of the same kind is refused, so file before entering the market.

Translation. Marks in a foreign language or non-Latin script, including Chinese characters, need an Indonesian translation, a Latin-script version and the pronunciation.

Use. A registration not used for five consecutive years can be removed by court action from an interested party; the period was three years before a Constitutional Court ruling of 30 July 2024.

The full process, documents and fee table are in our Indonesia trademark guide. For a wider comparison of national filings, Madrid and regional systems, see international trademark registration: three routes.

Frequently asked questions

We filed a Madrid designation of Indonesia on 20 October. Which fee applies? The old one, CHF 91 per class, if the office of origin received the international application before 24 October.

Is the national fee charged per item? No. It is per class, regardless of the number of items listed in that class.

Can we switch from Madrid to a national filing later? If the international registration is cancelled because the basic mark fails within five years, it can be converted into a national application that keeps the original date, provided you apply within three months of the cancellation.

J&C Intellectual Property Agency, founded in 2008, is a CNIPA-recorded trademark agency and a member of the China Trademark Association. We handle Madrid filings and coordinate national trademark filings abroad; see our trademark registration service.