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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Cambodia

To register a trademark in Cambodia, file with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) or designate Cambodia through Madrid. Foreign applicants need a Cambodian agent. Marks are registered first, then opened to opposition; an affidavit of use or non-use is due in the year after the 5th anniversary of registration, or the registration is cancelled.

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Five questions first

Which route?File directly if you only need Cambodia or want the wording of goods adapted to Cambodian practice; designate Cambodia through Madrid if you already have a home application or registration and want several countries.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name and address, the mark, goods or services by Nice class and a notarised or authenticated power of attorney; marks in other scripts, such as Chinese, may need a transliteration and translation.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Per class: KHR 420,000 per class, covering filing, examination, registration and publication (in force since 26 May 2021); the affidavit of use and renewal are paid separately.Details ↓How long does it take?Official processing time 5–7 months (listed in the 2021 fee Prakas); a 90-day opposition period follows publication of the registration, and the affidavit of use is due within 1 year after the 5th anniversary.Details ↓What are the main risks?Cancellation for a missed affidavit of use in years 5–6, opposition even after registration, transliteration and translation requirements for non-Latin scripts, and similarity to earlier or well-known marks.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Cambodia: key facts

OfficeDepartment of Intellectual Property (DIP), Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawLaw concerning Marks, Trade Names and Acts of Unfair Competition (promulgated 7 February 2002); implementing rules: Sub-Decree No. 64 of 2006; official fees under Inter-Ministerial Prakas No. 315 of 2021
Registration principleExclusive rights are acquired by registration (Law, Article 3); use is not required at filing (Sub-Decree, Article 10)
Madrid SystemMember of the Madrid Protocol since 5 June 2015; Cambodia can be designated through Madrid
Foreign applicantsApplicants whose habitual residence or principal place of business is outside Cambodia must appoint an agent who resides and practises in Cambodia (Law, Article 58)
LanguageKhmer or English; if the mark contains a script other than Khmer or Latin, the examiner may require a word-by-word transliteration and translation
Multi-class applicationsAllowed (Sub-Decree, Article 10); official fees are charged per class
Responding to the office (statutory)Formal defects: correct within 45 days of the notice; conditional acceptance (amendment, disclaimer, etc.): submit observations or request a hearing within 60 days
Opposition (statutory)90 days from publication of the registration; the applicant answers within 90 days of receiving the opposition
Affidavit of use (statutory)An affidavit of use or non-use within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration, and again after each renewal; without it, the registration is cancelled
Term and renewal10 years from the filing date, renewable repeatedly; renew within the 6 months before expiry, with a 6-month grace period after expiry
Non-useAfter 5 consecutive years of non-use following registration, any interested party can request cancellation (Law, Article 15)
Official filing feesKHR 420,000 per class, covering filing, examination, registration and publication (in force since 26 May 2021)

Checked on 2026-10-10; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing or a Madrid designation

Both routes lead to protection in Cambodia. They differ in prerequisites, fee structure and who deals with the DIP afterwards.

ItemDirect filing with the DIPMadrid designation of Cambodia
PrerequisiteNoneA basic application or registration at your office of origin
Official feesKHR 420,000 per class (including examination, registration and publication), paid to the DIPBasic fee and Cambodia's individual fee (per class, in Swiss francs; see the WIPO fee calculator) paid to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Cambodian agentRequired from filing (Law, Article 58)Not needed to file through WIPO; answering a provisional refusal and filing the affidavit of use are both done directly with the DIP, and at that point a Cambodian agent is required
Examination and oppositionOnce the mark passes examination it is registered and published; third parties can oppose within 90 days of publicationSubstantive examination under Cambodian law as well; once protection is granted it is published and the post-registration opposition procedure applies (Madrid Prakas, Article 11)
Affidavit of useWithin 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration, and again after each renewalAlso required: within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of the international registration date (or of the subsequent designation or renewal), filed directly with the DIP; without it, the mark is no longer protected in Cambodia (Madrid Prakas, Article 22)
Dependency riskNoneIf the basic application or registration is refused or cancelled within 5 years of the international registration date, the Cambodian designation falls with it (Madrid Protocol, Article 6)
Best forYou only need Cambodia; a mark in Chinese or another non-Latin script needs a version for Cambodia; you have no home filing to rely onYou already have a home filing and want protection in several countries

Not sure? Run a free search first, then submit an order online; the agent will recommend a route based on the search results.

What to prepare

Documents checklist

For a direct application to the DIP, foreign companies and individuals generally prepare the following information and documents.

Applicant

  • Name: for an individual, the full name; for a company, its full official name
  • Address (including street number and telephone) and nationality or place of incorporation
  • Address for service: it must be in Cambodia; applicants based abroad use their Cambodian agent's address (Sub-Decree, Articles 25 and 28)

The mark

  • A clear representation of the mark, no larger than 8 × 8 cm
  • If the mark contains a script other than Khmer or Latin, such as Chinese, a word-by-word transliteration and translation, stating the language, when the examiner asks for them (Sub-Decree, Article 12)

Goods and services

  • Specific goods or services listed class by class under the Nice Classification
  • One application can cover several classes; official fees are charged per class

Power of attorney and priority

  • Power of attorney, notarised or authenticated (Sub-Decree, Article 28); file it with the application or within 2 months of filing, otherwise the application does not proceed (Sub-Decree, Article 7)
  • Priority from an earlier application filed abroad: file in Cambodia within 6 months of it; if the earlier application number is not known at filing, provide it within 3 months; if the examiner asks, file a copy certified by the office of first filing within 3 months (Sub-Decree, Articles 13 and 14)

A filing date is given only once the applicant's name, an address for service, the representation of the mark, the goods or services listed by class and the per-class filing fee are all in (Sub-Decree, Article 16).

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct application with no opposition.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search for similar marks and settle the classes and the wording of goods

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    File through a Cambodian agent (online filing is available) and receive an application number and filing date; the power of attorney can follow within 2 months (statutory)

  3. Step 3

    Examination

    Correct formal defects within 45 days; after a conditional acceptance, submit observations or request a hearing within 60 days (statutory)

  4. Step 4

    Registration and publication

    The registration certificate is issued and the registration is published in the Official Gazette; the official processing time is 5–7 months from filing (listed in the 2021 fee Prakas)

  5. Step 5

    Opposition period

    Third parties can oppose within 90 days of publication of the registration; the applicant answers within 90 days (statutory)

  6. Step 6

    Affidavit of use

    File an affidavit of use or non-use within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration (statutory)

Cambodian law sets no time limit for examination, and the DIP publishes no average examination time; 5–7 months is the processing time listed in the 2021 Inter-Ministerial Prakas. Refusals, hearings or oppositions add considerably to the time.

How to read the periods: "statutory" = set by law; "official statistics" = averages published by the office; "estimate" = typical cases. Actual timing varies.

How much

Official fees

Cambodian official fees are charged in riels, per class: one payment per class at filing covers filing, examination, registration and publication, with no separate registration fee after acceptance. The affidavit of use due after 5 years and renewal every 10 years are paid separately. The table below follows Inter-Ministerial Prakas No. 315 of 2021 (in force since 26 May 2021).

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Filing fee (per class; covers examination, registration and publication)Per class420,000 KHR≈ USD 103
Keeping the registration
Declaration of use or non-use (due within one year after the 5th anniversary of registration or renewal)Per application100,000 KHR≈ USD 25
Renewal fee (every 10 years, including publication; within 6 months before expiry or the 6-month grace period)Per application420,000 KHR≈ USD 103
Other
Recordal of changes (name, address, etc., per request)Per application100,000 KHR≈ USD 25
Recordal of a licence contract (per request)Per application400,000 KHR≈ USD 98

Source: www.cambodiaip.gov.kh · current fees in force since 2021-05-26 · checked on 2026-10-10 · USD figures are approximate, converted at the Bank of China spot selling rate (or, for currencies it does not quote, at the central bank's published USD rate); the official fee is the amount in the original currency

Official fees are as published by the office; the service fee is quoted by an agent after you submit, and you pay only after accepting the quote.

Example: one application covering classes 25 and 9 costs 2 × KHR 420,000 = KHR 840,000 at filing, including examination, registration and publication. The affidavit of use after 5 years costs KHR 100,000 and renewal every 10 years KHR 420,000; the Prakas does not say whether these two fees are charged per class, so the DIP's payment notice prevails.

Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to Cambodia and common refusals

These are Cambodia-specific rules that are easy to overlook, along with the usual grounds for refusal in examination.

Affidavit of use due after 5 years

The owner must file an affidavit of use or non-use within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration, and again after each renewal; otherwise the registration is removed from the register (Sub-Decree, Article 21). Madrid designations of Cambodia must also file it, directly with the DIP. Note the deadline well in advance.

Registration first, opposition after

Cambodia registers a mark once it passes examination and only then publishes it in the Official Gazette; third parties can oppose within 90 days of publication, and interested parties can still request invalidation after those 90 days (Sub-Decree, Article 24). A registration certificate does not mean the right is secure yet.

An address for service in Cambodia

Applications and registrations must have an address for service in Cambodia; applicants based abroad use their agent's address. If the owner no longer has an address for service in Cambodia, the authority can cancel the registration (Law, Article 14). Update the address for service whenever you change or dismiss your agent.

Transliteration and translation of other scripts

If a mark contains a script other than Khmer or Latin, such as Chinese, the examiner may require a word-by-word transliteration and translation, stating the language (Sub-Decree, Article 12). If you sell to Cambodian consumers, consider also registering a Khmer or English mark.

Similarity to earlier or well-known marks

A mark identical or similar to an earlier registered or applied-for mark, or identical or similar to, or a translation of, a mark well known in Cambodia, cannot be registered (Law, Article 4). A search before filing greatly reduces this risk.

Short response deadlines

If you do not respond within 45 days to formal defects or within 60 days to a conditional acceptance, the application is treated as withdrawn or abandoned (Sub-Decree, Article 17); a refusal can be appealed to the Ministry of Commerce's appeal committee or to the courts within 3 months.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

A Cambodian registration is valid for 10 years from the filing date and is renewed every 10 years; within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration or renewal you must also file an affidavit of use, or the registration is cancelled.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registrationFile an affidavit of use or non-useKHR 100,000
Within the 6 months before expiryRenew, for 10 years each timeKHR 420,000
Within 6 months after expiryLate renewal in the grace periodRenewal fee; the Prakas lists no separate grace-period surcharge
Within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of renewalFile another affidavit of use or non-useKHR 100,000
Any timeRecord changes of name, address and other particulars; record licence contracts (a licence has effect against third parties only once recorded)Change KHR 100,000; licence recordal KHR 400,000

Once registered, you can ask Cambodian Customs or the Ministry of Commerce's Import-Export Inspection and Fraud Repression Directorate-General (CAMCONTROL) to suspend the release of goods suspected of being counterfeit; a request is valid for 60 days from acceptance and can be filed again when needed. Online marketplaces' brand registry programmes also usually require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Cambodia

How much does a Cambodian trademark cost?

Official fees are charged per class: KHR 420,000 per class, covering filing, examination, registration and publication, with no separate registration fee after acceptance. For example, an application covering two classes costs KHR 840,000. The affidavit of use after 5 years costs KHR 100,000 and renewal every 10 years KHR 420,000. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does trademark registration in Cambodia take?

Cambodian law sets no time limit for examination, and the DIP publishes no average examination time. The 2021 Inter-Ministerial Prakas lists a processing time of 5–7 months; office actions, hearings or oppositions take longer. A 90-day opposition period follows publication of the registration.

When is the affidavit of use due in Cambodia?

Within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration (that is, between years 5 and 6), and again within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of each renewal. If the mark has not been used, you can file an affidavit of non-use giving the reasons. Without an affidavit, the registration is cancelled. The same applies to Madrid designations of Cambodia, filed directly with the DIP.

Can I register a mark in Chinese or another non-Latin script?

Yes. The law does not require a mark to include Khmer. Application documents are in Khmer or English; if the mark contains Chinese or another script other than Khmer or Latin, the examiner may ask for a word-by-word transliteration and translation. If you sell to Cambodian consumers, consider also registering a Khmer or English mark.

Can one Cambodian application cover several classes?

Yes. One application can cover one or more classes; official fees are charged per class, at KHR 420,000 each.

Direct filing or a Madrid designation of Cambodia: which is better?

Direct filing suits you if you only need Cambodia or want to adapt the wording of goods to Cambodian practice; Madrid is simpler if you already have a home filing and want several countries at once. Either way, the affidavit of use must be filed on time after registration. See the route comparison above.

Other IP rights

Patents: under Cambodia's Law on Patents, Utility Model Certificates and Industrial Designs (2003), patents for inventions last 20 years from the filing date; utility model certificates last 7 years from the filing date and cannot be renewed. Cambodia has been party to the PCT since 8 December 2016, so PCT applications can enter the Cambodian national phase.

Designs: industrial designs are protected for 5 years from the filing date and can be renewed twice, for 5 years each time; Cambodia has been party to the Hague Agreement since 25 February 2017 and can be designated through the Hague System.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Laos　·　Vietnam　·　Thailand　·　Malaysia　·　Singapore　·　Myanmar

Ready to file?

Order online · Cambodia trademark registration

Enter the mark, classes and applicant; an agent quotes after you submit. Once you accept the quote you pay online and can follow progress in your account.

Start your order (Cambodia selected) Get a trademark search report first

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