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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in the Philippines

To register a trademark in the Philippines, file with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) or designate the Philippines through Madrid. The key local rule is the Declaration of Actual Use (DAU): proof of use is due within 3 years of filing and at later milestones; foreign applicants also need a resident agent.

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Trademark registration in the Philippines

Five questions first

Which route?File directly with IPOPHL if you only need the Philippines; designate the Philippines through Madrid if you already have a home application or registration and want several countries. Both routes require use declarations on time.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name and address, the mark, specific goods and services under the Nice Classification and a Philippine resident agent; Chinese or other non-Latin wording needs a transliteration and meaning. No power of attorney at filing.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Per class: for large entities, a PHP 2,592 basic fee per class plus a PHP 960 opposition publication fee per application, both paid at filing; certificate and publication fees follow approval. Service fees are quoted after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?No statutory examination deadline and no published average. Respond to office actions within 2 months; if no opposition is filed in the 30 days after publication, the mark is deemed registered the next day.Details ↓What are the main risks?Missing a use declaration, goods worded too broadly, non-Latin wording without a transliteration and meaning, approval held until the priority country registers the mark, and similarity to earlier marks.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in the Philippines: key facts

OfficeIntellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL); trademarks are handled by its Bureau of Trademarks, and oppositions are heard by the Bureau of Legal Affairs. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawIntellectual Property Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 8293, in force since 1 January 1998, last amended by Republic Act No. 10372); Trademark Regulations 2023 (in force since 14 February 2023, amended in 2023 and 2024)
Registration principleRights are acquired through registration; a mark identical or similar to a registered mark, or to one with an earlier filing or priority date, for the same or closely related goods or services is refused
Madrid SystemMember of the Protocol since 25 July 2012; the Philippines can be designated through Madrid, with an 18-month refusal period
Foreign applicantsApplicants with no domicile or real and effective business establishment in the Philippines must designate in writing a resident of the Philippines to receive notices and documents
Language and filingEnglish or Filipino; online filing only (eTMFile); foreign wording needs a translation, and Chinese or other non-Latin characters need a transliteration
Multi-class applicationsAllowed; the basic fee is charged per class and the opposition publication fee per application
Declarations of use (statutory)Due with evidence within 3 years of the filing date (extendable once by 6 months), within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration, within 1 year after each renewal and within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of each renewal
Response to office actions (statutory)Within 2 months of the notice; a 2-month extension can be requested, up to 4 months in total
Opposition period (statutory)30 days from publication in the e-Gazette; an extension can be requested for good cause and on payment of a fee
Term and renewalThe certificate is valid for 10 years and renewable for 10 years each time; renew within 6 months before expiry, or within 6 months after expiry with a surcharge
Non-useIf the mark is not used in the Philippines for an uninterrupted period of 3 years or more without legitimate reason, any interested person can request cancellation
Filing feeLarge entities: basic fee PHP 2,592 per class + opposition publication fee PHP 960 per application (Memorandum Circular No. 2023-002, in force since 14 February 2023)

Checked on 2026-10-06; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing or a Madrid designation

Both routes lead to registration in the Philippines. They differ in prerequisites, fee structure, flexibility and risk. Whichever you choose, use declarations must be filed on time.

ItemDirect filing with IPOPHLMadrid designation of the Philippines
PrerequisiteNoneA basic application or registration at your office of origin
Official feesIn Philippine pesos: basic fee per class and opposition publication fee per application, paid to IPOPHLBasic fee and a Philippine individual fee (per class, in Swiss francs; see the WIPO fee calculator) paid to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Description of goodsSpecific terms are required and vague terms are not accepted; can be adapted to Philippine practiceCannot go beyond the basic application; the Philippines applies the same rule against vague terms
Philippine agentA Philippine resident agent must be designated at filingNot needed while WIPO forwards the designation; afterwards, any document filed with IPOPHL (responses to refusals, use declarations) must go through a local agent
3rd-year use declarationCounted 3 years from the Philippine filing dateCounted 3 years from the international registration date (or the date a subsequent designation is recorded)
Start of protectionDeemed registered the day after the opposition period ends; the certificate is issued after the certificate fee is paidOnce the Philippines issues a statement of grant of protection, or if no refusal is notified within the 18-month refusal period, it has the same effect as a direct Philippine registration from the international registration date; however, a refusal based on an opposition can be notified after the 18 months
Dependency riskNoneIf the basic application or registration is refused or cancelled within 5 years, the Philippine designation falls with it (it can be transformed into a Philippine national application within the prescribed period)
Best forYou only need the Philippines; a mark in a non-Latin script needs an English or Latin-script version; 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 IPOPHL, prepare the following information and documents. No evidence of use is needed at filing; it is filed later with the use declarations.

Applicant

  • Name and address (in English), and nationality or country of domicile
  • For a company, the law under which it is organised
  • If you have no domicile or real and effective business establishment in the Philippines, designate a Philippine resident agent in writing, giving their name, physical address and email address

The mark

  • Representation: JPG, no larger than 8 × 8 cm and 2 MB; a word mark with no special font or colour is filed in standard characters
  • If colours are claimed, name each colour and the part of the mark where it appears; three-dimensional, motion, position and hologram marks must be indicated as such and described
  • Foreign wording needs a translation; Chinese or other non-Latin characters need a transliteration into Latin letters and, if they have a meaning, the meaning

Goods and services

  • Grouped according to the current edition of the Nice Classification, with class numbers
  • Specific terms are required and vague terms are not accepted; class headings can be used but protect only the goods literally listed, not the whole class

Power of attorney and priority

  • No power of attorney is needed at filing; if the examiner asks, file it within 2 months of the notice
  • Signatures need no notarisation or legalisation (except for a surrender of the registration)
  • Earlier application filed abroad: file in the Philippines within 6 months of the earlier filing date to claim priority; if the earlier filing can be verified on the foreign office's official website, no supporting document is needed; otherwise, file a copy of the foreign registration certificate with an English translation within 1 year, as the examiner instructs

Signed documents such as the power of attorney are provided following the agent's instructions. A mark containing the name, portrait or signature of a living person needs that person's written consent.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct application with no opposition. Periods marked "statutory" are set by law.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search for similar earlier marks and settle the specific wording of the goods and services

  2. Step 2

    Online filing

    Filed through eTMFile with the filing fees paid in full; the filing date is the date the fees are received, and a shortfall paid within 3 calendar days keeps the original date (statutory)

  3. Step 3

    Examination

    Applications are examined in order of filing, and the first office action must state all grounds; respond within 2 months, extendable by 2 months (statutory)

  4. Step 4

    Publication and opposition

    Once approved, published in the e-Gazette; oppositions within 30 days of publication (statutory)

  5. Step 5

    Deemed registration and certificate

    With no opposition, the mark is deemed registered the day after the opposition period ends; pay the certificate fee within 2 months of the payment notice (statutory)

  6. Step 6

    3rd-year use declaration

    However far examination has progressed, file the use declaration with evidence within 3 years of filing, extendable once by 6 months (statutory)

Philippine law sets no deadline for completing trademark examination, and IPOPHL publishes no verifiable average examination time, so this page lists statutory periods only; refusals, oppositions or corrections make it take longer. With a priority claim, the Philippines publishes and approves the mark only after the priority country has registered it; if the foreign mark is not yet registered at approval, you have 1 year (extendable by 1 year) to file the foreign registration certificate.

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

Official fees are in Philippine pesos at two rates, large entity and small entity: applicants that file no written small-entity declaration are treated as large entities. The basic fee is charged per class and the opposition publication fee per application; both must be paid at filing to obtain a filing date, and the certificate fee and registration publication fee follow approval. The table below shows the current large-entity rates.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Basic filing fee (per class, big entity)Per class2,592 PHP≈ USD 42
Publication for opposition fee (per application, big entity; paid with the basic fee on filing)Per application960 PHP≈ USD 15
Paid on registration
Issuance of certificate of registration (per registration, big entity)Per application1,200 PHP≈ USD 19
Publication of registration (second publication, per registration, big entity)Per application960 PHP≈ USD 15
Payable when applicable
Convention priority claim fee (if priority is claimed, per class, big entity)Per class1,800 PHP≈ USD 29
Colour or distinctiveness claim fee (if claimed, per class, big entity)Per class600 PHP≈ USD 10
Extension of time to respond (per request, big entity)Per application720 PHP≈ USD 12
Single 6-month extension to file the 3rd-year DAU (big entity)Per application3,840 PHP≈ USD 62
Keeping the registration
3rd-year Declaration of Actual Use (within 3 years of filing, per class, big entity)Per class1,920 PHP≈ USD 31
5th-year Declaration of Actual Use (within 1 year from the 5th anniversary of registration, per class, big entity)Per class2,400 PHP≈ USD 39
Renewal fee (every 10 years, per class, big entity; certificate issuance and publication fees also payable)Per class6,600 PHP≈ USD 106
Renewal surcharge (within 6 months after expiry, per class, big entity)Per class3,300 PHP≈ USD 53
Renewal Declaration of Actual Use (within 1 year from renewal, per class, big entity)Per class2,400 PHP≈ USD 39
Mid-renewal Declaration of Actual Use (within 1 year from the 5th anniversary of renewal, per class, big entity)Per class2,400 PHP≈ USD 39

Source: Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), Memorandum Circular No. 2023-002 amending MC 16-012 (Schedule of Trademark-related Fees), WIPO Lex · current fees in force since 2023-02-14 · checked on 2026-10-06 · 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.

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Example: a large entity filing in 2 classes pays 2 × PHP 2,592 (basic fee) + PHP 960 (opposition publication fee) = PHP 6,144 at filing; after approval, the certificate fee of PHP 1,200 + the registration publication fee of PHP 960 = PHP 2,160; and within 3 years of filing, the 3rd-year use declaration fee of 2 × PHP 1,920 = PHP 3,840.

Each official fee carries an extra 1% Legal Research Fund charge (at least PHP 10 per payment), as stated in the payment notice. Applicants with assets of no more than PHP 100 million can declare small-entity status in writing, paying PHP 1,200 per class in basic fees and PHP 900 for the opposition publication fee; IPOPHL can ask for proof before registration, and if it cannot be provided, the large-entity difference must be paid.

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

Watch out

Rules specific to the Philippines and common refusals

These are the most common issues in Philippine examination, along with Philippine-specific rules that are easy to overlook.

Missing a Declaration of Actual Use (DAU)

The Philippines requires sworn declarations with evidence of actual use in the Philippines within 3 years of filing, within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration, within 1 year after each renewal and within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of each renewal; evidence can be photos of labels or packaging, sales invoices, or web pages showing sales in the Philippines. If a declaration is missed, the application is refused or the registration cancelled; the lack of a reminder from the office is no excuse. Use on some goods in a class counts as use for the whole class; classes not covered by the declaration and not added within the deadline are deleted automatically.

A Philippine resident agent is mandatory

Applicants with no domicile or real and effective business establishment in the Philippines must designate a Philippine resident agent in writing at filing to receive notices and documents; if the examiner asks for the designation and it is not filed within 2 months, the application may be deemed abandoned. With a Madrid designation of the Philippines, responses, use declarations and other documents filed later with IPOPHL must also go through a local agent.

A priority claim waits for registration in the priority country

If you claim priority from an earlier application filed abroad, the Philippines will not register the mark until the priority country has registered it: once examination is passed, publication is held until the foreign registration is verified. If the foreign registration certificate is not filed in time, the priority claim is deemed abandoned, and only then is the mark published. If you need a Philippine registration quickly, consider not claiming priority.

Goods worded too broadly; non-Latin wording without a transliteration

The Philippines does not accept vague terms for goods and services, and class headings protect only the goods literally listed; applications based on a foreign registration that uses vague terms must also be reworded with specific terms. A mark containing Chinese or other non-Latin characters needs a transliteration into Latin letters and its meaning, or you will receive a request to correct it.

30-day opposition period, deemed registration the next day

Third parties must oppose within 30 days of publication in the e-Gazette (an extension can be requested); with no opposition, the mark is deemed registered the day after the period ends. If the opposition period is missed, cancellation can be requested within 5 years of registration; grounds such as registration obtained fraudulently or the mark becoming generic are not subject to the 5-year limit. If your brand is already in the Philippines, keep watching the e-Gazette.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

Philippine registrations are valid for 10 years and then renewed; use declarations fall due during the term, and 3 or more uninterrupted years of non-use can also lead to cancellation.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Within 3 years of the filing date3rd-year declaration of actual use with evidence (or a declaration of non-use where the law allows); one 6-month extension can be requested before the deadlinePHP 1,920 per class; extension request PHP 3,840
Within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration5th-year declaration of actual usePHP 2,400 per class
Within 6 months before expiry, every 10 yearsRenewal, paying the renewal certificate fee and the publication fee at the same timeRenewal fee PHP 6,600 per class
Within 6 months after expiryLate renewalPlus a surcharge of PHP 3,300 per class
Within 1 year after renewal; within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of renewalRenewal declaration of actual use (can be filed early, within 6 months before expiry) and mid-term declaration after renewalPHP 2,400 per class for each
Any timeRecord an assignment or a change of name or address; licence agreements must be reviewed by IPOPHL before recordal and have no effect against third parties until recordedRecordal fee PHP 840 each, plus a PHP 960 publication fee for registered marks

Once registered, the mark can be recorded with the Philippine Bureau of Customs, which alerts ports to monitor suspected infringing imports.

If the mark is not used in the Philippines for 3 or more uninterrupted years without legitimate reason, an interested person can request cancellation; lack of funds is not a valid reason for non-use. Keep evidence of sales, advertising and other use in the Philippines, which also serves for the use declarations.

FAQ

Trademark registration in the Philippines

How much does a Philippine trademark cost?

Official fees have two rates, large entity and small entity. A foreign company that does not declare small-entity status pays large-entity rates: at filing, a basic fee of PHP 2,592 per class plus an opposition publication fee of PHP 960 per application; after approval, a certificate fee of PHP 1,200 and a registration publication fee of PHP 960. The 3rd-year use declaration, due within 3 years of filing, costs PHP 1,920 per class. Each official fee carries a 1% Legal Research Fund charge. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does trademark registration take in the Philippines?

Philippine law sets no deadline for completing examination, and IPOPHL publishes no average. The statutory milestones are: respond to office actions within 2 months (extendable to 4); oppositions within 30 days of publication, with the mark deemed registered the day after the period ends if none is filed. With a priority claim, approval waits until the priority country has registered the mark; refusals and oppositions make it take longer.

When are Declarations of Actual Use (DAU) due in the Philippines?

At four milestones: within 3 years of filing (one 6-month extension can be requested before the deadline); within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of registration; within 1 year after each renewal; and within 1 year after the 5th anniversary of each renewal. The 3rd-year declaration is due even if the application is still under examination. Evidence can be photos of labels or packaging, sales invoices, or web pages showing sales in the Philippines. If a declaration is missed, the application is refused or the registration cancelled. For a Madrid designation of the Philippines, the 3rd-year declaration is counted from the international registration date (or, for a subsequent designation, the date it is recorded).

Can a foreign company file in the Philippines without a local agent?

It can file in its own name, but with no domicile or real and effective business establishment in the Philippines it must designate a Philippine resident agent to receive notices. Filing is online only, and office actions and use declarations must be handled on time, so in practice a Philippine agent is usually appointed. With a Madrid designation of the Philippines, documents filed with IPOPHL must also go through a local agent.

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

Yes. The application must include a transliteration of the characters into Latin letters (such as pinyin for Chinese) and, if they have a meaning, the meaning. English and Filipino are widely used in the Philippines, so if you sell to local consumers, consider also registering an English or Latin-script mark, and file the use declarations for the form of the mark you actually use.

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

If you only need the Philippines and want to word the goods to Philippine practice, a direct application suits you better; if you already have a home filing and want several countries at once, Madrid is simpler. Under both routes, use declarations must be filed on time, and with Madrid a Philippine agent is also needed to respond to a refusal or file a use declaration. See the route comparison above.

Other IP rights

Patents: Philippine invention patents last 20 years from the filing date; utility models last 7 years from the filing date and cannot be renewed. The Philippines has been a PCT member since 17 August 2001.

Designs: protected for 5 years from the filing date, renewable twice for 5 years each time, up to 15 years. The Philippines is not currently a member of the Hague Agreement, so a national application must be filed with IPOPHL.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

IP news: Philippines

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