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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Albania

To register a trademark in Albania, file with the General Directorate of Industrial Property (DPPI) or designate Albania through Madrid. Albania is not an EU member: an EU trademark does not cover it. Under the Trademark Law in force since 16 August 2025, DPPI examines absolute grounds only; earlier marks are raised by opposition.

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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.

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Five questions first

Which route?File directly with DPPI if you only need Albania and want flexibility to adjust the goods; designate Albania 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, a power of attorney for a trademark agent registered with DPPI (signed and stamped by a company, or notarised), a representation of the mark (with a transliteration of non-Latin script) and goods or services under the Nice Classification.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Filing fee ALL 7,000 including 1 class, ALL 2,500 for each class from the 2nd; after approval, a registration fee of ALL 8,000 with no surcharge per class. Service fees are quoted separately.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory milestones: formal examination within 3 months, absolute grounds within the next 3 months, a 3-month opposition period after publication, then 1 month to pay the registration fee. DPPI publishes no average times.Details ↓What are the main risks?DPPI does not refuse similar marks ex officio but notifies earlier owners so they can oppose; the 3-month opposition period cannot be extended; after 5 years of non-use the registration can be revoked.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Albania: key facts

OfficeGeneral Directorate of Industrial Property (Drejtoria e Përgjithshme e Pronësisë Industriale, DPPI; GDIP in English). Oppositions are heard by its Opposition Board; revocation, invalidity and reviews of refusals on absolute grounds by its Revocation and Invalidity Board, with a further appeal to the Board of Appeal. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawLaw No. 52/2025 on Trademarks (adopted 3 July 2025, in force since 16 August 2025), replacing the trademark provisions of Law No. 9947/2008 on Industrial Property; the Trademark Regulation (Council of Ministers Decision No. 315/2018) continues to apply until new implementing rules are issued
EU trademarkAlbania has been an EU candidate since June 2014 and opened accession negotiations in July 2022; it is not a member state, so an EU trademark does not cover Albania
Madrid SystemParty to the Madrid Agreement since 4 October 1995 and the Madrid Protocol since 30 July 2003, so Albania can be designated through Madrid; Albania has declared neither an individual fee nor an 18-month refusal period: a designation costs only the CHF 100 complementary fee (plus a supplementary fee for more than 3 classes) and the refusal period is 12 months, whatever your office of origin; for offices bound by both the Agreement and the Protocol (e.g. China), Article 9sexies of the Protocol leads to the same result
Foreign applicantsApplicants with no residence, principal place of business or branch in Albania can act before DPPI only through a trademark agent registered and certified by DPPI
ClassesOne application covers one sign and can include several Nice classes, grouped by class number; the filing fee covers 1 class and each class from the 2nd is charged extra
Scope of examinationDPPI examines absolute grounds only (distinctiveness, descriptiveness, deceptiveness and so on); earlier marks, earlier rights and bad faith are relative grounds, examined only if an earlier right holder opposes
Examination time (statutory)Formal examination within 3 months of the filing date; absolute grounds examined within 3 months after any deficiencies are corrected; 2 months to correct deficiencies or reply, extendable by 2 months for a fee
Opposition period (statutory)3 months from publication, not extendable; the applicant has 2 months to respond, likewise not extendable, and without a response the application is refused on the opposition
Official feesFiling fee ALL 7,000 including 1 class, ALL 2,500 for each class from the 2nd; registration fee ALL 8,000; renewal fee ALL 8,000, ALL 4,000 for each class from the 2nd (Fee Decision No. 883/2009, current amounts applicable since 6 June 2018)
Term and renewal10 years from the filing date; renew within the last year of the term, for 10 years each time; within 6 months after expiry renewal is still possible with a 50% surcharge
Non-use (statutory)After 5 consecutive years without genuine use in Albania from the registration date, with no proper reason, anyone can request revocation before DPPI's Revocation and Invalidity Board or the court
Electronic filingUnder the new law, requests to DPPI are filed electronically with an electronic signature; DPPI has accepted online filings through the e-Albania platform since 1 May 2022

Checked on 2026-10-15; 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 Albania. They differ in prerequisites, when you must appoint an Albanian agent, fee structure and dependency risk. DPPI examines a Madrid designation on the same absolute grounds and with the same scrutiny of the goods list as a national application, and earlier right holders can oppose it in the same way.

ItemDirect filing with DPPIMadrid designation of Albania
PrerequisiteNoneA basic application or registration at your office of origin
Official feesIn Albanian lek: filing fee ALL 7,000 including 1 class, ALL 2,500 for each class from the 2nd; after approval, registration fee ALL 8,000Basic fee paid to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), plus only the CHF 100 complementary fee for Albania (and a supplementary fee for more than 3 classes), whatever your office of origin, since Albania has declared no individual fee; for offices bound by both the Agreement and the Protocol (e.g. China), Article 9sexies of the Protocol leads to the same result. See the WIPO fee calculator
Albanian agentRequired from filing for applicants based abroad: a trademark agent registered with DPPINot needed to file; a response to a provisional refusal or an opposition, due within 4 months, must be filed through a trademark agent registered with DPPI
Examination timeStatutory: formal examination within 3 months, absolute grounds within the next 3 months; examination out of turn can be requested for a feeDPPI must notify a provisional refusal within 12 months (Albania has not declared 18 months); the result is notified through WIPO
Start of the opposition period3 months from publication of the application in the DPPI Bulletin3 months from publication in the WIPO Gazette of International Marks
Wording of goods and servicesListed item by item under the Nice Classification and grouped by class number; unclear terms must be clarified within 2 months or the goods concerned are refusedCannot go beyond the basic application or registration; DPPI likewise checks that the list is clear
Dependency riskNoneIf the basic application or registration is refused or cancelled within 5 years, the Albanian designation falls with it; it can be converted into a national application within 3 months
Best forYou only need Albania; you have no home filing to rely on; you need flexibility to adjust the goodsYou already have a home filing and want protection in several countries

Albania is not a member of the European Union, so an EU trademark does not cover Albania; see EU trademark registration. Protection in Albania requires a separate application or a Madrid designation. For a Balkan neighbour that is likewise outside the EU, see Trademark registration in Serbia.

For a general comparison of the two routes, see Madrid designation or direct national filing: which one fits your case. 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 DPPI, applicants based abroad usually prepare the following information and documents.

Applicant

  • Name (for a company, its registered name) and address, stating the country
  • Requests and documents filed with DPPI must be in Albanian; the agent handles the translation

Power of attorney

  • A power of attorney for a trademark agent registered and certified by DPPI; under the Trademark Regulation, a company applicant signs and stamps it or has the signature notarised, and an individual applicant's signature must be notarised
  • It states the scope of authority and can name one or more agents; once an agent is recorded for the mark, a copy suffices in later proceedings
  • The Regulation does not require legalisation or an apostille; provide other signed documents as your agent instructs

The mark

  • Word marks: state the wording; figurative or combined marks: a clear representation, naming the colours if colour is claimed; on paper, 8 copies of an 8×8 cm representation
  • Marks containing non-Latin script (Chinese characters, for example) need a transliteration; foreign words with a meaning need an Albanian translation; non-word marks need a description
  • State the type of mark (word, figurative, position, three-dimensional, colour and so on) and its category (individual, collective or certification mark)

Goods and services

  • Listed under the Nice Classification with clear, specific terms, grouped in class order and marked with the class number
  • Class headings and other general terms may be used, but they cover only the goods clearly within their literal meaning; DPPI asks for unclear terms to be clarified within 2 months, failing which the goods concerned are refused
  • After filing the list can only be limited (for a fee), never extended

Priority (if any)

  • An earlier application filed abroad: priority can be claimed within 6 months; declare the date, number and country of the earlier application at filing and file a copy with an Albanian translation within 3 months
  • If the copy is late, only the priority is lost; the application itself continues

For applicants based abroad, the agent files electronically through the e-Albania platform; at filing you can also ask DPPI for an earlier-mark search report (for an additional fee).

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct application with no opposition. Every milestone is a statutory period under the new Trademark Law; DPPI publishes no average times.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search the DPPI register of industrial property objects for identical and similar marks, or request a DPPI search report for a fee when filing

  2. Step 2

    Filing and filing date

    The agent files electronically; if the request, applicant details, goods list, representation or filing fee is missing, you have 2 months to correct it (statutory) and the filing date becomes the date of correction

  3. Step 3

    Formal examination and absolute grounds

    Formal requirements are examined within 3 months of the filing date and absolute grounds within 3 months after any correction (statutory); if a ground for refusal is raised, you have 2 months to reply, extendable by 2 months for a fee

  4. Step 4

    Publication

    The application is published in the DPPI Bulletin, opening a 3-month opposition period (statutory, not extendable); anyone may also file observations on absolute grounds within those 3 months

  5. Step 5

    Opposition (if any)

    The Opposition Board checks the opposition formally within 2 months and forwards it to you; you have 2 months to respond (statutory, not extendable), failing which the application is refused; you can require the opponent to prove use of its earlier mark in the last 5 years

  6. Step 6

    Registration fee and registration

    If there is no opposition, or it is rejected, DPPI invites you to pay the registration fee within 1 month (statutory); if it is not paid, the application is refused; after payment the mark is registered, published and the certificate issued

An opposition or a refusal makes the process considerably longer. A refusal on absolute grounds can be taken to the Revocation and Invalidity Board for review within 1 month; decisions of the Opposition Board and the Revocation and Invalidity Board can be appealed to the Board of Appeal within 45 days, and its decisions challenged before the Administrative Court of First Instance in Tirana within a further 45 days.

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

Albanian official fees are set in Annex 5 of Council of Ministers Fee Decision No. 883/2009 (current amounts as amended by Decision No. 316/2018, applicable since 6 June 2018; under the new Trademark Law they continue to apply until a new fee decision is issued) and are paid in Albanian lek (ALL) in two stages: at filing, the filing fee, covering 1 class with each class from the 2nd charged extra; after approval and the end of the opposition period, the registration fee within 1 month of DPPI's notice, charged per application with no surcharge per class.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Filing fee (individual mark, first class included)Per application7,000 ALL≈ USD 86
Filing: each additional class from the secondEach additional class2,500 ALL≈ USD 31
Paid on registration
Registration fee (payable within 1 month of the notice after acceptance and the opposition period; not per class)Per application8,000 ALL≈ USD 98
Payable when applicable
Out-of-order (expedited) examination, on requestPer application6,000 ALL≈ USD 74
Limitation of the list of goods or servicesPer application5,000 ALL≈ USD 61
Division of the application (per divisional application)Per application6,000 ALL≈ USD 74
Extension of a time limit (per request, up to 2 months)Per application2,000 ALL≈ USD 25
Restoration of rights (restitutio in integrum)Per application7,000 ALL≈ USD 86
Issue of a priority documentPer application3,000 ALL≈ USD 37
Keeping the registration
Renewal fee (every 10 years, first class included)Per application8,000 ALL≈ USD 98
Renewal: each additional class from the secondEach additional class4,000 ALL≈ USD 49
Surcharge for renewal within 6 months after expiry (50% of the basic renewal fee)Per application4,000 ALL≈ USD 49
Other
Filing fee for a collective or certification mark (instead of the individual-mark fee, first class included)Per application8,000 ALL≈ USD 98
Opposition (filed with the Opposition Chamber)Per application7,000 ALL≈ USD 86
Request for revocation or invalidity (Chamber for Revocation and Invalidity)Per application7,000 ALL≈ USD 86
Appeal against a refusal on absolute grounds to the Chamber for Revocation and InvalidityPer application5,000 ALL≈ USD 61
Appeal to the Board of Appeal (against decisions of the Opposition Chamber or the Chamber for Revocation and Invalidity)Per application10,000 ALL≈ USD 123
Recording of a transfer of ownershipPer application5,000 ALL≈ USD 61
Recording of a licencePer application5,000 ALL≈ USD 61
Recording of a change of namePer application5,000 ALL≈ USD 61
Recording of a change of addressPer application1,000 ALL≈ USD 12
Extract from the trademark registerPer application1,000 ALL≈ USD 12
Official search (investigation)Per application1,000 ALL≈ USD 12
Transmittal of an international (Madrid) application or subsequent designation through DPPIPer application5,000 ALL≈ USD 61
Transformation of an international registration into a national applicationPer application7,000 ALL≈ USD 86

Source: DPPI General Directorate of Industrial Property, Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 883/2009 as amended by No. 316/2018, Annex 5 · current fees in force since 2018-06-06 · checked on 2026-10-15 · 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: an application covering 1 class pays a filing fee of ALL 7,000 and, after approval, a registration fee of ALL 8,000: ALL 15,000 in official fees in total. With 3 classes, the filing fee is ALL 7,000 + 2 × ALL 2,500 = ALL 12,000, and official fees total ALL 20,000.

Examination out of turn costs an extra ALL 6,000 (halved if a Madrid international application is filed on the basis of that application); limiting the goods list ALL 5,000; extending a deadline ALL 2,000; under a note to the fee decision, the registration fee is reduced by 20% if you opt for an electronic certificate.

Lek amounts are converted at the exchange rate on the day of payment. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to Albania and common refusals

These are the rules under Albania's 2025 Trademark Law that are easiest to overlook, along with common issues in examination.

DPPI does not refuse similar marks ex officio, but it notifies earlier right holders of your application

The new law examines absolute grounds only: identity or similarity with an earlier mark is not a ground for refusal and can be raised only by the earlier right holder in an opposition. But after publication DPPI writes to every earlier applicant, registrant and agent listed in the search report, whether or not you requested a search report. A similar mark will almost certainly come to the other side's attention, so a similarity search before filing matters more here than in other countries that examine absolute grounds only.

The 3-month opposition period and the 2-month response period can be neither extended nor restored

Within 3 months of publication, owners of earlier marks and their licensees, holders of earlier trade names, personal names, portraits, copyrights and other rights, and owners of marks filed without authorisation by an agent can oppose; bad faith is also a ground for opposition. The applicant must respond within 2 months; without a response, the Opposition Board refuses the application. Both periods are expressly excluded from restoration of rights. In your response you can require the opponent to prove genuine use in the last 5 years of an earlier mark registered for at least 5 years.

Non-use revocation runs from 5 years after registration, and anyone can request it

After 5 consecutive years without genuine use in Albania from the registration date, with no proper reason, anyone can request revocation before the Revocation and Invalidity Board or the court in Tirana; no legal interest is required. Use started or resumed within the 3 months before the request does not count if it began only after the owner learned that revocation might be requested. For Madrid designations, the 5 years run from the date of the international registration or of the subsequent designation.

The goods list is read literally, and vague terms are refused outright for the goods concerned

Class headings may be used, but they cover only the goods clearly within their literal meaning. For unclear or unspecific terms DPPI issues a notice asking for clarification within 2 months; if it is late or insufficient, the goods concerned are refused. Goods in the same class are not automatically similar, and goods in different classes are not automatically dissimilar. After filing the list can only be limited, and limitation itself costs a fee.

Powers of attorney must be notarised or stamped, and foreign-language documents need an Albanian translation

Applicants based abroad can act only through a trademark agent registered and certified by DPPI. Under the Regulation a company signs and stamps the power of attorney or has the signature notarised, and an individual's signature must be notarised; if it does not comply, the agent is given 3 months to correct it, failing which the application is refused. Priority documents must be filed within 3 months of filing together with an Albanian translation, or priority is lost.

After 5 years of acquiescence no further action is possible, except against bad faith

An earlier mark owner who has knowingly tolerated the use of a later mark in Albania for 5 consecutive years can no longer apply to invalidate it or stop its use, unless the later mark was filed in bad faith. Conversely, when you discover that someone else has registered a similar mark, oppose or apply for invalidity early rather than letting 5 years pass.

Get a trademark search report: can your mark be registered in Albania?

Sign in, enter the mark and goods and submit a preliminary search; charged per search, with the report delivered to your account and email.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

An Albanian registration needs no periodic declarations of use, but non-use can lead to revocation, and the registration ends if the 6-month grace period after expiry is missed.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee (ALL)
From 5 years after registrationKeep using the mark genuinely in Albania and keep evidence; anyone can request revocationNone
In the last year of the term, then every 10 yearsRenew, for all or some of the goods or services; DPPI sends a reminder 6 months before expiry, but a missing reminder does not stop the mark from expiring8,000 (including 1 class), 4,000 for each class from the 2nd
Within 6 months after expiryRenew with a surcharge; after that the registration endsRenewal fee plus 50%, i.e. 12,000 for the basic renewal fee
Any timeRecord assignments, licences and pledges; record changes of name or address; assignment and licence contracts must be signed by both parties and notarisedAssignment 5,000; licence 5,000; change of name 5,000; change of address 1,000

An assignment or licence not recorded with DPPI has no effect against third parties. The new Trademark Law lets the owner stop goods bearing an identical mark from third countries in transit through Albania; customs measures follow Albanian customs legislation, and infringement on the domestic market can be reported to the market surveillance authorities. E-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Albania

How much does an Albania trademark cost?

Under the current fee decision (applicable since 6 June 2018): filing fee ALL 7,000 including 1 class, ALL 2,500 for each class from the 2nd; after approval, the registration fee of ALL 8,000 within 1 month of DPPI's notice, with no surcharge per class. Official fees total ALL 15,000 for 1 class and ALL 20,000 for 3 classes. Renewal costs ALL 8,000, plus ALL 4,000 for each class from the 2nd. 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 Albania take?

DPPI publishes no average times, so only the statutory milestones can be used: formal examination within 3 months of the filing date, absolute grounds within 3 months after any correction, a 3-month opposition period after publication, then 1 month after the notice to pay the registration fee. In a smooth case these add up to less than a year (an estimate); corrections, refusals or oppositions make it considerably longer. For ALL 6,000 you can request examination out of turn.

I have an EU trademark. Do I still need to register in Albania?

Yes. Albania is an EU candidate, not a member state, so an EU trademark does not cover Albania; see EU trademark registration. You can file directly with DPPI or designate Albania in a Madrid international registration. For a Balkan neighbour that is likewise outside the EU, see Trademark registration in Serbia.

Can a foreign company file directly with DPPI?

No. Applicants with no residence, principal place of business or branch in Albania can act before DPPI only through a trademark agent registered and certified by DPPI. If you designate Albania through the Madrid System, you need no agent to file, but a response to a provisional refusal or an opposition, due within 4 months, must likewise go through a registered agent.

Does DPPI examine similar earlier marks?

DPPI examines absolute grounds only and does not refuse an application ex officio because of a similar earlier mark, but it notifies each earlier right holder listed in the search report, and they decide whether to oppose within 3 months of publication. The opposition fee is ALL 7,000. An opposed applicant has 2 months to respond, not extendable, and can require the opponent to prove use in the last 5 years of an earlier mark registered for at least 5 years. For a Madrid designation, the 3-month opposition period runs from publication in the WIPO Gazette.

How are marks in non-Latin script or in a foreign language handled?

They can be filed directly, but a mark containing non-Latin characters (Chinese characters, for example) must be accompanied by a transliteration, and foreign words with a meaning also need an Albanian translation. Protection covers only the version applied for; if a transliterated or translated version is also used locally, file it separately. All documents filed with DPPI must be in Albanian; the agent handles the translation.

Other IP rights

Patents: Law No. 53/2025 on Patents, Utility Models and Supplementary Protection Certificates entered into force on the same day as the Trademark Law (16 August 2025) and is administered by DPPI; PCT applications can enter the Albanian national phase (the PCT has applied to Albania since 4 October 1995), and Albania has been a member of the European Patent Convention since 1 May 2010, so a European patent can designate Albania.

Industrial designs: still governed by Law No. 9947/2008 on Industrial Property; apply to DPPI, or designate Albania through the Hague System (since 19 March 2007).

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Serbia　·　Greece　·　Italy　·　Turkey　·　European Union Intellectual Property Office

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