Skip to main content
Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Czechia

To register a trademark in Czechia, file with the Industrial Property Office (ÚPV), apply for an EU trademark or designate Czechia through Madrid. The ÚPV examines absolute grounds only; earlier marks are raised by opposition within 3 months of publication. The filing fee is due within 1 month, and applicants abroad need a Czech representative.

Order online · Czechia 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 (Czechia selected) Get a trademark search report first

Five questions first

Which route?File with the ÚPV if Czechia is your main market and you want to control costs; choose an EU trademark to enter several EU countries; with a home application or registration, you can also designate Czechia through Madrid.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name and address, the mark (non-Latin characters are filed as a figurative mark with a Latin transliteration), goods or services in Czech by Nice class, and a power of attorney for your Czech representative.Details ↓How are official fees charged?A filing fee of CZK 5,000 covering 3 classes, plus CZK 500 for each class from the 4th, paid in one go within 1 month of filing; there is no separate registration fee. Service fees are quoted by the agent.Details ↓How long does it take?Official statistics: in 2025, 2.1 months on average from filing to publication and 6.3 months from filing to registration; a statutory 3-month opposition period follows publication.Details ↓What are the main risks?If the filing fee is not paid within 1 month, the application is deemed not filed, with no reminder; the ÚPV does not search earlier marks, so oppositions can follow publication for 3 months; non-Latin marks are filed as figurative marks with a transliteration.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Czechia: key facts

OfficeIndustrial Property Office of the Czech Republic (Úřad průmyslového vlastnictví, ÚPV). Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawAct No. 441/2003 Coll. on trademarks (zákon č. 441/2003 Sb., o ochranných známkách), as amended by Act No. 286/2018 Coll. with effect from 1 January 2019; official fees under Items 138–140 of the fee schedule to Act No. 634/2004 Coll. on Administrative Fees
Other routesAn EU trademark covers Czechia; Czechia has been party to the Madrid Agreement since 1 January 1993 and the Madrid Protocol since 25 September 1996, so Czechia can be designated through Madrid
Madrid designation of CzechiaCzechia has declared neither an individual fee nor an 18-month refusal period: a designation of Czechia costs only the CHF 100 complementary fee 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 real industrial or commercial establishment, permanent residence or seat in Czechia must be represented in trademark proceedings before the ÚPV, by a Czech attorney-at-law or patent attorney; EU and EEA persons providing services in Czechia are exempt but must name an address for service in Czechia
LanguageCzech; documents in other languages generally need a certified Czech translation unless the ÚPV says it is not needed; marks containing non-Latin characters need a transliteration into Latin letters, and a word mark can consist only of Latin letters, numerals and the prescribed symbols
Examination scopeThe ÚPV examines absolute grounds only (distinctiveness, descriptiveness, deceptiveness, etc.) of its own motion; similar earlier marks are not a ground for refusal and their owners must oppose after publication; anyone can file observations on absolute grounds during the opposition period
Multi-class applicationsAllowed; the filing fee covers 3 classes, and each class from the 4th is charged extra
Filing fee deadline (statutory)Within 1 month of filing; cannot be extended or restored; the ÚPV sends no payment request, and if the fee is not paid in time the application is deemed not filed
Examination time (official statistics)In 2025, 2.1 months on average from filing to publication and 6.3 months from filing to registration
Opposition period (statutory)3 months from publication in the ÚPV Bulletin; cannot be extended or restored; for international registrations designating Czechia, it starts on the first day of the month after the month in which the WIPO Gazette issue publishing the registration appears
Term and renewal10 years from the filing date; apply for renewal within the 12 months before expiry, at the latest on the expiry date; within 6 months after expiry renewal is still possible at double the fee; the ÚPV reminds you at least 6 months before expiry
Non-use (statutory)After 5 consecutive years without genuine use in Czechia following registration, anyone can ask the ÚPV to revoke the mark; if you are opposed, you can also require the opponent to prove use of the earlier mark in the last 5 years
Official feesFiling fee CZK 5,000 (including 3 classes), CZK 500 for each class from the 4th; renewal CZK 2,500, or CZK 5,000 within the grace period (current wording of the fee schedule in force since 1 January 2019)

Checked on 2026-10-15; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

A national application or an EU trademark

Trademark protection in Czechia can come from three routes: a national application to the ÚPV, an EU trademark application to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), with one registration covering all 27 member states, or a designation of Czechia or the EU in a Madrid international application. The table compares the first two; for details of EU trademarks, see EU trademark registration.

ItemNational application (ÚPV)EU trademark (EUIPO)
CoverageCzechia onlyAll 27 member states (including Czechia); registered and maintained only as a whole
Official feesFiling fee CZK 5,000 including 3 classes, CZK 500 for each class from the 4th, paid in one go; no separate registration feeEUR 850 including 1 class, EUR 50 for the 2nd class and EUR 150 for each class from the 3rd
LanguageCzech; non-Latin characters in the mark need a Latin transliterationFile in any of the 24 official languages and choose a second language
Examination and oppositionAbsolute grounds only; within 3 months of publication, owners of earlier rights valid in Czechia can opposeAbsolute grounds only; within 3 months of publication, owners of earlier rights in any member state can oppose
Timing (official statistics)6.3 months on average from filing to registration in 2025Published separately by the EUIPO; the procedure runs for the EU as a whole
Refusal riskOnly registrability in Czechia countsA ground for refusal in any member state or any official language leads to refusal of the whole application
Representation of foreign applicantsApplicants with no establishment or residence in Czechia must use a Czech attorney-at-law or patent attorney from filing onwardsNot required to file; later proceedings require a professional representative in the EEA
Use requirementGenuine use in Czechia within 5 years of registrationGenuine use in the EU within 5 years of registration, assessed across the EU as a whole
Best forCzechia is your main market; a limited budget; the mark may be descriptive or face conflicts in another EU languageYou are entering several member states at once and want one registration to manage

The Madrid route: with a home application or registration, you can designate Czechia or the EU in an international application. An international registration designating Czechia is treated like a national application, and the ÚPV likewise examines absolute grounds only; the 3-month opposition period starts on the first day of the month after the month in which the WIPO Gazette issue publishing the international registration appears. Czechia has declared neither an individual fee nor an 18-month refusal period, so a designation of Czechia 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; where the office of origin is bound by both the Madrid Agreement and the Protocol (e.g. China), Article 9sexies of the Protocol produces the same result.

A refused EU trademark application can be converted, under EU rules, into a Czech national application keeping the original filing date; the ÚPV charges CZK 5,000 (including 3 classes) for a converted application. 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 Czech trademark application to the ÚPV, applicants based abroad usually prepare the following information and documents.

Applicant

  • Name (for a company, its registered name) and the address of its seat or residence
  • Individuals and legal entities can apply; one application covers one mark

Representative and power of attorney

  • Applicants with no real industrial or commercial establishment, permanent residence or seat in Czechia must appoint a Czech attorney-at-law or patent attorney and act through the representative from filing onwards
  • The power of attorney only needs the applicant's signature; the ÚPV does not require the signature to be notarised or legalised, and the trademark act expressly excludes legalisation of signatures on foreign official documents. Other signed documents follow the agent's instructions

The mark

  • State the type of mark (word, figurative, three-dimensional, position, colour, sound, motion and others, 11 types in all) and provide a clear representation; on paper, the image must be no smaller than A8 and no larger than A4
  • A word mark can consist only of Latin letters, Arabic or Roman numerals and the prescribed symbols; a mark containing Chinese or other non-Latin characters must be filed as a figurative mark with a transliteration into Latin letters

Goods and services

  • Listed in Czech by Nice class, in ascending order of class number with the class number stated before each class; the Czech list is the only authentic text, and the English translation in the database is for information only
  • The ÚPV publishes and applies the common practice of the EU offices on general indications of class headings and on the acceptability of terms, so wording must be clear and precise. English terms can be looked up first in EU trademark classification table on this site
  • Goods or services are not treated as dissimilar merely because they fall in different classes, nor as similar merely because they fall in the same class

Priority

  • Earlier application filed abroad: priority can be claimed within 6 months; state the date, country and number of the earlier application in the application form
  • The priority document must be filed within 3 months of the filing date, otherwise the ÚPV does not recognise the priority

The filing fee must be credited to the ÚPV's account within 1 month of filing, quoting the variable symbol (3 followed by the application number); the ÚPV sends no payment request, and an unpaid application is deemed not filed. The name on the paying account must match the applicant or the representative.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct application with no opposition.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search Czech marks, international registrations designating Czechia and EU trademarks; the ÚPV database is free to use, and new applications appear the day after filing

  2. Step 2

    Filing and filing fee

    File online, by post or in person and receive an application number; pay the filing fee in full within 1 month of filing (statutory, not extendable)

  3. Step 3

    Formalities and absolute-grounds examination

    Any issues are notified for reply first; in 2025, 2.1 months on average from filing to publication (official statistics)

  4. Step 4

    Publication and opposition

    Once examination is passed, the application is published in the ÚPV Bulletin; 3-month opposition period from publication (statutory), during which anyone can also file observations on absolute grounds

  5. Step 5

    Registration and certificate

    With no opposition, or once an opposition is rejected, the mark is entered in the register, the registration is published and the certificate is posted; in 2025, 6.3 months on average from filing to registration (official statistics)

  6. Step 6

    Opposition proceedings (if any)

    Within 2 months of receiving the opposition, you can require the opponent to prove use of the earlier mark (statutory, not extendable); the opponent has 4 months to file evidence

Timing data come from the ÚPV's Annual Report 2025. The trademark act excludes the Administrative Procedure Code's time limits for decisions, so the ÚPV has no statutory deadline for completing examination; in 2025 the ÚPV stated that applications with deficiencies take 4 to 6 months on average. Opposed cases have no fixed duration.

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

Czech official fees are paid in one go: the filing fee, paid on filing, covers 3 classes and each class from the 4th is charged extra; registration itself costs nothing more. Online and paper applications cost the same. The table below shows the current rates published by the ÚPV under Item 138 of the fee schedule to the Administrative Fees Act (current wording in force since 1 January 2019).

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Filing fee (individual mark, up to three classes included; payable within 1 month of receipt)Per application5,000 CZK≈ USD 229
Class fee: each class from the fourthEach class from the fourth500 CZK≈ USD 23
Payable when applicable
Filing fee for a collective or certification mark (up to three classes included, instead of the individual-mark fee; CZK 500 per class from the fourth)Per application10,000 CZK≈ USD 459
First request for extension of a time limit (CZK 500 for each further extension; restitutio in integrum CZK 1,000)Per item200 CZK≈ USD 9
Keeping the registration
Renewal fee (individual mark, every 10 years; request within 12 months before expiry)Per application2,500 CZK≈ USD 115
Renewal fee for a request filed within 6 months after expiry (individual mark, instead of the standard renewal fee)Per application5,000 CZK≈ USD 229
Renewal fee (collective or certification mark, every 10 years; CZK 10,000 if requested within 6 months after expiry)Per application5,000 CZK≈ USD 229
Recording of an assignment, licence or pledge (per request)Per item600 CZK≈ USD 28
Other
Request for conversion of an EU trade mark application or EU trade mark into a national application (up to three classes included; CZK 500 per class from the fourth)Per application5,000 CZK≈ USD 229
Office fee for filing a Madrid international application through the ÚPV (WIPO fees payable separately in CHF)Per application2,500 CZK≈ USD 115

Source: upv.gov.cz · current fees in force since 2019-01-01 · 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 3 classes costs CZK 5,000 in official fees; 5 classes cost CZK 5,000 + 2 × CZK 500 = CZK 6,000, payable in full within 1 month of filing, failing which the application is deemed not filed.

Renewal costs CZK 2,500 (every 10 years), or CZK 5,000 if done within the 6 months after expiry. Recording an assignment or a licence costs CZK 600 per entry; a first extension of a reply deadline costs CZK 200 and each further extension CZK 500.

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

Watch out

Rules specific to Czechia and common refusals

In 2025 the ÚPV received 7,714 national trademark applications, 453 of them from abroad, and 359 oppositions. These are the most common issues in Czech applications, along with Czech-specific rules that are easy to overlook.

If the filing fee is not paid within 1 month, the application is deemed not filed

The ÚPV sends no payment request after it receives an application: the filing fee must be credited to the ÚPV's account within 1 month, quoting the variable symbol. This period cannot be extended, and a missed payment cannot be restored; the application is simply deemed not filed and the filing date is lost. If the amount paid is short, the ÚPV asks you to pay the difference within 15 days, otherwise it proceeds only with the classes covered by the amount paid. If you use a representative, the representative pays and checks the payment on your behalf.

Earlier marks are handled by opposition, not examination

Under the current law, the ÚPV does not refuse applications of its own motion because of earlier marks; it examines absolute grounds only. Owners of earlier Czech marks, EU trademarks and international registrations designating Czechia, as well as earlier users of unregistered signs and holders of name rights, copyright and other industrial property rights, can oppose within 3 months of publication; this period cannot be extended or restored. Searching before you file costs less than amending after an opposition.

Marks in Chinese or other non-Latin characters are filed as figurative marks with a transliteration

The ÚPV accepts word marks only in Latin letters, numerals and the prescribed symbols; a sign containing Chinese or other non-Latin characters must be filed as a figurative mark with a transliteration into Latin letters. Examination is based on the transliteration and the meaning: if the characters directly describe the goods or services, the mark is refused on absolute grounds just the same.

When opposed, you have only 2 months to demand proof of use

If the opponent's earlier mark had been registered for at least 5 years on the priority date of your application, you can require the opponent to prove genuine use in Czechia in the last 5 years. The request must be made in a separate document within 2 months of receiving the opposition, unconditionally; the period cannot be extended or restored and does not follow any extension of the deadline for replying to the opposition. The opponent then has 4 months to file evidence, and the opposition cannot rely on anything not proven.

Third parties can file observations, but are not parties to the proceedings

After publication and until the end of the opposition period, anyone can submit observations to the ÚPV on absolute grounds such as lack of distinctiveness, descriptiveness or conflict with public order or morality; the ÚPV considers them in examination and forwards them to the applicant for reply. In 2025 the ÚPV received 54 such observations. The person filing them is not a party and has no right of appeal, but the observations can lead to refusal of an already published application.

The renewal window is fixed; miss it and the request counts as not filed

Renewal must be requested within the 12 months before expiry, at the latest on the expiry date; within 6 months after expiry it can still be done, but the fee rises from CZK 2,500 to CZK 5,000. A renewal request outside these two periods is deemed not filed and the mark lapses. The ÚPV sends a reminder at least 6 months before expiry, but a missing reminder does not stop the mark from lapsing.

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

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

Get a search report
After registration

Keeping the registration

A Czech registration needs no periodic declarations of use; renewal only requires a request filed in time and the fee. Non-use can lead to revocation.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Throughout the life of the registrationKeep using the mark genuinely in Czechia and keep evidence; after 5 consecutive years of non-use following registration, anyone can ask the ÚPV to revoke the markNone
Within the 12 months before expiry (10 years from the filing date), then every 10 yearsFile the renewal request and pay the fee; to renew only some goods or services, state which are kept or droppedCZK 2,500
Within 6 months after expiryLate renewal at double the fee; after this period the request is deemed not filed and the registration lapsesCZK 5,000
Any timeRecord assignments, licences, pledges and other entries; signatures need no notarisation or legalisationCZK 600 per entry

Once registered, you can file an application for action with Czech customs under Regulation (EU) No 608/2013, asking them to detain suspected infringing goods at import or export; on the basis of an EU trademark, a Union application covering several member states is also possible. E-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Czechia

How much does a Czech trademark cost?

ÚPV official fees are paid in one go: a filing fee of CZK 5,000, which already includes 3 classes, plus CZK 500 for each class from the 4th, payable within 1 month of filing; there is no separate registration fee. For example, 3 classes cost CZK 5,000 and 5 classes CZK 6,000. Renewal costs CZK 2,500 every 10 years. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does Czech trademark registration take?

According to the ÚPV's Annual Report 2025, it took 2.1 months on average from filing to publication and 6.3 months from filing to registration. A statutory 3-month opposition period follows publication, and opposed cases take considerably longer. The ÚPV has no statutory deadline for completing examination; in 2025 it stated that applications with deficiencies take 4 to 6 months on average.

Do foreign applicants need a representative in Czechia?

Yes. Applicants with no real industrial or commercial establishment, permanent residence or seat in Czechia must be represented in trademark proceedings before the ÚPV, usually by a Czech attorney-at-law or patent attorney. The power of attorney only needs the applicant's signature; the ÚPV does not require it to be notarised or legalised.

I already have an EU trademark. Do I also need a Czech trademark?

An EU trademark is valid in Czechia, so a separate registration is generally not needed. A Czech application usually makes sense for one of three reasons: a limited budget and a Czechia-only market; a risk that the mark is descriptive or conflicts in another EU language; or wanting a registration that does not share the fate of the EU trademark as a whole. A refused EU trademark application can also be converted into a Czech national application, keeping the original filing date; see EU trademark registration.

Can a mark in Chinese or another non-Latin script be registered in Czechia?

Yes, but not as a word mark. The ÚPV accepts word marks only in Latin letters, numerals and the prescribed symbols; a mark containing Chinese or other non-Latin characters must be filed as a figurative mark with a transliteration into Latin letters (for Chinese, for example, pinyin). Before filing, check that the meaning of the characters and the transliteration have no descriptive or negative sense in Czech, otherwise the mark is refused just the same.

My Czech application has been opposed. What now?

First check the earlier right the opponent relies on and the goods it covers. If the opponent's earlier mark had been registered for at least 5 years on the priority date of your application, you can require the opponent, in a separate document filed within 2 months of receiving the opposition, to prove use in Czechia in the last 5 years; this period cannot be extended. Whatever the opponent fails to prove within 4 months is dropped from the opposition. If the opponent consents in writing to your registration, the opposition is deemed withdrawn. The ÚPV's decision on the opposition can be reviewed on request, and the review decision can be challenged before the administrative courts.

Other IP rights

Patents: Czech patents for inventions are examined by the ÚPV and last 20 years from the filing date; substantive examination must be requested within 36 months of filing. A European patent granted by the European Patent Office can also be validated in Czechia by filing a Czech translation with the ÚPV within 3 months of publication of the grant (extendable by 3 months); PCT international applications can enter the Czech national phase within 31 months of the priority date. Utility models are registered without examination of the conditions for protection and last up to 10 years.

Designs: registered designs are protected for 5 years from the filing date, renewable every 5 years up to 25 years; you can also apply for an EU design valid in all member states.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Germany　·　Poland　·　Hungary　·　European Union Intellectual Property Office

Ready to file?

Order online · Czechia 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 (Czechia selected) Get a trademark search report first

Questions first?

Leave your question and an agent will reply.
Have a question? Tell us…
Please enter your name (without web addresses)
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid phone number
Please describe your inquiry (no HTML code or link markup, and at most one web address)
Verification pending or too many submissions, please try again later

Notice: the services described on this page are carried out by locally licensed partner firms; J&C is your point of contact and coordinates and delivers the work. Fees shown are estimates; official fees are those actually charged by the office and the final quote is confirmed by an agent. Examination times are set by each office and the outcome depends on official examination; we make no promise as to results. By submitting an order you agree that the information needed for the work is shared with the relevant partner firm (which may be outside your country). This page is general information, not legal advice.

Terms of Use · Privacy Policy