Skip to main content
Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Norway

To register a trademark in Norway, file with the Norwegian Industrial Property Office (Patentstyret) or designate Norway through Madrid. Norway is in the EEA but not in the EU, so EU trademarks do not cover it. Patentstyret checks earlier registered marks of its own motion, and a 3-month opposition period follows publication of the registration.

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

Five questions first

Which route?File directly with Patentstyret if you only need Norway and want registration quickly; with a home application or registration and several countries in view, designate Norway through Madrid. EU trademarks do not include Norway.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name and address, the mark, and a list of goods or services in Norwegian; a priority claim based on an earlier application must be made in the application itself.Details ↓How are official fees charged?NOK 3,800 including 1 class, plus NOK 1,000 for each additional class, paid on filing. Service fees are quoted after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?According to Patentstyret, a reply within about 3 weeks if you pay on filing and use only pre-approved terms; otherwise within 4 months of payment. A 3-month opposition period follows registration.Details ↓What are the main risks?Patentstyret checks earlier registered marks and refuses similar ones, which a letter of consent can overcome; descriptive English words are refused too; priority cannot be claimed after filing.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Norway: key facts

OfficeNorwegian Industrial Property Office (Patentstyret; English abbreviation NIPO). Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawTrademarks Act (Varemerkeloven, Act No. 8 of 2010) and the Trademarks Regulations; fees are set by the Regulations on fees payable to the Norwegian Industrial Property Office
Territorial scopeAll of Norway. Norway is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) but not of the EU, so EU trademarks do not cover Norway
Basis of rightsFirst to file; rights arise mainly through registration, but a mark that has become well known in Norway through use is also protected
Examination scopeFormalities and absolute grounds (distinctiveness, descriptiveness, deception, etc.), plus an official check against earlier registered and applied-for marks; other earlier rights such as company names are not searched
Madrid SystemParty to the Protocol (since 29 March 1996); Norway can be designated through Madrid
Agents and addressA Norwegian agent is not compulsory; the applicant's address serves as the correspondence address, and correspondence after filing runs electronically through Altinn
LanguageApplication form and list of goods in Norwegian; other documents can be in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or English
Multi-class applicationsAllowed; the filing fee includes 1 class, with a fee for each additional class. One application can cover only one type of mark
Examination times (published by Patentstyret)A reply within about 3 weeks if you pay on filing and use only pre-approved terms; otherwise within 4 months of payment
Opposition period (statutory)3 months from publication of the registration; an opposition filed with Patentstyret is free of official fees
Term and renewal10 years from the filing date; renewal is possible from 6 months before expiry, or with a surcharge within 6 months after expiry
Non-use (statutory)Liable to revocation by court action or administrative review if not genuinely used within 5 years after the opposition period ends (or opposition proceedings conclude), or if use is suspended for 5 years
Filing feeNOK 3,800 including 1 class, NOK 1,000 for each additional class (in force since 1 March 2024)

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 protection in Norway. They differ in prerequisites, fee structure, examination times and dependency risk. Norway is not in the EU, so neither an EU trademark nor a Madrid designation of the EU covers Norway.

ItemDirect filing with PatentstyretMadrid designation of Norway
PrerequisiteNoneA basic application or registration at your office of origin
Official feesFiling fee NOK 3,800 including 1 class, NOK 1,000 for each additional class, paid to PatentstyretBasic fee and Norway's individual fee (charged per class, in Swiss francs; see the WIPO fee calculator) paid to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
ExaminationSame standard as for Madrid designations; a reply within about 3 weeks if you pay on filing and use pre-approved terms, otherwise within 4 months of paymentAbsolute grounds and earlier registered marks are examined in the same way; Patentstyret must send any provisional refusal to WIPO within 18 months
Replying to a refusalWithin the time limit set by Patentstyret, 2 months unless otherwise stated; extensions can be requestedRe-examination can be requested within 3 months of the provisional refusal
Opposition period3 months from publication of the registration in the Norwegian Trademark Gazette3 months from publication of the protection in Norway
Dependency riskNoneIf the basic application or registration is refused or cancelled within 5 years, the Norwegian designation falls with it
Best forYou only need Norway; you want registration quickly; 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 Patentstyret, prepare the following information and documents. Signed documents such as a power of attorney are provided following the agent's instructions.

Applicant

  • Name (for a company, its name as registered, with an English version)
  • Address and contact email; unless another is given, the applicant's address is Patentstyret's correspondence address

The mark

  • Word mark: the wording
  • Figurative or combined mark: a clear image (JPG recommended); protection covers only the colours applied for, and a black-and-white application does not automatically cover colour
  • One application can cover only one type of mark: a word mark and a figurative mark need two applications

Goods and services

  • Write them in Norwegian following Patentstyret's Norwegian version of the Nice Classification, with class numbers
  • Each item must be clear and specific; general terms such as Nice class headings can be used if they are clear enough
  • Patentstyret's goods and services tool contains pre-approved terms; using only these and paying on filing speeds up examination
  • After filing, the goods or services cannot be extended, only narrowed

Priority

  • Earlier application filed abroad: priority can be claimed within 6 months but must be stated in the application; it cannot be added after filing
  • Patentstyret can ask for a priority document certified by the office of the earlier application within 3 months

Power of attorney

  • If an agent files for you, a power of attorney is filed; if it is missing, Patentstyret sets a 2-month time limit, which cannot be extended

Applicants without a Norwegian national identity number can file through Altinn's international login using an email address, paying by credit card on filing.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct online application with no opposition.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Patentstyret checks earlier registered marks and refuses similar ones; search in advance, and settle the classes and the Norwegian wording of goods at the same time

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    File online through Altinn and pay; the application and correspondence appear in the trademark register within 0–3 days

  3. Step 3

    Examination

    A reply within about 3 weeks if you pay on filing and use only pre-approved terms; otherwise within 4 months of payment (published by Patentstyret)

  4. Step 4

    Replying to objections

    If any: reply within the time limit set by Patentstyret, 2 months unless otherwise stated (statutory); extensions can be requested

  5. Step 5

    Registration and publication

    With no grounds for refusal, the mark is registered, a registration certificate is issued and the registration is published in the Norwegian Trademark Gazette

  6. Step 6

    Opposition period

    For 3 months after publication, anyone can oppose before Patentstyret (statutory); a successful opposition cancels the registration in whole or in part

The first two extensions need no reasons and run 6 months each; from the third, reasons are required and each runs 3 months (published by Patentstyret). Cases with refusals or oppositions take considerably longer.

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

For direct filing with Patentstyret, official fees are charged per application (including 1 class) plus each additional class, paid on filing; the current fees have applied since 1 March 2024. The filing fee is not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn. The table below shows the current fees published by Patentstyret.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Filing fee (per application, one class included)Per application3,800 NOK≈ USD 398
Additional class fee (per class beyond the first)Each additional class1,000 NOK≈ USD 105
Keeping the registration
Renewal fee (every 10 years, one class included)Per application3,400 NOK≈ USD 356
Renewal fee for each additional class beyond the firstEach additional class1,300 NOK≈ USD 136
Surcharge for renewal after expiry (within 6 months after expiry, on top of the renewal fee)Per application550 NOK≈ USD 58
Other
Fee for re-establishment of rights after an unintentionally missed time limitPer application2,750 NOK≈ USD 288
Fee for resumption of a shelved application (within 2 months)Per application550 NOK≈ USD 58
Fee for alteration of a registered trademark (minor changes not affecting overall impression)Per application1,200 NOK≈ USD 126

Source: Patentstyret Norwegian Industrial Property Office, How much does a trademark application cost? · current fees in force since 2024-03-01 · checked on 2026-10-07 · 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 NOK 3,800 + 2 × NOK 1,000 = NOK 5,800 in official fees on filing; 1 class costs NOK 3,800.

Oppositions filed with Patentstyret are free of official fees. For Madrid designations of Norway, official fees are paid to WIPO; see the WIPO fee calculator for amounts.

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

Watch out

Rules specific to Norway and common refusals

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

Patentstyret checks earlier registered marks

Patentstyret examines of its own motion whether an application is similar to earlier registered or applied-for marks, and refuses similar ones. It does not search other earlier rights such as company names or unregistered well-known marks; their owners can oppose within 3 months of publication of the registration, free of official fees.

A letter of consent can overcome an earlier mark

If the owner of the earlier mark consents in writing to registration, Patentstyret no longer refuses on the basis of that mark. The consent must name both parties, the earlier registration number, your application number and the goods or services covered, and be signed; consent to use only, not to registration, does not count. If consent is partial, the list of goods must also be narrowed accordingly.

Descriptive English words are refused too

Signs that describe the nature, purpose or origin of the goods cannot be registered, and English words are no exception. Patentstyret's examples include Dark Roast Coffee for coffee and the slogan You design. We deliver. for a design company; adding a distinctive element can make the sign as a whole registrable.

Priority must be claimed on filing

To claim priority from an earlier application filed abroad, file in Norway within 6 months and state the office, filing date and number of the earlier application in the Norwegian application. A priority claim cannot be added after filing; if you leave it out, only the actual Norwegian filing date counts.

EU trademarks do not cover Norway

Norway is a member of the EEA but not of the EU. Neither EU trademarks nor Madrid designations of the EU take effect in Norway; for protection in Norway, file directly with Patentstyret or designate Norway through Madrid.

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

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 Norwegian registration needs no periodic declarations of use, but a mark that is not used can be revoked, and a registration not renewed in time lapses.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
From 5 years after the opposition period ends (or opposition proceedings conclude)Keep using the mark genuinely in Norway and keep evidence; if it is not used, anyone can request revocation by administrative review before PatentstyretNone (a third party requesting administrative review pays NOK 4,000)
Within the 6 months before expiry, then every 10 yearsRenew (Patentstyret sends a reminder about 6 months before the payment deadline)NOK 3,400 including 1 class, NOK 1,300 for each additional class
Within 6 months after expiryLate renewalRenewal fee plus NOK 550
A time limit missed unintentionallyApply for restoration within 2 months of the obstacle being removed and no later than 6 months after the missed time limit, completing the missing step (not available for time limits such as the priority period)NOK 2,750
Any timeRecord changes of name or address and assignments; make minor changes to the registered mark that do not alter its overall impressionChanges of name or address and assignments free; NOK 1,200 to alter the mark

Once registered, you can file an application for assistance with Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) through Altinn, asking them to detain suspected infringing goods. E-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Norway

How much does a Norwegian trademark cost?

For direct filing with Patentstyret, the filing fee is NOK 3,800, including 1 class, plus NOK 1,000 for each additional class; these fees have applied since 1 March 2024. For example, an application covering 3 classes costs NOK 5,800 in official fees. Renewal costs NOK 3,400 including 1 class, plus NOK 1,300 for each additional class. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does Norwegian trademark registration take?

Patentstyret's published times: if you pay on filing and use only pre-approved terms from its goods and services tool, you get a reply (registration or an objection) within about 3 weeks; if you do not pay on filing or use other wording, within 4 months of payment. Special marks such as sound or motion marks may take longer. A 3-month opposition period follows publication of the registration.

I already have an EU trademark. Do I still need a Norwegian trademark?

Yes. Norway is a member of the EEA but not of the EU; EU trademarks are valid only in EU member states and do not cover Norway, and a Madrid designation of the EU does not include Norway either. For protection in Norway, file directly with Patentstyret or designate Norway through Madrid. For how EU trademarks work, see EU trademark registration.

Do I need a Norwegian agent or address?

The law does not require a Norwegian agent. The applicant's address is the correspondence address, and after filing Patentstyret's letters are delivered electronically through Altinn; applicants without a Norwegian national identity number can file through the international login with an email address and pay by credit card on filing. However, the application form and list of goods must be in Norwegian; if an agent files for you, the agent files the power of attorney and receives the documents.

My application was refused because of an earlier mark. What can I do?

Within the time limit, you can argue that the marks are not similar or narrow the goods that conflict with the earlier mark; you can also ask the earlier mark's owner for a written consent to registration, after which Patentstyret no longer refuses on that basis. If the earlier mark has not been used for 5 consecutive years, you can request its revocation by administrative review before Patentstyret. A final refusal can be appealed within 2 months to the Norwegian Industrial Property Appeals Board (KFIR).

Other IP rights

Patents: Norwegian patents are granted by Patentstyret and last up to 20 years from the filing date. You can also enter the Norwegian national phase of a PCT application (Norway has been a PCT member since 1 January 1980), or validate in Norway a European patent granted by the European Patent Office.

Designs: registered designs are protected in 5-year periods from the filing date, renewable up to a maximum of 25 years; Norway can also be designated through the Hague Agreement (since 17 June 2010).

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Switzerland　·　Ireland　·　Poland　·　Russia　·　Serbia

Downloads

Ready to file?

Order online · Norway 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 (Norway 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