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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in the United Kingdom

To register a trademark in the United Kingdom, file with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) or designate the UK through the Madrid System. The UKIPO refuses applications only on absolute grounds: similar earlier marks are notified to their owners, who decide whether to oppose. Since 2021, EU trademarks no longer cover the UK.

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Trademark registration in the United Kingdom

Five questions first

Which route?File directly with the UKIPO if you only need the UK or want to see the examination result before paying in full; designate the UK 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, an address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands, the mark, and goods or services in wording the UKIPO accepts.Details ↓How are official fees charged?GBP 205 for an online application including 1 class, plus GBP 60 for each additional class (since 1 April 2026). Service fees are quoted after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?Official statistics: in September 2026, 90% of first examination reports were issued within 9 working days; with no objections, registration takes about 3–4 months (estimate, based on UKIPO guidance).Details ↓What are the main risks?A similar earlier mark does not lead to refusal, but its owner is notified and may oppose; an overly broad list of goods can be found to be in bad faith; descriptive marks are refused.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in the UK: key facts

OfficeUK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawTrade Marks Act 1994; procedural rules in the Trade Marks Rules 2008
Territorial scopeThe whole of the UK and the Isle of Man; Jersey and Guernsey require separate registration
Filing principleFirst to file; the application must state that the mark is in use or that there is a genuine intention to use it, but no evidence of use is required before registration
Earlier marksApplications are refused only on absolute grounds; similar earlier marks found in the search are pointed out to the applicant and notified to their owners, who decide whether to oppose (since 1 October 2007)
Madrid SystemMember since 1 December 1995; the UK can be designated through Madrid
Address for serviceAn address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands is required; the law does not require you to appoint a UK representative
Multi-class applicationsAllowed; official fees are charged per application including the first class, plus each additional class. A series application can cover up to 6 versions of a mark
First examination report (official statistics)Service standard: 10 working days from the date the application can be examined; in September 2026, 90% were issued within 9 working days (8 working days for international registrations under the Madrid System)
Response to the examination report (official time limit)Usually 2 months
Opposition period (statutory)2 months from publication; extended to 3 months if a notice of threatened opposition (Form TM7A, free of charge) is filed within that period
Term and renewal10 years, with the filing date counting as the registration date; renewable every 10 years, and for an extra fee within 6 months after expiry
Non-use (statutory)Liable to revocation if not put to genuine use in the UK within 5 years of registration, or if use is suspended for 5 consecutive years
Filing feeGBP 205 for an online application including 1 class, GBP 60 for each additional class (in force since 1 April 2026)

Checked on 2026-11-04; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing or a Madrid designation

Both routes lead to UK protection. They differ in prerequisites, fee structure, address for service and dependency risk. Since Brexit the UK has been a separate contracting party in the Madrid System, so designating the EU does not cover the UK.

ItemDirect filing with the UKIPOMadrid designation of the UK
PrerequisiteNoneA basic application or registration at your office of origin
Official feesGBP 205 for an online application including 1 class, GBP 60 for each additional class, paid to the UKIPOBasic fee and a UK individual fee (per class, in Swiss francs; see the WIPO fee calculator) paid to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Right StartOptional: pay half the official fee to receive the examination report first, then decide whether to continueNot available
Address for serviceAn address in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands is needed from filingNot needed to file; required once you have to reply to the UKIPO about an objection, an earlier-mark notice or a classification issue
Examination and earlier marksRefused only on absolute grounds; earlier marks are listed in the examination report, and you have one chance to avoid their owners being notifiedAlso refused only on absolute grounds; earlier-mark information is sent directly to the holder or its representative. The UKIPO must notify WIPO of any refusal within 18 months
Dependency riskNoneIf the basic application or registration is refused or cancelled within 5 years, the UK designation falls with it
Best forYou only need the UK; you want to see the examination result first; you have no home filing to rely onYou already have a home filing and want protection in several countries

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

What to prepare

Documents checklist

For a direct application to the UKIPO, 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 full legal name as registered)
  • Address and contact email

Address for service

  • An address in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands; if you appoint a representative, the representative provides it
  • If it is missing, the UKIPO gives you 1 month to supply one; otherwise the application cannot proceed

The mark

  • Word mark: the wording
  • Figurative or combined mark: a clear image (JPG)
  • Several versions of the same mark (in different colours, for example) can be filed together as a series, up to 6
  • Non-English wording, such as Chinese characters, is translated by the examiner to check whether it describes the goods; combined marks with a distinctive figurative element do not need a translation

Goods and services

  • List them by Nice class, using terms accepted in the UKIPO's classification search tool wherever possible
  • Include only goods or services you plan to use in the next 5 years; nothing can be added after filing

Basis of the application

  • A statement that the mark is in use or that you genuinely intend to use it (no evidence of use is required)
  • Earlier application filed abroad: priority can be claimed within 6 months

Application details are published on GOV.UK as soon as you file, so secure matching domain names and similar assets before filing.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct online application with no opposition.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

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

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    File and pay online, receive an application number; the application details are published at once

  3. Step 3

    Examination report

    90% of first reports were issued within 9 working days (official statistics, September 2026), listing any objections and similar earlier marks

  4. Step 4

    Response to the report

    If needed: usually within 2 months (official time limit); for earlier marks you can try to avoid notification, otherwise the application proceeds and their owners are notified

  5. Step 5

    Publication

    Published in the Trade Marks Journal; 2-month opposition period, extendable to 3 months with Form TM7A (statutory)

  6. Step 6

    Registration

    With no opposition, registered about 2 weeks after the opposition period ends; about 3–4 months in total (estimate, based on UKIPO guidance)

With Right Start, you pay the first-stage fee to receive the examination report, then have 28 days to decide whether to continue and pay the second-stage fee. Opposed applications are decided by the UKIPO's Tribunal and 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

Official fees for an online application are charged per application (including the first class) plus each additional class; new fees have applied since 1 April 2026. The table below shows the current fees published by the UKIPO.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Application fee (online, first class included)Per application205 GBP≈ USD 272
Each additional classEach additional class60 GBP≈ USD 80
Payable when applicable
Right Start stage 1 – alternative to the standard fee above, not in addition (first class included; examination report)Per application125 GBP≈ USD 166
Right Start stage 1: each additional class (alternative payment route)Each additional class30 GBP≈ USD 40
Right Start stage 2 – still the alternative route (paid within 28 days of the report to continue, first class included)Per application125 GBP≈ USD 166
Right Start stage 2: each additional class (alternative payment route)Each additional class30 GBP≈ USD 40
Series mark: each mark over two (up to six in total)Per item60 GBP≈ USD 80
Keeping the registration
Renewal (every 10 years, first class included)Per application245 GBP≈ USD 325
Renewal: each additional classEach additional class60 GBP≈ USD 80
Late renewal surcharge (within 6 months after expiry, on top of the renewal fee)Per application60 GBP≈ USD 80
Restoration and renewal (TM13, within 6 months of removal; renewal fee also due)Per application125 GBP≈ USD 166
Other
Recording a change of ownership (TM16)Per application60 GBP≈ USD 80

Source: UK IPO Trade mark forms and fees; UK IPO Register a trade mark; The Intellectual Property Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocation and Transitional Provisions) Rules 2026, Schedule 4 · current fees in force since 2026-04-01 · 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.

Need to register a trademark in the United Kingdom?

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Example: an online application covering 3 classes costs GBP 205 + 2 × GBP 60 = GBP 325 in official fees at filing.

With Right Start, you pay GBP 125 at each of the two stages (plus GBP 30 per additional class at each stage). That is GBP 45 more than a standard online application, in exchange for seeing the examination result before deciding whether to continue.

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 UK and common refusals

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

Earlier marks are notified, not used to refuse

A distinctive feature of the UK system: if the examiner finds a similar earlier mark, it is listed in the examination report but is not a ground for refusal. You have one chance to avoid notification by arguing your case, narrowing the goods or obtaining the owner's consent; if you proceed, the UKIPO notifies the earlier mark's owner, who can oppose during the publication period. You cannot request a hearing about an earlier-mark notice.

EU trademarks no longer cover the UK

Since 1 January 2021, EU trademarks have not been protected in the UK. EU trademarks registered by then were automatically given a "comparable" UK trademark; EU trademarks applied for or registered later have no effect in the UK, so you need a separate UK application or a Madrid designation of the UK.

An overly broad list of goods can be bad faith

In SkyKick (2024), the UK Supreme Court confirmed that a list of goods that is too broad or clearly unrelated to the business can amount to a bad-faith application. The UKIPO may raise a Section 3(6) objection against applications with many classes or entire class headings copied; listing only the goods you really plan to use in the next 5 years is safer.

Descriptive or non-distinctive marks (Section 3)

Marks that directly describe the goods or services, or overly common slogans, are refused on absolute grounds. Non-English wording, such as Chinese characters, is translated and examined for its meaning; adding a distinctive figurative element reduces this risk.

No UK address for service

The address for service must be in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands. Without one, a direct application cannot proceed; for a Madrid designation of the UK, one is also required once you have to reply to an objection or an earlier-mark notice.

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

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After registration

Keeping the registration

A UK registration needs no periodic declarations of use, but a mark that is not used can be revoked, and a registration not renewed in time is removed from the register.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
From 5 years after registrationKeep using the mark genuinely in the UK and keep evidence; after 5 years of non-use, third parties can apply for revocationNone
Within 6 months before expiry, then every 10 yearsRenew (Form TM11)GBP 245 including 1 class, GBP 60 for each additional class
Within 6 months after expiryLate renewal for an extra fee, so the registration is not removedRenewal fee plus GBP 60
Within 6 months after removalApply to restore and renew (Form TM13), showing that the failure to renew was unintentionalGBP 125, plus the renewal fee
Any timeRecord assignments (Form TM16) and changes of name or address (Form TM21A)Assignment GBP 60; changes free

Once registered, you can file an Application for Action with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) asking Border Force to detain suspected infringing goods at import or export; it is free and valid for 1 year. E-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in the UK

How much does a UK trademark cost?

The official fee for an online application is GBP 205, including 1 class, plus GBP 60 for each additional class (since 1 April 2026). For 3 classes, for example, it is GBP 325. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does UK trademark registration take?

According to UKIPO figures, 90% of first examination reports were issued within 9 working days in September 2026 (8 working days for international registrations). With no objections and no opposition, registration takes about 3–4 months according to UKIPO guidance; opposed applications take considerably longer.

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

It depends on when it was registered. EU trademarks registered before 1 January 2021 were automatically given a "comparable" UK trademark, which you can find on the UK register and renew separately. EU trademarks applied for or registered later do not cover the UK; you need a separate UK application or a Madrid designation of the UK. For the EU side, see EU trademark registration.

Do I need a UK address to apply for a UK trademark?

You need an address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands to receive documents from the UKIPO; the law does not require you to appoint a UK representative. If you file through an agent, the agent provides the address for service.

The examination report lists similar marks. Can I still register?

Yes, the application can proceed. The UK does not refuse an application because of an earlier mark, but it notifies the earlier mark's owner, who can oppose during the publication period. You can first argue your case, narrow the goods or obtain the owner's consent to avoid notification, or accept notification and see whether the owner opposes.

Which territories does a UK trademark cover?

The whole of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and the Isle of Man. Jersey and Guernsey have their own trademark systems, so protection there requires separate filings.

Other IP rights

Patents: UK patents are examined by the UKIPO and last 20 years from the filing date. PCT applications can enter the UK national phase, and a European patent granted by the European Patent Office can be validated in the UK (the UK remains a party to the European Patent Convention).

Designs: registered designs are protected for 5 years from the registration date, renewable 4 times up to a maximum of 25 years; the UK can also be designated through the Hague Agreement (since 13 June 2018).

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

IP news: United Kingdom

Other countries and territories in the region

European Union Intellectual Property Office · Ireland · France · Germany · Switzerland · Turkey

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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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