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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in the Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, a local agent files directly with ONAPI: the country is not in the Madrid System. One application can cover several classes; the power of attorney needs no notarisation. ONAPI publishes accepted applications in its official bulletin, with 45 days for oppositions; 3 years of non-use allow cancellation.

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Five questions first

Which route?The Dominican Republic is not in the Madrid System, so a local agent files directly with ONAPI. If your first application abroad is less than 6 months old, you can claim its priority at the same time.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name, address and ID or registration document, the mark or its representation, goods and services grouped by Nice class, a Dominican address for notices (the agent's) and a simple power of attorney; no evidence of use at filing.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Filing fee RD$5,720 including the first class, plus 4,110 for each extra class; publication fee 1,210 for a word mark, 1,645 for a figurative or composite mark. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory: 30 days to fix formal defects, 60 days to answer grounds for refusal, 45 days for oppositions after publication. ONAPI publishes no average time from filing to registration.Details ↓What are the main risks?An earlier user can block your registration and oppose it; 3 consecutive years of non-use allow cancellation; deadlines for reconsideration and appeals are short; you cannot file without a local agent.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in the Dominican Republic: key facts

OfficeNational Office of Industrial Property (Oficina Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial, ONAPI), created by Law 20-00, attached to the ministry responsible for industry and commerce, with technical autonomy. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawIndustrial Property Law (Law 20-00 of 8 May 2000; trademark provisions amended by Law 424-06 of 20 November 2006); implementing regulations: Decree 599-01 of 2001, amended by Decrees 180-03 of 2003 and 326-06 of 2006
How rights ariseBy registration; but a mark that could be confused with an unregistered mark used earlier by someone else with a better right to register cannot be registered, and in opposition or invalidity proceedings an unregistered earlier user must prove use starting more than 6 months before the contested application
Madrid SystemNot a member of the Madrid Protocol (WIPO list of 117 members, checked on 11 October 2026): the Dominican Republic cannot be designated in an international registration; party to the Trademark Law Treaty since 13 December 2011
Several classes per applicationAllowed; goods and services are grouped by Nice class with class numbers; the first class is included in the filing fee, and each extra class carries an additional fee and a publication fee
Foreign applicants and power of attorneyApplicants with no domicile or establishment in the Dominican Republic must act through an agent domiciled there, and all ONAPI notices go to the agent; ONAPI accepts a simple power of attorney, with no notarisation
PriorityParis Convention member since 11 July 1890; priority can be claimed within 6 months of your first application abroad; the claim is made at filing or within 2 months after it, and a certified copy of the earlier application with proof of its filing date is filed within 3 months, no legalisation, with a Spanish translation
Responses (statutory)Formal defects: 30 days from notification, failing which the application is deemed abandoned and filed away; grounds for refusal: 60 days to withdraw, amend or limit the application or to reply, failing which, or if the reply does not succeed, a written refusal is issued
Publication and opposition (statutory)Once examination is passed, ONAPI publishes the application in its official bulletin at the applicant's expense; any third party can oppose within 45 days of publication; after that period, ONAPI decides the application and any opposition together
Reconsideration and appealsReconsideration of a department's decision can be requested, and ONAPI's service guide gives 30 days; appeal to the Director General within 15 days (statutory); after the Director General's decision, court action before the Court of Appeal within 30 calendar days (statutory)
Term and renewal10 years from the date of grant, renewable indefinitely for 10-year periods; renew within the 6 months before expiry, or in the 6-month grace period after it with a surcharge, during which the registration remains fully in force; ONAPI's guidance requires no evidence of use at renewal (Article 83 of the law still literally requires it; practice follows ONAPI's guidance)
Non-use cancellationAny interested party can ask ONAPI to cancel a mark not used in the Dominican Republic for the 3 consecutive years before the action; no action before the registration is 3 years old; the owner must prove use, and cancellation can be limited to the goods not used
Invalidity time limitInvalidity based on a conflict with an earlier right must be sought within 5 years of registration; against bad-faith registrations or absolute grounds, there is no time limit
Filing feesFiling fee RD$5,720 (including the first class), RD$4,110 for each extra class; publication fee RD$1,210 for a word mark, RD$1,645 for a figurative, composite or other mark (ONAPI fee schedule in force since 31 March 2023)

Checked on 2026-10-11; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing: whether to claim priority

The Dominican Republic is not part of the Madrid System, so it cannot be designated in an international registration: an agent domiciled in the Dominican Republic files directly with ONAPI. The real choice is whether to claim priority from an earlier application filed abroad.

ItemDirect filing without priorityDirect filing claiming priority
PrerequisiteNone; use this if you have no earlier application, or if it was filed more than 6 months agoFiled in the Dominican Republic within 6 months of your first application; same applicant and same mark, with goods and services identical to or contained in the earlier application, though the classes need not match
Order of priorityThe date ONAPI receives a compliant applicationThe filing date of your first application becomes the priority date; applications or use by others during the priority period cannot be asserted against you
Extra stepsNoneAt filing or within 2 months after it, state the country, filing date and number of the earlier application; within 3 months of filing, submit a certified copy issued by the office of first filing with proof of the filing date, no legalisation, with a Spanish translation
Official feesFiling fee RD$5,720 (including the first class) plus the publication feePlus a priority claim fee of RD$1,355 per class and per priority
RiskAnyone who files or starts using the mark in the gap between your first application and your Dominican filing can block youIf the declaration or the documents are late, the priority lapses and the application is examined on its actual filing date; at formal examination, ONAPI checks that the two applications correspond
Best forYou have not filed elsewhere yet, or your first application is more than 6 months oldYour first application was filed less than 6 months ago, especially if you are worried about pre-emptive filings in the Dominican Republic

Elsewhere in the Caribbean, Trademark registration in Cuba and Trademark registration in Jamaica can both be obtained through a Madrid designation, while the Dominican Republic cannot, so plan them separately; compare Trademark registration in Costa Rica and Trademark registration in Panama, where you also file directly, country by country. On the choice between 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 advise you based on the search results.

What to prepare

Documents checklist

For an application through a Dominican agent, prepare the following information and documents. No evidence of use is needed at filing. Applications are filed through ONAPI's online system (e-SERPI) or at its counter, on the electronic form approved by ONAPI.

Applicant

  • Name and address; a foreign company is recorded as incorporated under the law of its home country, with its home address, and ONAPI does not refuse applications over address formats
  • Number and copy of the identity or registration document: the registration document for a company, the passport for an individual
  • An address in the Dominican Republic for notices, usually the agent's; by law, applicants from abroad must act through an agent domiciled in the Dominican Republic

The mark

  • For a word mark, the words applied for; for a figurative, composite or three-dimensional mark, two copies of the representation, no larger than 15 × 15 cm and no smaller than 10 × 10 cm, in JPG or PDF
  • If colour is claimed, name the colours and state which parts of the mark they apply to; the name of a composite mark must match all the words legible in the representation
  • A mark consisting of a sound, a scent or the like needs a graphic representation or a description; a mark containing another person's name, image or signature needs that person's consent

Goods and services

  • Grouped by Nice class with class numbers; one application can cover several classes, and the first class is included in the filing fee
  • ONAPI examiners check the classification against TMclass; vague wording or wrong classes draw a formal examination notice

Priority

  • To claim priority from an earlier application abroad: at filing or within 2 months after it, state the country, filing date and number, and pay the priority fee
  • Within 3 months of filing, submit a certified copy of the earlier application and proof of its filing date issued by the office of first filing, no legalisation, with a Spanish translation; if late, the priority lapses and the application proceeds as usual

Power of attorney

  • Appoint an agent domiciled in the Dominican Republic; where the agent is a law firm or other legal entity, name the individual actually handling the case
  • ONAPI accepts a simple power of attorney, with no notarisation; electronically signed documents are accepted
  • If the same agent has already filed a power of attorney with ONAPI, the application can cite the file number where it is kept, with no need to file it again

Provide the power of attorney and other signed documents as your agent instructs.

How long

Process and timeline

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

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search ONAPI's database for identical or similar earlier applications and registrations, check whether anyone is already using the mark in the Dominican Republic, and settle the classes and the wording of the goods and services

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    The agent files online through e-SERPI or at the counter and pays the filing and publication fees; an application that shows the intent to register, the applicant, the mark and the classes of goods takes the date ONAPI receives it as its filing date

  3. Step 3

    Formal examination

    Defects must be fixed within 30 days of notification, or the application is deemed abandoned and filed away (statutory); filing the power of attorney or proof of payment later does not affect the filing date

  4. Step 4

    Substantive examination

    ONAPI examines absolute grounds and conflicts with earlier marks; where there are grounds for refusal, you have 60 days to withdraw, amend or limit the application or to reply (statutory), and an extension can be requested

  5. Step 5

    Publication

    Once examination is passed, ONAPI publishes the application in its official bulletin at the applicant's expense; the notice lists the goods and services grouped by class

  6. Step 6

    Opposition period

    45 days from publication (statutory); if an opposition is filed, ONAPI notifies you, you have 30 days to reply and the opponent 30 days to respond, and ONAPI decides within 3 months after the last period ends (statutory)

  7. Step 7

    Registration

    After the opposition period, ONAPI decides the application and any opposition together; if granted, the certificate is issued and the registration runs for 10 years from the date of grant

ONAPI publishes no verifiable average time from filing to registration, so this page lists only statutory periods. The "10-day delivery time" that ONAPI's service guide gives for trademark registration is its internal processing target: it excludes the 45-day opposition period and the response periods, and is not the time to registration.

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 Dominican pesos (RD$), set by ONAPI's board; the current schedule has applied since 31 March 2023. The filing fee includes the first class, and each extra class carries an additional fee; the publication fee depends on the type of mark (RD$1,210 for word marks and slogans, RD$1,645 for figurative, composite, three-dimensional, sound and scent marks), and in a multi-class application each extra class adds a further RD$1,210 publication fee. Filing and publication fees are normally paid together at filing.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Application fee (first class included)Per application5,720 DOP≈ USD 93
Each additional classEach additional class4,110 DOP≈ USD 67
Publication fee (word mark or slogan, first class included)Per application1,210 DOP≈ USD 20
Publication fee for each additional classEach additional class1,210 DOP≈ USD 20
Payable when applicable
Publication fee (composite, figurative, 3D, sound or olfactory mark, first class included; replaces the word-mark publication fee)Per application1,645 DOP≈ USD 27
Priority claim (per class and per priority)Per class1,355 DOP≈ USD 22
Amendment or correction of a pending application (each; simple clerical errors free)Per application1,355 DOP≈ USD 22
Division of an application (each)Per application5,140 DOP≈ USD 84
Extension of a time limit (each)Per application660 DOP≈ USD 11
Suspension for 6 months (each)Per application1,060 DOP≈ USD 17
Keeping the registration
Renewal fee (every 10 years, per registration)Per application3,305 DOP≈ USD 54
Publication of the renewalPer application1,210 DOP≈ USD 20
Late renewal surcharge (within the 6-month grace period, per month or part of a month)Per item545 DOP≈ USD 9
Other
Recordal of assignment, change of name or address, or merger (per registration)Per application2,875 DOP≈ USD 47
Publication of a recordalPer application1,210 DOP≈ USD 20
Division of a registration (each)Per application5,140 DOP≈ USD 84
Voluntary cancellation or limitation of goods (per registration)Per application1,285 DOP≈ USD 21

Source: www.onapi.gov.do · current fees in force since 2023-03-31 · checked on 2026-10-11 · 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: a word mark in 1 class costs filing fee 5,720 + publication fee 1,210 = RD$6,930. The same word mark in 3 classes needs only one application: filing fee 5,720 + 2 × 4,110, publication fee 1,210 + 2 × 1,210, RD$17,570 in total; for a figurative or composite mark, the base publication fee is 1,645 instead. Pay what ONAPI requires at the time of payment.

A priority claim costs RD$1,355 per class and per priority. Renewal after 10 years costs a renewal fee of RD$3,305 plus a publication fee of RD$1,210; renewing in the 6-month grace period after expiry adds RD$545 per month or part of a month.

Recording an assignment or a change of name or address costs RD$2,875 plus a publication fee of RD$1,210; amending or correcting a pending application 1,355; dividing an application or registration 5,140; requesting an extension of a response period 660.

Service fees, including the Dominican agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to the Dominican Republic and common refusals

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

An earlier user can block your registration, oppose it or claim the mark

Rights in the Dominican Republic arise from registration, but the law lists "an unregistered mark used earlier by someone else with a better right to register" as a ground for refusal, and in opposition or invalidity proceedings an unregistered earlier user only needs to prove use starting more than 6 months before your application. The true owner of a mark applied for or registered in someone else's name can also ask ONAPI to transfer the application or registration to itself, within 5 years of registration or 2 years from the start of use of the sign in the Dominican Republic, whichever is later. If you plan to enter the Dominican market, file before you start selling and keep evidence of local sales.

45-day opposition period after publication; opposition and application decided together

ONAPI does not grant at the examination stage: it publishes the application, waits for the 45-day opposition period to run and then decides the application and any opposition together. If an opposition is filed, you have 30 days to reply and the opponent 30 days to respond, after which ONAPI decides within 3 months; the whole procedure pushes registration back by several months. A clearance search before filing reduces the risk of opposition, and once an opposition notice arrives, arrange your reply immediately.

3 consecutive years of non-use can lead to cancellation

Once the registration is 3 years old, any interested party can ask ONAPI to cancel a mark not used in the Dominican Republic for 3 consecutive years; the owner must prove use, and lack of funds or demand is no excuse. Where the mark is unused only for some goods, only those goods are removed. Use means goods or services placed or available on the Dominican market in normal quantities; goods exported from the Dominican Republic also count. Three years is shorter than the 5 years in most Latin American countries, so start using the mark locally soon after registration and keep invoices, advertising and similar evidence.

Short deadlines for refusals and remedies

Formal defects must be answered within 30 days and substantive refusals within 60; reconsideration of a department's decision must be requested within 30 days, an appeal to the Director General within only 15 days, and court action before the Court of Appeal within 30 calendar days, all counted from notification. If time is short, you can request an extension (RD$660) or a 6-month suspension (RD$1,060) within the period, but your agent must follow the notices closely.

No filing without a local agent, but the power of attorney is simple

Applicants with no domicile or establishment in the Dominican Republic must act through a local agent, and ONAPI sends all notices to the agent only; giving a Dominican address does not count as having a domicile. The upside is that ONAPI accepts a simple power of attorney, with no notarisation or legalisation, and once filed, later cases can cite the file number instead of filing it again.

Similarity to earlier signs and lack of distinctiveness

A mark identical or similar to an earlier application or registration, for the same or related goods, cannot be registered; trade names, business signs and emblems used or registered earlier by others are also earlier rights, and well-known signs are protected across classes against reproduction, translation or transliteration. Terms that directly describe the goods, generic names, a single colour and purely functional shapes cannot be registered either; a mark similar to a registration that expired without renewal or was cancelled within the past year must also wait until that year has passed.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

A Dominican registration lasts 10 years from the date of grant. No declaration of use is required in that time, but 3 consecutive years of non-use can lead to cancellation, and the mark must be renewed at expiry.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Once the registration is 3 years oldKeep using the mark in the Dominican Republic and keep evidence; after 3 consecutive years of non-use, any interested party can seek cancellation, which can be limited to the goods not usedNone
Within the 6 months before expiry, every 10 yearsRenew; ONAPI's guidance requires no evidence of use (Article 83 of the law still literally requires it; practice follows ONAPI's guidance); the mark cannot be changed or goods added, but goods can be limited; ONAPI issues a renewal certificate and publishes the renewalRenewal fee RD$3,305 + publication fee RD$1,210
Within 6 months after expiryYou can still renew in the grace period, during which the registration remains fully in forceRenewal and publication fees + RD$545 per month or part of a month
At any timeAssignments and changes of name or address bind third parties only once recorded, and are published after recording; licences can be recorded but need not be, and an unrecorded licence does not affect enforcement of the markRecording a change RD$2,875 + publication fee RD$1,210; recording a licence is free

Use means goods or services placed or available on the Dominican market in the normal course of trade; goods exported from the Dominican Republic and services provided abroad from the Dominican Republic also count. Keep evidence of sales, advertising and exports to defend against a non-use action.

Where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that infringing goods are being imported, the owner can ask a court to order customs to suspend their release, on lodging security of at least three times the import value; e-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in the Dominican Republic

How much does a trademark cost in the Dominican Republic?

Official fees are in Dominican pesos: the filing fee of RD$5,720 includes the first class, and each extra class costs RD$4,110; the publication fee is RD$1,210 for a word mark and RD$1,645 for a figurative or composite mark, plus RD$1,210 for each extra class in a multi-class application. A word mark in one class costs RD$6,930 in official fees. Renewal every 10 years costs a renewal fee of RD$3,305 plus a publication fee of RD$1,210. Service fees, including the local agent's fee, are quoted after you submit the order.

How long does trademark registration take in the Dominican Republic?

ONAPI publishes no verifiable average examination time. The statutory milestones are: formal defects must be fixed within 30 days; grounds for refusal must be answered within 60 days; once examination is passed, the application is published in ONAPI's official bulletin, and the opposition period runs for 45 days from publication; after that, ONAPI decides the application and any opposition together, and with no opposition it grants the registration and issues the certificate. If an opposition is filed, add 30 days for your reply, 30 days for the opponent's response and up to 3 months for ONAPI's decision.

Can I register a trademark in the Dominican Republic through the Madrid System?

No. The Dominican Republic is not a member of the Madrid System, so an international registration cannot designate it; an agent domiciled in the Dominican Republic must file directly with ONAPI. If your first application abroad was filed less than 6 months ago, you can claim its priority when filing in the Dominican Republic, so that its filing date sets your place in line, for a fee of RD$1,355 per class and per priority.

Can one Dominican application cover several classes?

Yes. Group the goods and services by Nice class with class numbers; the first class is included in the filing fee of RD$5,720, each extra class costs RD$4,110, and the publication fee also rises per class. A pending application or a registration can be divided (RD$5,140), and each part keeps the original filing date and priority; the goods cannot be extended, however, so to add goods you file a new application.

Does the power of attorney for the Dominican Republic need to be notarised or legalised?

No. ONAPI's Distinctive Signs Guidelines state that a simple power of attorney is accepted for any procedure, with no notarisation; electronically signed documents are accepted too. Once a power of attorney has been filed, later applications can cite the file number where it is kept. Only for supporting documents issued by a foreign entity in recordals such as assignments does ONAPI require a certified copy or an apostille; the Dominican Republic has been party to the Apostille Convention since 30 August 2009, so documents from other contracting states can be apostilled. Follow your agent's instructions on how to sign.

How long can a Dominican trademark go unused before it can be cancelled?

Any interested party can ask ONAPI to cancel a mark not used in the Dominican Republic for the 3 consecutive years before the action, but not before the registration is 3 years old. The owner must prove use, and goods exported from the Dominican Republic count; where the mark is unused only for some goods, only those goods are removed. Cancellation is refused where non-use is due to a justified reason beyond the owner's control, but lack of funds or lack of demand does not count.

Other IP rights

Patents: Dominican invention patents last 20 years from the filing date; where ONAPI unreasonably delays the grant, the owner can request a single extension of up to 3 years. The Dominican Republic has been a PCT member since 28 May 2007.

Designs: industrial design registrations last 5 years from the filing date and can be renewed twice for 5 years each, up to 15 years; one application can include up to 20 designs in the same Locarno class. The Dominican Republic is not party to the Hague Agreement, so you file directly.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Cuba　·　Jamaica　·　Costa Rica　·　Panama

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