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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Bolivia

To register a trademark in Bolivia, file directly with SENAPI: Bolivia is not in the Madrid System, and no single trademark covers the Andean countries. Three points stand out: one class per application; 30 business days to oppose after publication, also for right holders in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; and foreign applicants pay double fees.

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Trademark registration in Bolivia

Five questions first

Which route?A Bolivian agent files directly with SENAPI, one application per class. If your first application abroad was filed less than 6 months ago, you can claim its priority.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name and address, the mark, specific goods in one class and a notarised, legalised power of attorney; for a priority claim, the certified documents from the office of first filing.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Foreign applicants pay SENAPI BOB 1,500 per application (one class), plus BOB 510 to the Official Gazette for publication. Service fees are quoted after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory: formal examination within 15 business days of filing and a 30-business-day opposition period after publication; SENAPI publishes no average examination times.Details ↓What are the main risks?Assuming one application can cover several classes, overlooking Andean oppositions from neighbouring countries, a power of attorney without legalisation, no local address for notifications, and registration by distributors.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Bolivia: key facts

OfficeNational Intellectual Property Service (Servicio Nacional de Propiedad Intelectual, SENAPI), under Bolivia's Ministry of Productive Development, Rural Affairs and Water (MDPRyA). Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawAndean Community Decision 486 on the Common Industrial Property Regime (directly applicable); SENAPI's Internal Procedure Regulations for Industrial Property (No. 017/2015); the Administrative Procedure Law (Law 2341)
How rights ariseExclusive rights arise from registration with SENAPI; priority goes by the date and time of filing, and marks identical or similar to an earlier application or registration that could cause confusion are refused
Madrid SystemBolivia is not party to the Madrid Protocol and cannot be designated through Madrid; registrations in the four Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) are independent and need separate applications
One class per applicationEach application can designate only one Nice class; SENAPI currently applies the 13th edition of the Nice Classification (version 2026)
Language and notificationsSpanish, with simple translations of documents in other languages; the address for notifications must be in the city where SENAPI is located, or notices are served at SENAPI's secretariat
Formal examination (statutory)Within 15 business days of filing; deficiencies must be remedied within 60 business days of notice, or the application is deemed abandoned and loses its priority
Opposition (statutory)Within 30 business days of publication in the Official Gazette, with one possible 30-business-day extension to submit evidence; the applicant has 30 business days from notice of the opposition to reply, extendable in the same way
Andean oppositionHolders of earlier registrations or applications in Colombia, Ecuador or Peru can oppose a Bolivian application, but must also file their own application in Bolivia
PriorityFile in Bolivia within 6 months of your first application; the priority declaration and supporting documents are due no later than 9 months from the priority date
Term and renewal10 years from grant, renewable for 10 years at a time; renew within the 6 months before expiry, with a 6-month grace period after it; renewal needs no evidence of use
Non-use cancellationIf the mark has not been used in any Andean member country for 3 consecutive years, others can request cancellation; no request can be filed until 3 years after notification of the grant decision
Filing feeForeign applicants pay SENAPI BOB 1,500 per application (one class): a BOB 1,000 filing fee and a BOB 500 certificate fee, plus BOB 510 to the Official Gazette for publication; domestic applicants pay half

Checked on 2026-10-06; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing: whether to claim priority

Bolivia is not part of the Madrid System, so it cannot be designated in an international registration: a Bolivian agent files directly with SENAPI. Nor is there a single Andean Community trademark: registrations in Colombia, Ecuador or Peru do not cover Bolivia. 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 Bolivia within 6 months of your first application; same mark, with goods within the scope of the earlier application
Filing dateThe date SENAPI receives an application that meets the basic requirementsThe filing date of your first application (priority date); identical or similar applications filed by others in Bolivia in the meantime rank behind yours
Extra stepsNoneDeclare the date, office and number of the earlier application; submit a copy certified by that office with proof of its filing date and a Spanish translation, all within 9 months of the priority date
Official feesForeign applicants: BOB 1,500 per application (one class) to SENAPI, plus the gazette publication feeSame as direct filing; SENAPI's fee schedule lists no separate priority fee
RiskAnyone who files first in the gap between your first application and your Bolivian filing can block youThe priority period cannot be extended; late or incomplete declarations or documents mean priority is lost
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 Bolivia or neighbouring countries

If you are filing across the Andean countries, compare Trademark registration in Peru, Trademark registration in Colombia and Trademark registration in Ecuador: all four countries apply the same Decision 486, but you file and pay in each separately, and class rules and fees differ from country to country.

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 to SENAPI, prepare the following information and documents. No evidence of use is needed at filing.

Applicant

  • Name and address (for a company, its name as registered, spelt in Spanish or English)
  • Nationality or domicile; for a legal entity, its place of incorporation
  • An address for notifications in the city where SENAPI is located, usually the Bolivian agent's address

The mark

  • For a plain word mark, the words alone are enough; for word marks in a particular typeface or colour, and for figurative or combined marks, a 4 × 4 cm JPG image
  • For a mark in colour, a colour image, optionally with Pantone references; a description of the mark can be given on the application form
  • If the mark contains another person's name, image or signature, or a work in which someone else holds rights, that person's consent

Goods and services

  • Goods or services of a single class only, with the Nice class number
  • Each good or service named specifically; after filing, goods can be deleted but not added or broadened

Representation and priority

  • Power of attorney (poder): the original or a certified copy of a notarial instrument, stating the powers granted; if issued abroad, legalised as SENAPI's regulations require (unless a law or treaty provides otherwise)
  • With your first application, you can ask SENAPI to keep the power of attorney on file; later applications then need only a copy citing the file number
  • For a priority claim: a copy of the earlier application certified by the receiving office, proof of its filing date, and a Spanish translation

Signed documents such as the power of attorney are provided following the agent's instructions. Documents in other languages need only a simple Spanish translation, not an official one.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct application with no opposition. Periods marked "statutory" are set by law; business days are Bolivian business days.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search for similar earlier marks, including earlier rights in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; SENAPI offers an official similarity search, for reference only

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    One application per class, paying SENAPI's fees and the gazette publication fee together; the filing date is the date the applicant's details, the mark, specific goods and proof of payment are all complete

  3. Step 3

    Formal examination

    Within 15 business days of filing; any corrections within 60 business days of notice, or the application is deemed abandoned (statutory)

  4. Step 4

    Publication and opposition

    Once the formalities are cleared, published in the Official Gazette; oppositions within 30 business days of publication, extendable once by 30 business days to submit evidence (statutory)

  5. Step 5

    Registrability examination

    After the opposition period, SENAPI examines distinctiveness and earlier rights on its own initiative, even without an opposition; if opposed, the applicant replies within 30 business days (statutory)

  6. Step 6

    Grant or refusal

    Grant by administrative resolution and issue of the registration certificate, valid for 10 years from grant; a refusal can be challenged by a request for reconsideration within 10 business days of notice (statutory)

SENAPI publishes no verifiable average examination times, and there is no statutory deadline for the registrability examination or the decision, so this page lists only statutory milestones. If you still disagree after the decision on reconsideration (recurso de revocatoria), you can file a hierarchical appeal (recurso jerárquico) within 10 business 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

Official fees are in bolivianos (BOB) and charged per application; since a Bolivian application can cover only one class, in practice you pay one set of fees per class. Foreign individuals and companies pay twice the domestic rate. The filing fee and the certificate fee are paid to SENAPI together at filing, and a separate publication fee goes to the Official Gazette. The table below shows the amounts in SENAPI's current fee schedule for foreign applicants.

ItemChargedAmount
Paid on filing
Trademark application fee (foreign applicants; one application per class, as each Bolivian application covers a single class)Per class1,000 BOB
Registration certificate fee (foreign applicants, per class/application; paid together with the application fee)Per class500 BOB
Keeping the registration
Renewal application fee (foreign owners, every 10 years, per class/registration; within 6 months before expiry or the 6-month grace period)Per class500 BOB
Renewal certificate fee (foreign owners, per class/registration; paid together with the renewal fee)Per class500 BOB

Source: Servicio Nacional de Propiedad Intelectual (SENAPI), Resolución Administrativa N° 037/2009 · current fees in force since 2009-12-01 · checked on 2026-10-07 · The Bank of China publishes no rate for this currency, so fees are shown in the original currency only

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 Bolivia?

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Example: to protect a mark in 2 classes, you file 2 applications. Each pays SENAPI BOB 1,000 + BOB 500 = BOB 1,500, plus BOB 510 to the Official Gazette, so BOB 2,010 per application and BOB 4,020 for both. Each 10-year renewal costs a further BOB 1,000 per registration (BOB 500 for the renewal application and BOB 500 for the renewal certificate).

The Official Gazette publication fee is published on SENAPI's website and paid directly into the gazette's account, so it is not in the table above. SENAPI's fee schedule lists no separate priority fee and no surcharge for renewal in the grace period.

Service fees, including the Bolivian 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 Bolivia and common refusals

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

One class per application, and no broadening after filing

Both Decision 486 and SENAPI's regulations allow only one class per application, so several classes need separate applications and fees. After filing, you can only delete goods or correct minor errors; changing the main part of the mark or adding goods means withdrawing the application and filing again, with a new filing date. Settle the classes and the list of goods before filing.

Andean oppositions from neighbouring countries

Anyone with a registration or earlier application for an identical or similar mark in Colombia, Ecuador or Peru can oppose your Bolivian application, provided they also file their own application in Bolivia. An opposition based on an earlier registration can lead to refusal; one based on an earlier application suspends yours until that application is decided. Search those three countries as well before filing in Bolivia.

A 30-business-day opposition period: watch the Official Gazette

Once the application is published in the Official Gazette, third parties must oppose within 30 business days; late oppositions are not admitted. One 30-business-day extension is possible, but only to submit evidence, not to add grounds. If you already have a brand in Bolivia, watch the gazette; once the opposition period is missed, you can only seek a declaration of invalidity after registration.

Legalised power of attorney and a local address for notifications

SENAPI requires the power of attorney to be the original or a certified copy of a notarial instrument, and one issued abroad must also be legalised. If it is missing in an opposition, renewal or other procedure, a foreign party has only 25 business days to supply it, after which the filing is treated as withdrawn or not made. The address for notifications must be in the city where SENAPI is located; otherwise notices are served at SENAPI's secretariat and deemed served that same day, so deadlines are easily missed. In practice you need a local agent.

Double official fees for foreign applicants

SENAPI's fee schedule has two tiers, domestic and foreign, and foreign applicants pay double for filing, certificates, renewal, assignment, opposition and more. Proof of payment is one of the requirements for a filing date, so budget at the foreign rate.

Registration by agents or distributors and bad-faith applications

An application by an agent, distributor or other authorised person, in their own name and without consent, for a mark you use in Bolivia or abroad is refused; SENAPI can also refuse an application it has reason to believe aims at unfair competition. If such a mark has already been registered, you can seek a declaration of relative invalidity, but only within 5 years of grant. Before working with a Bolivian distributor, file in your own name first.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

A Bolivian registration lasts 10 years from grant. No declaration of use is required in that time, but the mark can be cancelled after 3 consecutive years of non-use, and it must be renewed on time.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
From 3 years after grantUse the mark in at least one Andean member country and keep evidence such as invoices and accounting records; after 3 consecutive years of non-use, others can request cancellation, also for only the unused goodsNone (the party requesting cancellation pays the fee)
Within the 6 months before expiry, every 10 yearsRenew with SENAPI; no evidence of use is needed, and the goods can be limited at the same timeBOB 1,000 per registration (BOB 500 renewal application + BOB 500 renewal certificate, foreign owners)
Within the 6-month grace period after expiryRenewal can still be filed, and the registration remains fully in force during the grace period; if not renewed by then, it lapses automaticallyAs above
Any timeAssignments and licences must be recorded with SENAPI to be effective against third parties; changes of the owner's name or address must also be recordedBOB 500 per assignment or licence; BOB 400 per change of name or address (foreign owners)

In a non-use action, the owner must prove use: use in Colombia, Ecuador or Peru, or on goods exported from an Andean member country, counts. Use by a licensee counts as use by the owner, so keep sales and advertising evidence.

If there are grounds to believe infringing goods are about to be imported or exported, the owner of a registered trademark can ask the competent authority to suspend the customs clearance of the shipment, subject to the conditions and security set by Bolivian rules; e-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Bolivia

How much does a trademark cost in Bolivia?

Official fees are per application, and each application can cover only one class. Foreign applicants pay SENAPI BOB 1,500 per application (a BOB 1,000 filing fee and a BOB 500 certificate fee), plus BOB 510 to the Official Gazette for publication, BOB 2,010 per application in total; you file as many applications as classes. Each 10-year renewal costs BOB 1,000 per registration. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does trademark registration take in Bolivia?

SENAPI publishes no verifiable average examination times. The statutory milestones are formal examination within 15 business days of filing, then a 30-business-day opposition period after publication in the Official Gazette, extendable by 30 business days for evidence; SENAPI then examines registrability and decides, with no statutory deadline for this step. If there is an opposition, the applicant has 30 business days to reply, also extendable by 30 business days.

Can I register a trademark in Bolivia through the Madrid System?

No. Bolivia is not party to the Madrid Protocol, so an international registration cannot designate Bolivia; a Bolivian agent must file directly with SENAPI. If your first application was filed less than 6 months ago, you can claim its priority and rely on its filing date.

If my mark is registered in Peru or Colombia, do I still need to register it in Bolivia?

Yes. There is no single Andean Community trademark, and registrations in the four countries are independent. Two common rules help you, though: an earlier registration or application in Peru, Colombia or Ecuador lets you file an Andean opposition against a similar application in Bolivia (provided you also file in Bolivia), and use in any member country counts against a non-use action. See Trademark registration in Peru and Trademark registration in Colombia.

Can one Bolivian application cover several classes?

No. Both Decision 486 and SENAPI's regulations allow only one class per application, so several classes mean several applications, each paid, examined and certified separately. After filing, goods can only be deleted, not added.

Which office handles trademarks in Bolivia, and how do I check a mark?

The trademark office is the National Intellectual Property Service (SENAPI). Application status can be checked by application number in SENAPI's SIPI system, and publication and the start of the opposition period follow the Official Gazette issued by SENAPI; SENAPI also offers a paid official similarity search. To check the risk of similar marks before filing, use the free search on this page.

Other IP rights

Patents: Bolivian invention patents last 20 years from the filing date and utility models 10 years. Bolivia is not a PCT member, so there is no PCT route; to claim priority from your first application, file directly with SENAPI within 12 months of that filing.

Designs: protected for 10 years from the filing date; Bolivia is not party to the Hague Agreement, so you file directly with SENAPI.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Peru · Colombia · Ecuador · Chile · Argentina · Brazil

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