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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Paraguay

In Paraguay, a locally registered industrial property agent files directly with DINAPI; Paraguay is not in the Madrid System. Remember three things: one class per application; publication comes before examination, 3 days and then a 60-business-day opposition period; official fees are set in statutory minimum daily wages (jornales): 2 to file, 10 to renew.

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Five questions first

Which route?Madrid does not cover Paraguay: a Paraguayan industrial property agent files directly with DINAPI, one application per class. If your first application abroad was filed less than 6 months ago, you can claim its priority at the same time.Details ↓What do I need?The applicant's name and address, the mark, goods or services within one class, and a notarised power of attorney with a Spanish translation (no consular legalisation); if you claim priority, the certified copy within 3 months.Details ↓How are official fees charged?Per application, one class each: filing costs 2 jornales (the statutory minimum daily wage, currently PYG 117,077), plus the publication fee; renewal costs 10 jornales. Service fees are quoted after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory: 3 days of publication after formal examination, then 60 business days for oppositions before substantive examination begins. DINAPI's procedure guide gives about 10 months from filing.Details ↓What are the main risks?Several classes in one application lead to refusal; 90 days without progress forfeits your place in the queue; DINAPI may refuse even with the earlier owner's consent; a mark not used within 5 years of grant can be cancelled.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Paraguay: key facts

Competent officeDirección Nacional de Propiedad Intelectual (DINAPI), Paraguay's national IP office, an autonomous public-law body created by Law No. 4798/2012 that liaises with the executive through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Applications are examined by the Trademark Office (Dirección de Marcas) within its Directorate General of Industrial Property (DGPI); oppositions are decided by its trademark litigation unit (Asuntos Litigiosos de Marcas). Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LegislationTrademark Law No. 1294/98, in force since 1 October 1998, as amended by Law No. 4798/2012 (fees, institutional names and appeals), and its regulation, Decree No. 22365/98; goods and services follow the Nice Classification, 13th edition, 2026 version (DINAPI Resolution No. 84/2026)
How rights ariseBy registration; priority between applications is decided by the date and time of filing with DINAPI
Madrid SystemNot a member: Paraguay cannot be designated in an international registration, so you must file directly
One class per applicationEach application covers a single Nice class; several classes mean several applications. A goods mark may cover the whole class without listing the goods; a service mark must specify the services
Foreign applicantsLegal entities can only file through an industrial property agent registered with DINAPI (who must be a lawyer) and must have an address for service in Asunción, the capital; the power of attorney is recorded in DINAPI's register of powers for an official fee of 2 jornales
Power of attorneyThe law expressly waives consular legalisation for powers of attorney signed abroad: notarisation is enough. Foreign-language documents need a translation by a public translator registered with the Supreme Court of Justice
Publication and opposition (statutory)After formal examination, the applicant publishes the application for 3 consecutive days in DINAPI's electronic gazette or a newspaper in the capital; oppositions can be filed within 60 business days from the business day after the last publication
Order of examinationFormal examination and publication first; substantive examination (search of earlier marks and registrability opinion) only after the opposition period ends
Processing time (official figure)DINAPI's procedure guide states about 10 months from the filing date; no average processing statistics are published
Term and renewal10 years from the date of grant, renewable indefinitely; renew within the year before expiry, or within a 6-month grace period after expiry with a surcharge; renewals are also published, for 1 day
Non-useIf use has not started within 5 years of grant, or is interrupted for more than 5 years, any interested party may ask the civil and commercial court to cancel the registration; use in any country counts as use
Filing fee2 jornales per application (one class); the jornal is the statutory minimum daily wage set by the government, PYG 117,077 from 1 July 2026, so the filing fee is PYG 234,154, plus the publication fee
Reconsideration and appeal (statutory)A refusal by the Trademark Office can be challenged by a request for reconsideration within 5 business days and an appeal to the Directorate General of Industrial Property within a further 5 business days; its decision can be taken to court in an administrative action within 18 business days

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

Which route

Direct filing: whether to claim priority

Paraguay is not part of the Madrid System and cannot be designated in an international registration; only a Paraguayan industrial property agent registered with DINAPI can file for you. The real decision for a foreign applicant is whether to claim priority from an earlier application filed at home.

ItemDirect filing without priorityDirect filing claiming priority from your home application
PrerequisiteNone; use this if you have no earlier application, or if it was filed more than 6 months agoFile in Paraguay within 6 months of your first application, for the same mark and the same goods or services (Paraguay has applied the Paris Convention since 1994)
Order of priorityThe date and time of filing with DINAPIThe filing date of your earlier application; identical or similar applications filed by others in Paraguay in the meantime rank behind yours
Extra stepsNoneState the country and date of the earlier application in the application form, or in a separate declaration within the 6-month period; within 3 months of the declaration, file a certified copy of the earlier application issued by the office of first filing, or the priority lapses
Official fees2 jornales per application (one class), plus the publication feeThe same; the fee schedule has no separate priority fee
RiskAnyone who files first in the gap between your home application and your Paraguayan filing can block youIf the certified copy is not filed within 3 months, you fall back to the actual filing date and lose your place to later applicants
Best forYou have not filed at home yet, or your home application is more than 6 months oldYour home application was filed less than 6 months ago, especially if you are worried about pre-emptive filings in Paraguay

If you are covering several South American countries: Brazil can be designated through Madrid (see Trademark registration in Brazil), while Argentina, like Paraguay, takes direct filings only (see Trademark registration in Argentina). For how to choose between Madrid and country-by-country filing, see Madrid Designation or Direct National Filing: Which One Fits Your Case.

Not sure? Run a free search first, then submit the order online; the agent will advise in light of the search results.

What to prepare

Documents checklist

Filing through a Paraguayan industrial property agent, you will generally prepare the information and documents below. Applications are filed through DINAPI's electronic forms system (SFE) with online payment; no evidence of use is required at filing.

Applicant

  • Name and address; a foreign applicant uses the agent's address in Asunción as the address for service
  • Legal entities can only file through a registered industrial property agent under a power of attorney; an individual may instead file under an agent's sponsorship (patrocinio) with a notarised copy of an identity document
  • Joint applicants complete a co-owner annex

The mark

  • Word marks: the name; figurative, composite and three-dimensional marks: a representation; a 3D mark needs views showing all three dimensions, with unclaimed parts in dotted lines
  • For marks in non-Latin script (Chinese characters, for example), DINAPI may ask for a transliteration and meaning; the examination guidelines treat such script as a figurative element
  • A mark containing another person's name, pseudonym or portrait needs that person's consent; for a deceased person, the consent of heirs within four degrees

Goods or services

  • A single Nice class only (currently the 13th edition, 2026 version); file one application per class you need
  • A goods mark may designate the whole class without listing the goods; a service mark must specify the services
  • If the mark itself contains the name of a product or service, the registration is valid only for that product or service

Priority

  • To claim priority from your home application: file within 6 months of its filing date and state its country and date in the application form, or in a separate declaration within that period
  • Within 3 months of the declaration, file a certified copy of the earlier application issued by the office of first filing; otherwise the priority lapses

Power of attorney

  • The power of attorney must be notarised; the law expressly states that one signed abroad needs no consular legalisation
  • The power of attorney and any foreign-language supporting documents need a Spanish translation by a public translator registered with the Supreme Court of Justice
  • The power of attorney is recorded in DINAPI's register of powers (official fee 2 jornales); once recorded, it can be reused for later applications, renewals and oppositions handled by the same agent
  • If you authorise the agent by email or fax first, the agent can file straight away, but the original power of attorney must be filed for recording within 60 business days

Provide the power of attorney and other signed documents as the agent instructs. A corporate applicant usually also needs company documents proving the signatory's authority (articles of association or a board resolution), again with a translation.

How long

Process and timeline

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

  1. Step 1

    Pre-filing search (recommended)

    Check for similar earlier marks (DINAPI's data has been in TMview since December 2025), split the filing by class, and spell out the services for a service mark

  2. Step 2

    Appoint an agent and file

    The agent files through the SFE electronic forms and pays the filing fee of 2 jornales per application; the date and time of filing fix your place in the queue. A corporate applicant's power of attorney must be recorded with DINAPI first

  3. Step 3

    Formal examination and publication

    Once the application passes, DINAPI issues a publication order to be collected within 10 days; the applicant publishes for 3 consecutive days (statutory) in DINAPI's electronic gazette REDPI, which charges half a jornal, or in a newspaper in the capital

  4. Step 4

    Opposition period

    60 business days from the business day after the last publication (statutory); if an opposition is filed, the applicant has 18 business days to respond (statutory)

  5. Step 5

    Substantive examination

    After the opposition period, the Trademark Office searches earlier marks and issues its opinion; objections come as a "vista" notice to be answered, with an official fee of 1 jornal per response

  6. Step 6

    Grant and certificate

    On a favourable opinion from the Trademark Office, the Directorate General of Industrial Property grants the mark by resolution and the electronic certificate is emailed to the agent; the term runs 10 years from the date of grant. DINAPI's procedure guide gives about 10 months for the whole process (official figure)

The 10 months is the approximate processing time stated in DINAPI's procedure guide, not a statistical average; oppositions and examination notices add to it. An application with no action for 90 days after the last step is deemed abandoned and loses its place in the queue (statutory), so publication and responses must be scheduled on time. From 31 March to 31 October 2026, DINAPI is piloting "Pya'e Porã" accelerated examination for goods marks in classes 3, 5, 10, 29, 30 and 32, targeting 3 months, with the first mark granted in 105 days; whether the pilot continues depends on DINAPI's later announcements.

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 not fixed amounts: they are set in units of the statutory minimum daily wage (jornal mínimo) and charged per application. Because one Paraguayan application covers a single class, this is effectively one fee per class. The guaraní value of the jornal changes whenever the government adjusts the minimum wage; from 1 July 2026 it is PYG 117,077. The table below converts the fees at the current jornal value.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Filing fee (per application, one class per application; 2 jornales)Per application234,154 PYG≈ USD 41
Payable when applicable
Publication fee via DINAPI's electronic journal REDPI (half a jornal; publication in a newspaper of the capital is the alternative)Per application58,538.50 PYG≈ USD 10
Power of attorney recordal fee (mandatory for legal entities; recorded once and reusable; 2 jornales)Per application234,154 PYG≈ USD 41
Fee for responding to an office action (vista) (per response; 1 jornal)Per application117,077 PYG≈ USD 21
Fee for amendments or requests on a pending application (per request; 1 jornal)Per application117,077 PYG≈ USD 21
Late renewal surcharge (renewal within the 6-month grace period, in addition to the renewal fee; 1 jornal)Per application117,077 PYG≈ USD 21
Keeping the registration
Renewal fee (per registration; 2 jornales renewal application + 8 jornales one-off maintenance fee = 10 jornales; one day of publication is also required)Per application1,170,770 PYG≈ USD 206
Other
Opposition fee (per notice of opposition; 2 jornales)Per application234,154 PYG≈ USD 41
Fee for filing or answering appeal grounds (per brief; 2 jornales)Per application234,154 PYG≈ USD 41
Assignment recordal fee (per mark; 1 jornal)Per application117,077 PYG≈ USD 21
Licence recordal fee (per mark; 2 jornales)Per application234,154 PYG≈ USD 41
Change of owner's name recordal fee (per mark; 1 jornal)Per application117,077 PYG≈ USD 21
Change of owner's address recordal fee (per mark; 1 jornal)Per application117,077 PYG≈ USD 21
Duplicate registration certificate fee (per certificate; 1 jornal)Per application117,077 PYG≈ USD 21

Source: www.dinapi.gov.py · Guaraní amounts in the table are converted at the jornal value in force from 1 July 2026 (PYG 117,077); the jornal is adjusted every year with the minimum wage, and the amount published by DINAPI at the time of payment applies. · 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: the same mark in 2 classes needs 2 applications, so the filing fee is 2 × 2 = 4 jornales, or PYG 468,308; each application also pays a publication fee (half a jornal, about PYG 58,539, in DINAPI's electronic gazette REDPI). Each response to an examination notice costs 1 jornal.

Renewal after 10 years costs 10 jornales per application (2 for the renewal request plus the one-off maintenance fee of 8 jornales), or PYG 1,170,770; renewing in the 6-month grace period after expiry adds 1 jornal. Recording the power of attorney costs 2 jornales and is done once.

Guaraní amounts move with the jornal and are calculated at the value in force on the day of payment; online payment carries a bank charge. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to Paraguay and common refusals

These are the most common problems in Paraguayan examination and maintenance, together with rules specific to Paraguay that are easy to overlook.

One class per application, and services must be specific

Each Paraguayan application covers a single Nice class; an application listing several classes is not accepted as one filing. A goods mark may designate the whole class without listing the goods, but a service mark must specify the services rather than just the class number. Split the classes and spell out the services before filing.

You arrange the publication yourself, and 90 days of inactivity costs you your place

After formal examination, DINAPI only issues a publication order: the applicant collects it within 10 days and publishes for 3 consecutive days in DINAPI's electronic gazette or a newspaper in the capital, and the 60-business-day opposition period runs from the business day after the last publication. An application with no action for 90 days after the last step is deemed abandoned and its place in the queue passes to later applicants. Keep a close eye on the deadlines for publication, responses to examination notices and payments.

DINAPI may refuse even with the earlier owner's consent

Article 6 of the Trademark Law lets DINAPI refuse, in the public interest, an application identical or very similar to a registered mark for the same goods or services even if the earlier owner has given a letter of consent. Coexistence agreements are not a guaranteed fix in Paraguay; identify and work around similar earlier marks before filing.

5 years of non-use can lead to cancellation, but use abroad counts

If use has not started within 5 years of grant, or is interrupted for more than 5 years, any interested party may ask the civil and commercial court to cancel the registration, and a successful petitioner has 3 months to apply for the mark with priority. Paraguay's distinctive rule is that the regulation counts use in any country as use, and use in one class keeps the same mark's registrations in other classes alive; cancellation is decided by the courts, not by DINAPI. Keeping sales and advertising evidence from any market is enough to respond.

Pre-emptive filings: no legitimate interest, or a mark known to belong to someone else

Applying for a mark you know or should know belongs to someone else, or without a legitimate interest, is a statutory ground for refusal; it can be raised in an opposition during the 60-business-day period. After registration, invalidity must be sought in court within 5 years of grant, with no time limit for bad-faith registrations. If a distributor or agent has filed your mark, oppose first and then sue for invalidity.

Lack of distinctiveness, single colours, names and portraits

Generic or descriptive terms, a single colour, the usual or functional shape of goods or their packaging, signs identical or similar to well-known marks, and another person's name or portrait without consent cannot be registered. Marks in Chinese or other non-Latin script are examined as figurative elements and DINAPI may ask for a transliteration and meaning; a pre-filing search greatly reduces these risks.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

A Paraguayan registration lasts 10 years from the date of grant. No declaration of use is required during the term, but use must start within 5 years of grant, and the registration must be renewed at expiry, with a further publication. Official fees in the table are in jornales, converted at the value in force from 1 July 2026.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Within 5 years of grantStart and keep using the mark in Paraguay or any other country, and keep sales and advertising evidence; if use has not started within 5 years, or stops for more than 5 years, a third party can ask the court to cancel the registrationNone
In the year before expiry, every 10 yearsRenew: the agent files through the electronic forms and publishes the renewal for 1 day; before filing, check whether your goods or services have moved class in the current Nice Classification. The list can be narrowed but not extended10 jornales per registration (PYG 1,170,770)
Within 6 months after expiryRenewal is still possible in the grace period with a surcharge; a renewal request with no action for 180 days after expiry is deemed abandoned1 extra jornal (PYG 117,077)
At any timeAssignments, changes of name or address and licences take effect against third parties only once recorded with DINAPI; a domestic assignment needs a notarial deed, an assignment signed abroad needs a document valid under the law of the place of signature; licence agreements must contain quality-control clauses and be filed with a Spanish textAssignment 1 jornal per registration; change of name or address 1 jornal per registration; licence recording 2 jornales per registration

Use by a licensee or by a third party with the owner's consent counts as use by the owner. Certificates have been issued electronically since 2025; a duplicate costs 1 jornal.

A registered mark can be recorded with the customs authority, which checks whether imports are genuine and can suspend release at the owner's request; recording is not a precondition for enforcing your rights. Brand registries on e-commerce platforms usually also require a registered or pending mark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Paraguay

How much does it cost to register a trademark in Paraguay?

Official fees are charged per application, and each application covers one class: the filing fee is 2 jornales, plus a publication fee (half a jornal in DINAPI's electronic gazette). The jornal is Paraguay's statutory minimum daily wage, PYG 117,077 from 1 July 2026, so the filing fee is PYG 234,154. A corporate applicant also records its power of attorney once, for 2 jornales. Renewal after 10 years costs 10 jornales per registration. Service fees, including the local agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order.

How long does trademark registration take in Paraguay?

DINAPI's procedure guide states about 10 months from the filing date; that is the office's approximate figure, not a statistical average. The statutory milestones are 3 consecutive days of publication after formal examination, a 60-business-day opposition period from the business day after the last publication, and substantive examination only after that period, followed by grant if there is no opposition or objection. From 31 March to 31 October 2026, goods marks in classes 3, 5, 10, 29, 30 and 32 can use the "Pya'e Porã" accelerated pilot, which targets 3 months.

Can I designate Paraguay through the Madrid System?

No. Paraguay is not a member of the Madrid Protocol, so an international registration cannot extend to Paraguay; you must file directly through an industrial property agent registered with DINAPI. If your home application is less than 6 months old, you can claim its priority when filing in Paraguay and file the certified copy within 3 months of the declaration.

Can one Paraguayan application cover several classes?

No. Under the Trademark Law each registration corresponds to one class, so you file as many applications as classes you need, and official fees are charged per application. A goods mark may cover the whole class without listing the goods; a service mark must specify the services. After registration the list can be narrowed but not extended.

Does the power of attorney for Paraguay need notarisation or legalisation?

Notarisation yes, consular legalisation no. Article 115 of the Trademark Law expressly states that a power of attorney signed abroad for an agent only needs notarial certification, and DINAPI's procedural rules follow this. The power of attorney and any foreign-language supporting documents need a Spanish translation by a public translator registered with the Supreme Court of Justice, and the power must be recorded with DINAPI (2 jornales) before it can be used. Follow the agent's instructions on how to sign.

How long can a Paraguayan trademark go unused, and does renewal need proof of use?

If use has not started within 5 years of grant, or is interrupted for more than 5 years, an interested party may ask the civil and commercial court to cancel the registration; non-use caused by force majeure is excused. Paraguay's particular rule is that use in any country counts as use, and use in one class keeps the same mark's registrations in other classes alive. Renewal requires no evidence of use: DINAPI's published renewal checklist contains only the form, identity or power-of-attorney documents and the official fee.

Other IP rights

Patents: Paraguayan invention patents last 20 years from the filing date and cannot be extended; utility models last 10 years from the filing date. Paraguay is not a PCT member, so you file directly with DINAPI within the 12-month Paris Convention priority period.

Designs: protection lasts 5 years from the filing date and can be renewed twice, up to 15 years; Paraguay is not party to the Hague Agreement, so you file directly with DINAPI.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Argentina　·　Brazil　·　Uruguay　·　Bolivia　·　Chile

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