What does an international trademark application cost? A worked example with WIPO fees

Five components determine the official cost

An international registration under the Madrid System is based on a basic mark, such as a German application at the DPMA or an EU trademark. The international application is filed through the office of the basic mark, the office of origin. In it, you designate the contracting parties where protection is sought. The cost is made up of fees payable to WIPO and a fee charged by the office of origin.

WIPO charges its fees in Swiss francs. WIPO: fees and payments For each designated contracting party, either the uniform complementary fee applies or an individual fee set by that office, which is often charged per class.

Individual fees make the difference between countries

Many contracting parties charge an individual fee instead of the complementary fee. Amounts and structures vary widely: some offices charge per class, others a base amount covering several classes. WIPO publishes the current amounts in a table of individual fees.

A country’s appearance in the table is not the only test. If both the state of the office of origin and the designated state are also bound by the Madrid Agreement, the complementary fee applies between them instead of the individual fee. That is the case for Germany and Switzerland here: filing through the DPMA means CHF 100 for Switzerland. A different office of origin can produce a different result. WIPO Schedule of Fees, item 2.4; Madrid Protocol, Article 9sexies.

Fictional worked example: NIVORA in four markets

This example is entirely fictional and builds on the NIVORA search brief. Unlike the brief, which covered Germany only and no tea-based drinks, NIVORA is planning four further markets here and, in Variant B, an iced tea; a search brief would need to be extended accordingly.

The example assumes a German basic application for the word mark NIVORA without colour (hence the CHF 653 basic fee), filing through the DPMA and designation of the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. All designated territories are to cover the same respective goods. Variant A covers Class 32. Variant B adds Class 30 because tea-based beverages do not fall in Class 32; it expressly assumes that the German basic mark also covers those goods. Adding a class number does not expand the basic application. No register search was carried out; the example says nothing about earlier rights or registrability.

Calculation: 653 + 789 + 100 + 240 + 460 = CHF 2,242. Variant B adds 48 + 64 + 460 = CHF 572. Both totals were checked in the WIPO fee calculator on 11 October 2026 using a new application, office of origin DE, a mark not reproduced in colour, CH/EM/GB/US and one or two classes respectively. The EUR 180 DPMA fee is separate and is not included in either CHF total.

Notes on the worked example: colour, payment deadline and basic mark

Three points help to put the totals into context.

• Colour logo: This alternative requires an appropriate basic mark with the relevant representation; paying an extra CHF 250 does not turn the word mark into a different colour logo. For an admissible colour variant under otherwise identical assumptions, the basic fee rises to CHF 903: CHF 2,492 for one class or CHF 3,064 for two classes, plus EUR 180 to the DPMA in each case. Madrid Protocol, Article 3
• Payment to the DPMA: the EUR 180 must be paid within one month of filing the request; otherwise the request is deemed withdrawn. DPMA: international application (German)
• Basic mark: the German application itself costs EUR 290 at the DPMA when filed electronically, for up to three classes. DPMA: trade mark fees (German) It is not included in the worked example because it arises independently of the international application.

The whole EU or individual EU countries: a cost comparison

If you only plan to trade in Austria and France within the EU, you can designate these two countries individually instead of the European Union. Neither charges an individual fee. In Variant A, this costs two complementary fees totalling CHF 200 instead of CHF 789 for the EU. With more than three classes in this configuration, the supplementary fee of CHF 100 for each further class would be added.

Price is only one side of the decision. An EU designation covers all member states; individual designations cover only the countries chosen. Which territories make sense, and what risks earlier rights in individual countries pose, is a question of filing strategy and legal advice.

Costs that may arise later

The official fees at filing are not the only costs. Plan for the following items as well, even if their amount cannot be stated precisely in advance.

• Representation: fees for advice and filing are not part of the official fees.
• Refusals: if a designated office issues a provisional refusal, a local representative may be needed for the response.
• Subsequent designation: further countries can be added later. WIPO charges a basic fee of CHF 300 plus the fees of the new countries; if filed through the DPMA, EUR 120 is added (fee code 334 300). A later date applies to these countries.
• Renewal: The international registration lasts ten years and can be renewed for further ten-year periods. A basic fee and fees for each territory apply again. Under today’s fee schedule, Switzerland would again attract a CHF 100 complementary fee, instead of its CHF 500 table amount, if the holder’s German entitlement remains unchanged. For renewal, the exception depends on the contracting party of the holder; a later change can affect the result. This is not a promise of the fee that will apply ten years from now. WIPO Schedule of Fees, items 6.3–6.4
• United States – declaration of use: In addition to renewal at WIPO, a Section 71 declaration of use or excusable nonuse must be filed with the USPTO, first between the fifth and sixth year after the US registration date of the extension of protection. Further filing windows follow; the international registration’s renewal date does not replace them. The USPTO currently states USD 325 per class for an electronic Section 71 declaration, plus USD 100 per class if filed during the six-month grace period. Representation fees may be added. USPTO: Section 71; USPTO fees
• Dependence on the basic mark: if the basic mark ceases to have effect, in whole or in part, within five years, protection under the international registration can no longer be invoked to that extent. If the international registration is cancelled as a result, transformation into national or regional applications is possible within three months – with those offices’ fees. WIPO Lex: Madrid Protocol

Before you pay: search the same countries

WIPO processes an international application only once all fees have been paid. The designated offices then examine it under their own law. Whether an earlier right could stand in the way in a target country should therefore be clarified before filing – for the same countries and goods for which you are paying fees.

Use the country list from your cost estimate for the search brief as well. The guide How to prepare a trademark search brief shows how to describe the name, goods and territories; Exact-match or similarity search explains the right scope. Ask for confirmation of which registers are covered for the planned countries. A search does not replace a legal assessment and does not guarantee registration.

Cross-check with WIPO’s fee calculator

Recalculate your selection with the WIPO fee calculator immediately before filing. The tables were read again for this article on 12 October 2026; the documented example calculation was made on 11 October 2026. Any actual application needs to be checked using its own calculation date and actual inputs.

Enter the office of origin, classes, designated contracting parties and colour exactly as intended in the application. If the result differs from your estimate, first check the office of origin and whether individual fees actually apply, then the classes, country list and fee version. Save the inputs and calculation date together with the result.

Your checklist

• Decide on the basic mark and office of origin (DPMA or EUIPO).
• Settle the classes and specific goods and compare them with the basic mark; the international application cannot extend its goods coverage.
• Compare the mark representation and colour with the basic mark; a logo alternative requires a suitable basis.
• List every contracting party and check, in light of the office of origin, whether an individual or complementary fee is actually payable.
• Weigh an EU designation against individual designations deliberately.
• Record the office of origin fee and its payment deadline.
• Plan for MM18 when designating the United States. The DPMA generally requires a handwritten signature; its instructions waive it when using the WIPO Madrid Application Assistant. Check the filing route actually used.
• Budget for later costs: representation, possible refusals, renewal and separate US Section 71 declarations.
• Complete a search for the same countries and goods before filing.
• Cross-check the total with WIPO’s fee calculator shortly before filing.

Common questions