Madrid System trademark fees and filing guide

Summary

If you plan to enter several markets at once, the Madrid System can reduce repeated filing and later management work. But it depends on a base application or registration, and each designated member may still examine, refuse, or limit protection.

Basic concept

The applicant usually needs a base application or registration, files through the home office to WIPO, and designates the members where protection is sought.

Fees

As verified on July 17, 2026, WIPO's basic fee is CHF 653 for a black-and-white mark and CHF 903 for a color mark. Standard fees can also include CHF 100 per designated member and CHF 100 per class above three, while many members charge individual fees instead. Use WIPO's official calculator for the actual designation list.

Filing process

1. Confirm eligibility through nationality, domicile, or business connection to a Madrid member.
2. Hold or file the basic national or regional application or registration.
3. Submit the international application through the Office of origin.
4. WIPO checks formal requirements, records the international registration, and notifies designated members.
5. Each designated office examines the mark under its local law and may issue a provisional refusal.

When it fits

• The same brand is entering multiple countries or regions.
• The brand wants centralized renewal and recordal management.
• The base application or registration is reasonably stable.

Before filing

1. Confirm the base application or registration.
2. List real target members instead of designating broadly for appearance.
3. Estimate basic, supplementary, and individual member fees.
4. Reserve budget for refusals, office actions, and oppositions in key markets.

Central attack and the first five years

For five years from the international registration date, the international registration depends on the basic mark. If the basic application or registration is refused, withdrawn, cancelled, or narrowed during that dependency period, the international registration can be affected to the same extent.

Madrid or direct national filings?

Madrid can simplify filing and portfolio administration when the same owner, mark, and class scope are used across several markets. Direct filings may be easier when countries require different owners or mark versions, when the basic mark is unstable, or when only one or two markets matter. Compare the full path, not only the initial WIPO fee.

Use the fee estimator for the WIPO base-fee starting point, then complete the designation calculation in WIPO's official tool.