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Foreign applicants searching for "China trademark registration cost" usually find two kinds of answers: vague ones ("it depends") and seductive ones ("all-in from $99"). Both are unhelpful. This guide sets out the real numbers — official fees, realistic agency fees, a stage-by-stage timeline, and the exact document package — so you can budget and plan with a clear picture.
A companion article explains why foreign applicants must use a Chinese agency and what happens if you delay: China Trademark Registration for Foreign Companies: Why First-to-File Puts Your Brand at Risk . The strategic choice between direct filing and the Madrid Protocol is compared in Direct CNIPA Filing vs Madrid Protocol for China.
CNIPA charges per class, per application. Each class includes up to 10 items of goods or services; each additional item costs extra.
Item | Paper filing | Electronic filing |
Application fee, one class (up to 10 items) | RMB 300 | RMB 270 |
Each additional item beyond 10 | RMB 30 | RMB 27 |
Notes that matter in practice:
Nearly all applications are filed electronically through a registered agency's account, so RMB 270 per class is the fee you will effectively pay, plus agency service fees (below).
A broad specification ("all goods in Class 25") is not possible — CNIPA requires specific items from the official classification, and the Chinese sub-class system limits what one class actually covers. Most SMEs file in 1–3 classes; a consumer brand commonly files Classes 3, 25, and 35, for example.
Multi-class applications are technically available but rarely advisable: they cannot be divided when a refusal affects only one class, so agencies generally file one application per class.
Official source: CNIPA fee schedule (sbj.cnipa.gov.cn). Figures are current as of August 2026; the official page prevails if rates change.
Because a foreign applicant must file through a Chinese agency, the agency fee is a fixed part of the budget, and it varies more than the official fee. Indicative ranges for an uncontested filing in a single class:
Service | Typical range | Notes |
Clearance search (per mark/class) | 50-100 USD | Should be run at sub-class level, not class level |
Filing + prosecution, one class | 100-200 USD | Higher end = drafting quality, correspondence, reporting |
Office action (refusal) response | 500-800 USD | 30-day response window from receipt of refusal |
Opposition / invalidation (as needed) | Case-specific | Adds months or years; budget separately |
Two honest observations about pricing:
Extremely low all-in offers exist, and they carry a specific risk.
A cheap filing usually comes with a thin goods/services specification. In China, the specification is not a formality — it defines the sub-classes you actually protect. A poorly drafted list can produce a certificate that looks valid but leaves your core sub-classes exposed, which is precisely the gap squatters exploit.
No fee structure can buy a guaranteed result.
Examination outcome depends on the mark, the sub-classes, and examiner judgment at a specific point in time. An agency's value lies in risk assessment and drafting, not in promises.
For an uncontested application, the statutory and practical sequence is:
Stage | Duration | What happens |
Search & drafting (before filing) | 1–2 weeks | Sub-class-level search; specification drafted; documents prepared |
Filing & acceptance | Days to ~1 month | Agency files through the CNIPA online system; acceptance notice issues with the filing date — your priority anchor |
Formality examination | ~1 month | Documents checked; correction requests possible |
Substantive examination | Up to 9 months (statutory) | Distinctiveness, prior conflicts, absolute grounds. Realistic range: 3-5 months |
Preliminary publication | 3 months | Public opposition window; most applications pass unopposed |
Registration & certificate | ~1–2 months after publication | CNIPA issues the registration; e-certificates are standard |
Realistic total: roughly 7–8 months from filing to certificate in a smooth case. The statutory backstop is 9 months for substantive examination plus the 3-month publication period, but queuing time and correspondence make the longer figure the safer planning assumption.
What can extend it: an office action (+1–3 months, depending on response and re-examination), an opposition (+1–2 years), and invalidation proceedings against a squatter's prior mark (1–3 years). None of these should be treated as exotic — with prior squatted marks in the register, some of the largest filing volumes in China now involve bad-faith-related proceedings.
Document | Requirement | Practical notes |
Power of attorney | Simple signature or seal; Chinese & English versions | Notarization/legalization generally not required for trademark filings |
Applicant identity document | Business registration certificate / certificate of incorporation (company) or passport (individual) | Must be translated into Chinese; name must match exactly — inconsistencies trigger corrections and can cost you the early filing date |
Applicant details | Full legal name and address in English, plus Chinese translation | The agency transliterates the name into Chinese characters |
Mark specimen | Clear image, JPG/PNG | Black-and-white filing protects all color combinations; color filing is limited to the colors shown |
Goods/services list | Per CNIPA official classification | Drafted by the agency at sub-class level |
Priority document | Only if claiming Paris Convention priority | Home application must be within the preceding 6 months; Chinese translation with certification required |
Both routes end at the same CNIPA examination. The differences are cost structure, speed to filing date, and dependency:
Direct filing through a Chinese agency suits brands focused on China, those needing the earliest possible filing date, and those wanting full control over the specification.
Madrid designation of China suits brand owners already holding a home-country registration who are filing in several countries at once. Trade-offs include WIPO processing time before CNIPA receives the designation, total fees that are often higher for a single country, and the "central attack" risk: if the home base registration is cancelled or narrowed in the first five years, the Chinese designation falls with it.
A certificate is not self-maintaining. Budget for:
Renewal — every 10 years; renewal may be filed within 12 months before expiry, with a 6-month grace period (surcharge applies) after.
Use evidence — a registration unused for three consecutive years can be cancelled by any third party (non-use cancellation). Keep dated sales records, invoices, packaging, and advertising samples showing use in China.
Recordal of changes — changes to the registrant's name or address, and assignments, must be recorded with CNIPA. Unrecorded changes routinely complicate enforcement and customs recordal.
What is the cheapest realistic total for one class?
Official fee RMB 270 plus a competent agency fee in the RMB 2,000–4,000 range for search-and-file work — roughly RMB 2,300–4,300 (about USD 320–600) per class in an uncontested case. Quotes far below this range should prompt questions about what the specification will actually cover.
When do I pay?
Agency invoices are typically issued before filing; the official fee is paid to CNIPA through the agency's online account at filing.
Can the timeline be accelerated?
No expedited examination exists for ordinary applications. Speed comes from clean drafting (avoiding corrections and office actions), not from the examination queue.
Is the registration certificate paper or electronic?
Electronic certificates are now standard and carry the legal effect.
CNIPA official fee schedule and application guidelines — sbj.cnipa.gov.cn (fees effective since July 2019, current as of August 2026).
CNIPA English FAQ: How can Foreign Applicants Apply for Trademark Registration? — english.cnipa.gov.cn (March 2026).
PRC Trademark Law: 9-month substantive examination limit (Art. 28), 3-month publication period (Art. 33), non-use cancellation (Art. 49), 10-year term and renewal (Arts. 39–40).
European Union / Ireland SME Helpdesk, Mainland China IP Factsheet — cost ranges and Madrid Protocol notes.
Prepared August 2026. Fees and procedures change.
