The Madrid System for the international registration of trademarks is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and is governed by the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement. By filing a single international application with his/her Office of origin, using one language (English, French or Spanish) and paying one set of fees, an applicant can obtain trademark protection in all members of the Madrid Union. As of April 2026, the Madrid System has 116 members covering 132 countries/territories, representing over 80% of global trade, making it the preferred tool for international trademark portfolio expansion.
➧ One application, multiple countries: Applicants do not need to file separately with each national trademark office. A single international application filed through the Office of origin can designate all members.
➧ Unified language, simplified procedure: The application uses only one of English, French or Spanish, eliminating the need for translation into multiple target languages and greatly reducing document preparation costs.
➧ Cost-effective, controllable expenses: Only one set of international registration fees (basic fee, complementary fee or individual fee) is required, saving approximately 40%-60% of attorney fees and official fees when filing in multiple countries.
➧ Centralised management, convenient follow-up: Subsequent changes (e.g., name/address change, assignment, renewal) are effected through a single procedure with WIPO and take effect in all designated members, significantly reducing the cost of managing and maintaining a cross-border trademark portfolio.
Applicant eligibility
Under Article 2 of the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement, the applicant must be a national of a member of the Madrid Union, have a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment in a member, or be domiciled in a member. In China, the applicant must be:
• An enterprise or organisation with a real and effective business premises in China; • A natural person or legal entity domiciled in China; • A natural person of Chinese nationality.
Basic mark requirements
An international registration must be based on a basic mark that has already been filed or registered with the Office of origin. Specifically:
✔ The basic mark may be a trademark application (accepted but not yet registered) or a registered trademark in China. ✔ The goods/services listed in the international application may not exceed the scope of the basic mark. ✔ The international registration enjoys a six-month priority from the date of filing of the basic mark (Article 4 of the Paris Convention). ✔ When filing a Madrid international application, the representation of the mark may not differ from the basic mark; otherwise the Chinese Trademark Office will not accept the application.
Special reminder: The protection of the international registration is dependent on the validity of the basic mark. If the basic mark is cancelled, declared invalid or abandoned within the first five years, the international registration will be affected by the "central attack" principle, i.e., protection in all designated members will lapse. In such a case, the applicant may convert the international registration into direct national applications in each designated country, preserving the original international registration date.
Step 1: Prepare application documents
Applicants should prepare the following core documents: ☑ Madrid application form (in Chinese); ☑ Foreign language application form (Form MM2, in English or French); ☑ Proof of applicant's eligibility (copy of business licence, copy of ID card, etc., stamped or signed); ☑ Electronic reproduction of the mark (JPG format, clear and complete); ☑ If appointing an agent, a power of attorney must be submitted; ☑ If designating the United States, Form MM18 (Additional Information Form for US Trademark Registration Application) must also be submitted.Step 2: Filing the application
After the application documents are filed, the Chinese Trademark Office conducts a formal examination and substantive review, then forwards the application to the WIPO International Bureau for further formal examination and registration. The application is then notified to each designated member for substantive examination of territorial extension. Each designated member, under its own national law, makes a decision on protection or refusal within 12 or 18 months.
Step 3: International registration and territorial extension
Upon receipt of a compliant application, the WIPO International Bureau conducts formal examination, including the classification of goods/services and the applicant's eligibility. If irregularities are found, the International Bureau issues an irregularity notice requiring correction within 3 months.
After examination, the WIPO International Bureau issues an international registration certificate and publishes the mark in the WIPO International Trademark Bulletin. The international registration date is the date on which the Chinese Trademark Office received the application (except where priority applies). The international registration certificate is not a protection certificate for each designated member; the International Bureau then forwards the application to each designated member, which makes a decision on protection or refusal under its national law within 12 or 18 months.
The Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration officially issued the Guidelines for Fast-Track Examination of Madrid International Trademark Registration Applications on 10 September 2025, providing a green channel for applicants with urgent needs for overseas trademark registration or enforcement.
• Eligibility: Applicants who meet one of the circumstances set out in Article 2 of the Measures for Fast-Track Examination of Trademark Registration Applications and have an urgent need for overseas trademark registration or enforcement may request fast-track examination.
• Application materials: Submit a signed or sealed Request for Fast-Track Examination of Madrid International Trademark Registration Application, together with supporting evidence of the relevant grounds.
• Simplified procedure: If the basic mark has already been granted fast-track examination in the domestic examination stage, duplicate submission of supporting evidence is not required – it is sufficient to indicate this in the request.
• Examination timeline: Upon receipt of the request, the Trademark Office will complete examination of eligible applications within 20 days and issue an acceptance notice electronically.
• Fee: No additional fee is charged for fast-track examination requests.
The fee structure of the Madrid System consists of several components, including the international registration fees payable to the WIPO International Bureau and the designation fees charged by each designated contracting party. The fee structure is relatively complex, with significant differences among countries/regions, and factors such as exchange rate fluctuations and number of classes affect final costs.
Overview of fee components
The fees for Madrid international registration mainly include the following:
• Basic fee: The basic fee payable to the WIPO International Bureau when filing an international application. Only one basic fee is required regardless of the number of countries designated.
• Complementary fee: For designated contracting parties that do not require an individual fee, a complementary fee is payable for each designated country.
• Supplementary fee: When the number of classes of goods/services exceeds three, a supplementary fee is payable for each additional class.
• Individual fee: Some contracting parties do not use the complementary fee system but instead collect an individual fee according to their national law. The amount of the individual fee is determined by each contracting party and varies considerably. Currently, about 40 contracting parties apply individual fees, including important markets such as the United States, Japan, the European Union, Korea, Australia and China.
Our fee estimation support
The cost of international trademark registration varies significantly depending on the number of designated countries, number of classes, type of mark (black-and-white or colour), exchange rate fluctuations, etc. Accurate fee estimation requires consideration of the client's specific situation. We provide the following fee-related support:
• Accurate fee calculation: Based on the countries/regions designated by the client, the number of classes, the type of mark, etc., and using the WIPO Fee Calculator and the latest fee schedules of each member, we provide a detailed fee breakdown to help clients plan their budgets rationally.
• Exchange rate risk notice: International registration fees are denominated in Swiss francs and are converted into Renminbi at the exchange rate on the date of receipt by the Chinese Trademark Office. Exchange rate fluctuations may cause actual expenses to differ from budgeted amounts. We proactively alert clients to exchange rate changes and provide fee estimation references.
• Individual fee tracking: Individual fee policies of contracting parties are constantly updated. We continuously track fee adjustment dynamics in various countries, promptly inform clients, and assist them in choosing the optimal filing timing and designation strategy while maintaining compliance.
• Cost optimisation advice: Based on the client's trademark portfolio goals and budget, we provide recommendations on the combination of designated countries and class selection, helping clients achieve effective trademark protection while controlling costs.
As of April 2026, the Madrid System has 116 members covering 132 countries/territories. On 15 March 2026, Grenada officially acceded to the Madrid System, becoming the 116th member that Chinese and other trademark owners can directly designate, and the 10th member from Latin America and the Caribbean. China acceded to the Madrid Agreement on 4 October 1989 and to the Protocol on 1 December 1995. As an Office of origin, Chinese applicants may file international applications based on a Chinese basic mark and designate all members of the Madrid Union.
The Madrid System covers major global economies, including:
• Asia: China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Brunei, Mongolia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Oman, Qatar, Syria, etc.
• Europe: European Union, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, etc.
• Africa: African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, etc.
• Americas: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, etc.
• Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, Samoa.
• Professional team: We are well-versed in Madrid System rules and individual fee policies of various countries, and familiar with the eligibility and documentation requirements for fast-track examination.
• Global resources: We maintain close collaboration with cooperating law firms in many countries to ensure timely and effective handling of refusals during the territorial extension phase.
• End-to-end follow-up: From eligibility assessment, class and goods/services selection, document preparation, to WIPO international registration and substantive examination of territorial extension, we follow up the entire process and proactively remind clients of renewal and other post-registration maintenance matters.
• Risk mitigation: We provide dedicated solutions for the "central attack" risk, assisting clients to convert an international registration into national applications to preserve protection if the basic mark becomes invalid.
• Cost transparency: We provide accurate fee estimates, including international registration fees, individual fees for each designated member, and agency service fees – all-inclusive, no hidden charges.
If you need further details about Madrid international trademark registration or a customised global portfolio strategy, please contact us.
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