UAE Trademark Registration Guide 2026: Costs, Process and Timeline

Registering your trademark in the UAE is a legal requirement if you want to protect your brand. Without registration, you have no formal IP rights, and stopping someone from using your name, logo, or slogan becomes significantly harder and more expensive.

The process is run by the Ministry of Economy and takes 6 to 12 months from application to certificate. Here is exactly what to do, what it costs, and what can go wrong.

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Why Register a Trademark in the UAE?

A registered trademark gives you:

• Exclusive rights to use the mark in the UAE for 10 years (renewable)
• Legal basis to sue for infringement
• Border protection - you can instruct UAE Customs to seize counterfeit goods
• Brand value - a registered mark is a documented asset for investors, lenders, or acquirers

Without registration, your brand is not protected. UAE law does not recognise common law trademark rights - registration is what grants you ownership.

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What Can You Trademark?

You can register the following types of marks:

• Word marks - your company or product name
• Logo or device marks - a graphic or symbol
• Combination marks - name plus logo together
• Slogans and taglines
• Shapes and packaging (in some circumstances)
• Sound marks and colour marks (accepted by the Ministry of Economy)

What Cannot Be Registered

Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 (which replaced the previous trademark law and came into force in January 2022) prohibits registration of marks that:

• Are identical or confusingly similar to an existing registered mark
• Are purely descriptive of the goods or services
• Contain national flags or state emblems
• Are contrary to public order or morals
• Are generic terms for the product or service
• Include religious symbols or text

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The Nice Classification System

Trademarks are registered by class under the Nice Classification system. There are 45 classes in total (34 for goods, 11 for services). You must register in each class where you want protection.

Some examples relevant to UAE businesses:

Class	Description
Class 9	Software, apps, electronic devices
Class 16	Printed materials, stationery
Class 25	Clothing, footwear
Class 35	Business services, advertising, retail
Class 36	Financial and insurance services
Class 41	Education and training
Class 43	Restaurants, cafes, food services
Class 44	Medical, beauty, wellness services

Important: A registration in Class 35 does not protect you in Class 43. If you run a restaurant chain and a consultancy under the same brand, you need registrations in both classes. If your business imports and exports products, Class 35 (retail trade services) and Class 9 are the most common classes for e-commerce and trading businesses — see the UAE import and export guide for more on how trading businesses are structured.

Multi-class applications are possible but each class is paid for separately.

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How to Register: Step by Step

Step 1: Conduct a Trademark Search

Before you apply, search the existing UAE trademark register to check whether your mark (or something similar) is already registered. Applying without doing this and then having your application refused wastes the filing fee.

Search at: trademarks.economy.gov.ae (Ministry of Economy official portal)

Search by:

• Keyword or word mark
• Class
• Applicant name

If you find a conflicting mark, your options are:

1. Modify your mark to be sufficiently different
2. Negotiate with the existing owner
3. Apply anyway (if you believe the marks are not confusingly similar) and deal with opposition if it arises

Step 2: Prepare Your Application

You will need:

• A clear reproduction of the mark (JPEG or PNG, minimum 800x800 pixels, on a white background)
• A list of goods or services you want to protect (used to determine the class)
• The applicant’s details: name, nationality, address
• For UAE companies: a copy of the trade licence
• For foreign companies: a copy of the certificate of incorporation
• A Power of Attorney (notarised) if you are using a local agent

You can file directly or through a registered trademark agent. Using an agent is advisable for first-time applicants and mandatory for foreign applicants with no UAE commercial presence.

Step 3: File the Application

Applications are filed through the Ministry of Economy’s online portal: trademarks.economy.gov.ae

Official government fees:

Fee	Amount
Application (per class)	AED 750
Publication in trademark journal	AED 250
Registration certificate (on approval)	AED 1,000
Total per class (approximate)	AED 2,000

Agent fees (if using a local agent): typically AED 2,000 to AED 5,000 per class, depending on complexity. Law firms charge more.

For a standard single-class registration using an agent, budget AED 4,000 to AED 7,000 total.

Step 4: Examination Period

After filing, the Ministry of Economy examines your application. They check:

• Whether the mark is registrable under UAE law
• Whether it conflicts with existing registrations
• Whether the goods or services are correctly classified

This stage takes 2 to 4 months.

If there is a problem, the Ministry issues an office action (a formal objection). You have a set period to respond. Common objections include similarity to existing marks and classification errors.

Step 5: Publication in the Trademark Journal

If the examination is passed, the mark is published in the UAE Trademark Journal. This opens a 30-day opposition window during which any third party can challenge your application.

If no opposition is filed (or if opposition is successfully overcome), the mark proceeds to registration.

Step 6: Registration Certificate

Once approved, the Ministry issues a trademark registration certificate. This is valid for 10 years from the filing date.

The total timeline from filing to certificate: 6 to 12 months under normal circumstances. Contested or complex marks can take longer.

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Renewal

Trademarks must be renewed every 10 years. You can renew within 6 months before expiry or up to 6 months after (with a late fee).

Renewal Action	Fee
Renewal per class	AED 1,000
Late renewal surcharge	AED 1,000

A trademark that lapses without renewal is removed from the register and becomes available for others to file.

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International Protection: The Madrid Protocol

If you need trademark protection beyond the UAE, the Madrid Protocol allows you to file a single international application covering multiple countries.

The UAE joined the Madrid Protocol in 1996. You can extend a UAE trademark to other member countries (including the UK, EU, US, and China) through a single application filed via the Ministry of Economy.

Process:

1. File (or have registered) a UAE base trademark
2. File an international application through the Ministry of Economy to WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
3. Designate the countries where you want protection
4. Each country examines the mark under its own laws

Costs: WIPO charges a basic fee (approximately CHF 653) plus a designation fee per country. Total international filing typically costs USD 2,000 to USD 5,000 depending on the number of countries.

The Madrid Protocol route is significantly cheaper than filing national applications in each country separately.

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Trademarks in Free Zones

If your business is in a UAE free zone, your trademark registration through the Ministry of Economy covers all of UAE territory including free zones.

Free zones themselves do not issue trademarks - they issue trade name registrations (which reserve your company name within that free zone) but these are not the same as trademark rights and provide no IP protection.

When you set up in a UAE free zone, always register your brand separately through the Ministry of Economy.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Filing without searching: The most common and expensive mistake. If your mark is refused because of an existing registration, you lose the filing fee and potentially the time. Always search first.

Filing in too few classes: Many businesses register in one class and later find a competitor using their brand in another. Think through all the goods and services associated with your business before filing.

Filing in too many classes: Equally common. Unnecessary class registrations add cost and can create maintenance obligations. Focus on your core business activities.

Missing the renewal date: The Ministry of Economy does not send reminders. Set a calendar alert 12 months before your 10-year expiry.

Using a trade name as a substitute for a trademark: Your trade licence approves a business name but grants no trademark rights. A registered company name is not a registered trademark. The two systems are separate.

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Enforcement

If someone infringes your registered trademark in the UAE, your options include:

• Civil action - file a case in the UAE courts for damages and an injunction
• Criminal complaint - UAE trademark law provides for criminal penalties including fines and imprisonment for deliberate infringement
• Customs seizure - register your trademark with UAE Customs to enable border seizures of counterfeit goods
• Cease and desist letters - a lower-cost first step that often resolves matters without litigation

Enforcement is most effective when you have a registered mark. Without registration, your position is significantly weaker.

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Summary: Key Numbers

Step	Cost	Timeline
Search	Free (official portal)	Same day
Application fee (per class)	AED 750	Day 1
Publication fee	AED 250	Day 1
Examination	Included	2-4 months
Registration certificate	AED 1,000	On approval
Total per class (government fees)	~AED 2,000	6-12 months
Agent fees (optional but recommended)	AED 2,000-5,000	-

Once registered, your trademark is valid for 10 years, renewable indefinitely.

For businesses setting up in the UAE, trademark registration is a step that comes alongside or shortly after company formation. If you are still in the process of registering your company, put trademark registration on your list for the first 30 days. The sooner you file, the sooner your filing date is locked in.