Trademark registration in the United Kingdom (UKIPO)
The UK is one of the quickest offices to deal with: a clean application can be granted in three to four months. It needs its own filing, because an EU trade mark stopped covering the UK with Brexit.
How UK trade mark registration works
Trademark registration in the United Kingdom is done with the Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). An online application costs £205 for one class and £60 for each additional class, at the fees that apply from April 2026. The UKIPO sends an examination report within two to three weeks, publishes the accepted application for a two-month opposition period, and registers the mark about ten weeks after publication if nobody opposes. Without issues, the whole process usually takes three to four months. Protection covers the UK and the Isle of Man for 10 years and can be renewed.
A non-UK company needs an address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands; the Isle of Man is also accepted. In practice this is the address of a UK trade mark attorney, who then handles all correspondence. An application without a valid address for service can be treated as withdrawn.
How the UKIPO treats earlier marks
The UKIPO searches for earlier identical or similar marks and writes to their owners as well as to you. It does not refuse the application for that reason alone; the earlier owner decides whether to oppose. A notice from the office is therefore a warning that a dispute may follow, and the time to resolve it is before publication ends.
The page is general information, not advice on your mark. For clients, a UK-qualified attorney files in the brand owner’s company name. Product rules for selling there are on our UK market page; the EU route is in the EU guide, and all countries in the comparison table.
UKIPO registration at a glance
Checked on GOV.UK on 3 November 2026. The UKIPO raised its fees in April 2026.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Office | Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) |
| Who can file / local address | Any person or company; an address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands (or the Isle of Man) is required |
| Application | Online form e-TM3, or paper form TM3; series applications cover up to six versions of a mark |
| Classes | Nice classes, with specific terms chosen in each class; terms cannot be added after filing |
| Official fees | Online £205 for one class plus £60 per additional class; paper £250 plus £60. Right Start: £125 plus £30 per extra class, and the same again to continue. Expedited examination £370 |
| Examination | Report within two to three weeks; two months to resolve objections. Owners of earlier similar marks are notified |
| Publication and opposition | Two months in the Trade Marks Journal |
| Typical timing | About three to four months from filing if there are no issues; registration about ten weeks after publication if unopposed |
| Validity and renewal | 10 years. Renewal £245 plus £60 per additional class; late renewal within six months after expiry adds £60; restoration £125 |
| Use requirement | A mark not used for five years after registration, or for any uninterrupted five-year period, can be revoked for non-use |
General information, not legal advice. Confirm fees on GOV.UK before filing.
UK filing step by step
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1
Search the UK register
Include marks that originated as EU trade marks: on 1 January 2021 the UKIPO created a comparable UK mark for every registered EUTM, so the UK register holds many of them.
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2
Pick classes and terms
Choose only terms relevant to your plans for the next five years. More terms mean more chance of a conflict.
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3
Decide on Right Start
Useful for a borderline name; it costs the same as a standard filing in total but lets you stop after the report.
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4
File with the UK address for service
The application is published on GOV.UK as soon as it is filed, so secure domains and handles first.
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5
Examination report
Answer objections within two months.
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6
Opposition period and grant
Two months of publication, then the certificate.
What to prepare
- Legal name and address of the owning company
- The mark: word, logo, slogan, or up to six variants for a series
- List of classes and specific terms
- UK, Gibraltar or Channel Islands address for service, usually the attorney’s
- Priority claim details if you filed elsewhere in the last six months
- Domain names and social handles registered before filing
Common UK mistakes
Relying on an EU mark
A new EU trade mark gives no protection in the UK. Budget a separate filing.
No UK address for service
An application without one can be treated as withdrawn.
Terms you will not use
GOV.UK warns that unused terms invite challenges and legal costs.
Name visible before you are ready
Applications appear online at once. Others can see the brand before launch.
Missing the renewal window
Late renewal costs more, and after six months only restoration remains.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register a trade mark in the UK?
From April 2026 an online UKIPO application costs £205 for one class and £60 for each additional class. A paper application costs £250 for one class. Attorney fees are separate.
How long does UK trade mark registration take?
About three to four months if there are no objections or oppositions, according to GOV.UK. The examination report arrives in two to three weeks and the opposition period lasts two months.
Does my EU trademark protect my brand in the UK?
No. A UK filing is needed, either directly with the UKIPO or by designating the UK through the Madrid System.
Can a foreign company register a UK trade mark?
Yes. It needs an address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man, which is usually the address of a UK attorney.
What is a Right Start application?
A two-stage UKIPO option: you pay £125 plus £30 per extra class to get the examination report, then the same again to continue if the mark meets the rules.
Have a product idea? Check it before you buy stock.
Send a short brief. We tell you what we think, including when we think you should not do it.
Tell us about your brand
A few lines are enough: what you want to sell, where and to whom. We reply with an honest view of feasibility, the stages you need and the next step.
- No obligation: the first review of your idea is free
- If we think the idea will not pay back, we say so
- Your idea stays confidential; we can sign an NDA
What happens next
- 1We review your briefand may ask a few questions
- 2A short callabout goals, budget and limits
- 3Written proposalstages, scope, fees and timing
- 4First stage startswith a decision gate at its end
- usually 300–1 000 units per product in a first order
- usually 6–12 months from brief to first sales
- EU company, contract under Polish law