Trademark registration in Afghanistan

The trademark office and official links

Trademarks in Afghanistan are registered by the Afghanistan Central Business Registry & Intellectual Property, Ministry of Commerce and Industries (ACBR-IP).

• Trademark office: Afghanistan Central Business Registry & Intellectual Property, Ministry of Commerce and Industries (ACBR-IP)
• Law: Trademark Registration Law (2009)

Official fees in Afghanistan

The office does not publish an up-to-date fee schedule we could verify. Ask firms that cover Afghanistan for a quote that shows official and professional fees separately — post a request or compare packages.

How to register a trademark in Afghanistan

1. Search existing registrations at the trademarks registration section before filing.
2. File the application, personally or through a legal representative, with the Central Registration Office (Trademarks Registration Section), describing the goods or services.
3. Foreign applicants from reciprocal states may claim priority if they file within six months of their earlier application.
4. The office examines and registers the mark; the owner must then publish the registered mark in the Official Gazette and other media within 15 days, at their own expense.
5. Objections may be filed within 30 days of publication; unresolved disputes go to the commercial court.

Examination, publication and opposition

• Publication: Official Gazette and other media, arranged by the owner within 15 days of registration
• Opposition period: 30 days from publication in the Official Gazette

Protection, renewal and use

• Term: 10 years, renewable.
• Late renewal: Renewal is filed within 6 months before expiry; the right ends if not renewed within 6 months after expiry
• Use requirement: a registration can be challenged after 3 years of non-use.
• Rights system: mixed.

Filing from abroad

• Local agent: The 2009 law does not require a local agent; applicants may file personally or through legal representatives.

Firms on TrademarksHub that cover Afghanistan can act as your local agent — see firms.

Madrid Protocol

Afghanistan is a member of the Madrid System (in force since 2018). You can designate it in an international application filed through your home office, or file a national application directly. A local firm can advise which route is cheaper for your classes and timeline.

Trademark classes

Goods and services are grouped into the 45 Nice classes. Each application covers one class, so file one application per class. Not sure which classes you need? See all 45 classes or classes by business type.

How Afghanistan compares

• Opposition: 30 days from publication in the Official Gazette — compare all countries
• Renewal: every 10 years; grace period Renewal is filed within 6 months before expiry; the right ends if not renewed within 6 months after expiry — compare all countries
• Foreign owners: not required — rules in every country

Guides: registering in any country · costs by country · Madrid

Good to know in Afghanistan

• Under the 2009 law, ownership of a mark belongs to the person who first used it, unless a court decides otherwise, while protection runs from the application date.
• The owner is responsible for publishing the registered mark in the Official Gazette and other media within 15 days of registration.
• According to an ACBR-IP presentation at a WIPO meeting, multi-class applications were accepted until September 2017; since then each application (and renewal) covers a single class.
• The commercial court may terminate a registration if the mark is proven unused for three consecutive years without justification.
• Afghanistan joined the Paris Convention and the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks (both in force 14 May 2017) and the Madrid Protocol (26 June 2018).

Questions