# Trademark registration in ARIPO (Eastern & Southern Africa) > Trademarks in ARIPO (Eastern & Southern Africa) are registered with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO); the official application fee is USD 160, and third parties can oppose within 3 months from publication in the ARIPO Journal. A registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed. ARIPO (Eastern & Southern Africa) is not in the Madrid System, so a national filing is needed. Source page: https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/aripo-eastern-and-southern-africa Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-11 ## Key facts - **Trademark office:** African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (Harare, Zimbabwe) (ARIPO) - **Official fee:** USD 160 — Application fee, electronic filing - **Madrid Protocol:** Not a member - **Opposition period:** 3 months from publication in the ARIPO Journal - **Protection:** 10 years from the filing date, renewable - **Multi-class applications:** Allowed - **Foreign applicants:** An applicant who does not reside or have a principal place of business in a Banjul Protocol contracting state must appo… ## Official links - Trademark office: https://www.aripo.org/ - Official trademark search: https://eservice.aripo.org/pdl/pah/advancedSearchScreen.do - Law: Banjul Protocol on Marks and its Implementing Regulations (2026 Edition) — https://www.aripo.org/storage/media/1772435249_Banjul%20Protocol%20on%20Marks%20(2026%20Edition)%20(2).pdf ## Official fees (as of 2026-03) - Application fee, electronic filing: USD 160 — Once per application - Application fee, paper filing: USD 200 — Once per application - Designation fee, first class (per designated state): USD 50 - Designation fee, each additional class (per designated state): USD 20 - Extra word fee (per class, for each word after the 50th in the goods list): USD 10 - Registration fee, first class (per designated state): USD 150 - Registration fee, each additional class (per designated state): USD 50 - Renewal, first class (per designated state): USD 200 - Renewal, each additional class (per designated state): USD 100 — Late renewal surcharge of 20% - Transmittal fee for a notice of opposition: USD 100 ## Steps 1. Applicants not resident in a Banjul Protocol state appoint a representative residing in a contracting state, with a power of attorney signed by the applicant. 2. File Form M1 with ARIPO (online, in person, by post or courier) or through the office of a contracting state, choosing the designated states and Nice classes and declaring actual or intended use. 3. ARIPO checks formalities and notifies each designated state, which has 6 months to communicate its substantive examination result. 4. Each designated state accepts, accepts conditionally or refuses; a state that does not respond in time is treated as having accepted. 5. The accepted application is published in the ARIPO Journal and third parties may oppose within 3 months of publication. 6. If there is no successful opposition, the registration fee is paid and the mark is registered with effect in each accepting designated state. - **Examination:** ARIPO checks formalities; substantive examination is done by each designated state's national office, which must communicate its result within 6 months of ARIPO's notification (reduced from 9 months by the 2026 edition of the Protocol). A state that does not respond in time is deemed to have accepted. - **Publication:** ARIPO Journal - **Opposition:** 3 months from publication in the ARIPO Journal; no extension is available - **Late renewal:** 6 months after expiry with a surcharge (20% of the renewal fee) - **Power of attorney:** A power of attorney issued and signed by the applicant must be filed within 2 months of filing; if it is still missing one month after an invitation from ARIPO, the application is deemed withdrawn. One power of attorney may cover several applications. No notarisation or legalisation requirement is stated. - **Language:** English is the language of proceedings; translations of documents into English are due within 2 months, and marks with non-English words need a translation ## Good to know - The Banjul Protocol on Marks currently has 13 contracting states: Botswana, Cabo Verde, Eswatini, The Gambia, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Other ARIPO members, such as Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Rwanda, are not party to the Banjul Protocol for marks and need national filings. - An ARIPO registration is a bundle of national rights: it has the same effect in each designated state as a national registration there, and questions such as revocation for non-use are governed by each state's national law. - ARIPO itself is not a member of the Madrid System, so an ARIPO application cannot be designated through Madrid; Madrid designations must name the individual countries. - A revised 2026 edition of the Banjul Protocol and new fees took effect on 1 March 2026; it shortened the national examination period to 6 months and recognises exhibition priority and online filing for all applications. - Online filing reduces the application fee by 20% (USD 160 instead of USD 200). ## FAQ ### Which countries does an ARIPO trademark cover? An ARIPO application under the Banjul Protocol can designate any of 13 states: Botswana, Cabo Verde, Eswatini, The Gambia, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. ### How much does an ARIPO trademark application cost? Official ARIPO fees are USD 160 to file online (USD 200 on paper), plus a designation fee of USD 50 per state for the first class and USD 20 per additional class, and later a registration fee of USD 150 per state for the first class and USD 50 per additional class. ### How long is the opposition period for an ARIPO trademark? Three months from publication in the ARIPO Journal, with no extension available. ### Is ARIPO part of the Madrid Protocol? No. ARIPO is not a Madrid contracting party, so protection through Madrid must designate the individual countries instead. ### How long does an ARIPO trademark registration last? Ten years from the filing date, renewable for further 10-year periods, with a 6-month grace period for late renewal on payment of a 20% surcharge. ### Do I need a local agent for an ARIPO trademark? Yes, if you do not reside or have your principal place of business in a Banjul Protocol state. You must appoint a representative residing in a contracting state and file a signed power of attorney within 2 months. ## Sources - ARIPO – Trademarks service page: https://www.aripo.org/ip-services/trademarks - ARIPO – Banjul Protocol on Marks (2026 Edition): https://www.aripo.org/storage/media/1772435249_Banjul%20Protocol%20on%20Marks%20(2026%20Edition)%20(2).pdf - ARIPO – Banjul Protocol fee schedule: https://www.aripo.org/storage/resources-fee-schedules/1772450419_Banjul%20Protocol%20Fees.pdf - ARIPO IP Digital Library – advanced search: https://eservice.aripo.org/pdl/pah/advancedSearchScreen.do - Africa IP SME Helpdesk – ARIPO launches 2026 edition of Banjul Protocol: https://intellectual-property-helpdesk.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/aripo-launches-2026-edition-banjul-protocol-trademarks-2026-03-01_en - WIPO Lex – Madrid Protocol contracting parties: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/parties/8 Need a firm that files in ARIPO (Eastern & Southern Africa)? Find one at https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/aripo-eastern-and-southern-africa (TrademarksHub lists IP firms by country; featured placements are paid and labelled). General information, not legal advice.