# Trademark registration in Benelux (BOIP)

> Trademarks in Benelux (BOIP) are registered with the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP); third parties can oppose within 2 months from publication of the application. A registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed. Benelux (BOIP) can be designated through the Madrid System.

Source page: https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/benelux-boip
Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-11

## Key facts
- **Trademark office:** Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP)
- **Madrid Protocol:** Member since 1998
- **Opposition period:** 2 months from publication of the application
- **Protection:** 10 years from the filing date, renewable
- **Multi-class applications:** Allowed
- **Foreign applicants:** Anyone may apply, but an applicant or party without a correspondence address in the European Economic Area must appoint…

## Official links
- Trademark office: https://www.boip.int/en
- Online filing: https://boip.int/en/node/39
- Official trademark search: https://www.tmdn.org/tmview/#/tmview
- Law: Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property (Trademarks and Designs) of 25 February 2005 (BCIP), consolidated text as amended to 1 March 2019 — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/20174

## Steps
1. Search the register (for example via TMview) for earlier identical or similar marks in the Benelux.
2. File a single application with BOIP covering Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, listing goods and services by Nice class and paying the filing fee.
3. BOIP examines formalities, classification and absolute grounds for refusal; if it raises an objection, the applicant initially has one month to respond, extendable up to six months.
4. The application is published, and third parties may file an opposition within two months of publication.
5. If there is no opposition or objection, the mark is registered; an applicant can instead request accelerated registration for an extra fee.
6. Renew the registration every 10 years from the filing date.

- **Examination:** BOIP examines absolute grounds for refusal ex officio; earlier rights are considered only in opposition proceedings. A 2022 practitioner source states that applications without objections proceed to registration in about four months.
- **Publication:** Applications and registrations are published online by BOIP.
- **Opposition:** 2 months from publication of the application (not extendable)
- **Timeline:** About 4 months from filing to registration if there are no objections or oppositions (practitioner source, 2022).
- **Late renewal:** 6 months after expiry, with an additional fee
- **Power of attorney:** A power of attorney is generally not required for filing; BOIP may request one (for example for withdrawal or limitation of a mark), in which case a simple copy with a handwritten signature suffices.
- **Language:** Applications can be filed in Dutch, French or English; the language of the application affects the language of any opposition proceedings.
- **Use requirement:** a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use.

## Good to know
- A Benelux trademark is a single regional right covering Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg; national trademarks for these three countries cannot be obtained separately.
- Accelerated registration is available for an extra fee: the mark can be registered within days, but it remains open to opposition and the Office can still cancel the registration on absolute grounds.
- BOIP does not refuse marks on the basis of earlier rights; owners of earlier marks must oppose within two months of publication.
- Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg can be designated in a Madrid international registration only together, as the Benelux territory.
- Non-use for 5 years after registration exposes the mark to revocation; proof of use is not required for renewal.

## FAQ
### Which countries does a Benelux trademark cover?
A Benelux trademark covers Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg with a single registration filed at the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP).

### How long does it take to register a trademark in the Benelux?
If there are no objections or oppositions, an application generally proceeds to registration in about four months. Accelerated registration is available for an extra fee.

### How long is the opposition period in the Benelux?
Oppositions must be filed within two months of publication of the application, and this period cannot be extended.

### Do foreign applicants need a representative in the Benelux?
Anyone may apply, but an applicant without a correspondence address in the European Economic Area must appoint a representative or give a correspondence address in the EEA.

### How long does a Benelux trademark last?
Registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed for further 10-year periods, with a 6-month grace period after expiry subject to an additional fee.

### Is the Benelux part of the Madrid Protocol?
Yes. Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have been Madrid Protocol members since 1 April 1998 and are designated together as the Benelux.

## Sources
- BOIP - Register a Benelux trademark: https://boip.int/en/node/39
- WIPO Lex - Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property (consolidated 2019): https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/20174
- WIPO - Madrid Protocol contracting parties: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/ShowResults?search_what=C&treaty_id=8
- TMview: https://www.tmdn.org/tmview/#/tmview
- EUIPO knowledge resource - Benelux procedural practice comparison: https://euipo.europa.eu/knowledge/mod/resource/view.php?id=116941

Need a firm that files in Benelux (BOIP)? Find one at https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/benelux-boip (TrademarksHub lists IP firms by country; featured placements are paid and labelled).
General information, not legal advice.