# Trademark registration in Costa Rica

> Trademarks in Costa Rica are registered with the Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual (Industrial Property Registry), Registro Nacional; the official trademark application fee is USD 50 per class, and third parties can oppose within 2 months from the first publication of the edict in La Gaceta. A registration lasts 10 years from the registration date and can be renewed. Costa Rica is not in the Madrid System, so a national filing is needed.

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

## Key facts
- **Trademark office:** Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual (Industrial Property Registry), Registro Nacional
- **Official fee:** USD 50 — Trademark application (per class)
- **Madrid Protocol:** Not a member
- **Opposition period:** 2 months from the first publication of the edict in La Gaceta
- **Protection:** 10 years from the registration date, renewable
- **Foreign applicants:** An applicant or owner domiciled or seated outside Costa Rica must be represented by an agent domiciled in Costa Rica

## Official links
- Trademark office: https://www.registronacional.go.cr/
- Law: Law No. 7978 on Trademarks and Other Distinctive Signs (as amended up to Law No. 8632 of 28 March 2008) — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/9130
- Law: Executive Decree No. 30233-J, Regulations to the Trademark and Other Distinctive Signs Law (as amended up to Executive Decree No. 44650 of 5 September 2024) — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/23322

## Official fees
- Trademark application (per class): USD 50
- Renewal: USD 50
- Late renewal surcharge (6-month grace period): USD 25
- Opposition: USD 25
- Division of an application: USD 50

## Steps
1. File a national application with the Industrial Property Registry of the Registro Nacional, listing goods and services grouped by Nice class; Costa Rica cannot be designated through the Madrid System.
2. Applicants domiciled abroad file through a representative domiciled in Costa Rica, under an authenticated power of attorney.
3. The Registry examines the application under Law No. 7978 and its Regulations.
4. The applicant publishes a notice of the application three times in La Gaceta, at its own cost, within 15 days of being notified.
5. Third parties may oppose within two months of the first publication of the notice.
6. The Registry decides any oppositions together and grants or refuses registration; decisions can be appealed to the Tribunal Registral Administrativo.

- **Publication:** Notice of the application published three times in La Gaceta (official gazette), at the applicant's cost (Law No. 7978, art. 15)
- **Opposition:** 2 months from the first publication of the edict in La Gaceta
- **Late renewal:** Renewal is filed within the year before expiry; a 6-month grace period after expiry is available with a USD 25 surcharge (Law No. 7978, arts. 21 and 94)
- **Power of attorney:** Authenticated power of attorney as a minimum formality; a power granted abroad may follow the law of the place where it is granted but must be authenticated (Law No. 7978, art. 82 bis).
- **Language:** Spanish
- **Use requirement:** a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use.

## Good to know
- Costa Rica is not a party to the Madrid Protocol, so protection must be sought by a national application with the Registro Nacional.
- Registration is optional, but a good-faith user of a mark for more than three months has a preferential right to register it over a later applicant (Law No. 7978, art. 4).
- The application notice must be published three times in La Gaceta at the applicant's expense, and the two-month opposition period runs from the first publication.
- Official fees are set in US dollars in the law and may be paid in colones at the official exchange rate.
- Appeals against Registry decisions go to the Tribunal Registral Administrativo, an administrative tribunal specialised in registry matters.

## FAQ
### Is Costa Rica part of the Madrid Protocol?
No. Costa Rica is not a Madrid Protocol contracting party, so trademarks must be filed nationally with the Industrial Property Registry of the Registro Nacional.

### How much does it cost to register a trademark in Costa Rica?
Law No. 7978 sets an official fee of USD 50 per class for an application and USD 50 for renewal; publication costs in La Gaceta and agent fees are extra.

### How long is the trademark opposition period in Costa Rica?
Two months from the first publication of the application notice in La Gaceta; the opposition fee is USD 25.

### How long does a trademark registration last in Costa Rica?
Ten years from the date of grant, renewable for further 10-year periods; renewal can also be filed within a 6-month grace period after expiry with a surcharge.

### Do foreign companies need a local agent to register a trademark in Costa Rica?
Yes. Applicants domiciled abroad must be represented by an agent domiciled in Costa Rica, under an authenticated power of attorney.

### Can a Costa Rican trademark be cancelled for non-use?
Yes. A registration can be cancelled if the mark has not been used in Costa Rica during the five years before the cancellation action.

## Sources
- Registro Nacional – home page: https://www.registronacional.go.cr/
- WIPO Lex – Costa Rica profile: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/members/profile/CR
- WIPO Lex – Law No. 7978 on Trademarks and Other Distinctive Signs: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/9130
- WIPO Lex – Regulations to the Trademark Law (Decree No. 30233-J): https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/23322
- WIPO Lex – Tribunal Registral Administrativo decision 0068-2024: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/es/text/600361
- WIPO Lex – Madrid Protocol contracting parties: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/ShowResults?search_what=C&treaty_id=8

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