# Trademark registration in Curaçao > Trademarks in Curaçao are registered with the Bureau for Intellectual Property of Curaçao (BIE). A registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed. Curaçao can be designated through the Madrid System. Source page: https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/curacao Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-11 ## Key facts - **Trademark office:** Bureau for Intellectual Property of Curaçao (Bureau voor de Intellectuele Eigendom) (BIE) - **Madrid Protocol:** Member since 2003 - **Opposition period:** No pre-registration opposition - **Protection:** 10 years from the filing date, renewable - **Multi-class applications:** Allowed - **Foreign applicants:** Applicants without a seat or domicile in Curaçao must elect domicile with an agent who has a seat or domicile there: a… ## Official links - Law: Merkenlandsverordening 1995 (Trademarks National Ordinance 1995), as applicable in Curaçao - Law: Merkenlandsverordening – consolidated text published by the Government of Curaçao ## Official fees (as of 2026-04) - Madrid individual fee: designation of Curaçao, up to three classes: CHF 250 — For international applications and subsequent designations received on or after 12 April 2026; paid to WIPO - Madrid individual fee: each additional class: CHF 26 — From 12 April 2026 - Madrid individual fee: renewal, up to three classes: CHF 250 — From 12 April 2026 - Madrid individual fee: renewal, each additional class: CHF 26 — From 12 April 2026 ## Steps 1. Optionally request a search from the Bureau for Intellectual Property, which offers a search service on request. 2. Applicants without a seat or domicile in Curaçao appoint a local agent (a local advocate or a person registered with the Bureau as a trademark agent) and sign a power of attorney. 3. File the application with the Bureau, listing the goods and services under the Nice Classification; one application may cover several classes. 4. The Bureau examines the mark on absolute grounds (whether it is a mark and is distinctive) and must notify any intended refusal, with reasons, within two months, giving the applicant a chance to respond. 5. There is no pre-registration opposition procedure; if the mark is not refused, it is registered with effect from the filing date. 6. The registration is listed in the Bureau's periodical publication, and is renewed every 10 years. - **Examination:** The Bureau examines absolute grounds only (Article 11 of the Merkenlandsverordening 1995) and must give written notice of an intended refusal within two months; refusals can be appealed within six weeks to the Joint Court of Justice. - **Publication:** The Bureau's periodical listing registrations and renewals (Article 29) - **Opposition:** No pre-registration opposition; third parties challenge registrations through invalidity actions in court - **Late renewal:** 6 months after expiry, with an additional fee (Article 20(4)) - **Use requirement:** a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use. ## Good to know - Curaçao has its own intellectual property office, so a Benelux trademark registration does not cover Curaçao. - The Madrid Protocol was extended to the Netherlands Antilles from 28 April 2003 and has continued to apply to Curaçao since the Antilles were dissolved on 10 October 2010, so Curaçao can be designated in an international registration. - There is no opposition stage: the Bureau examines only absolute grounds, and owners of earlier rights must bring invalidity proceedings in court. - The registration runs for 10 years from the filing date, which the law treats as the registration date, and can be renewed within six months after expiry with an extra fee. - Sint Maarten and Aruba have their own intellectual property bureaus, and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are covered by a separate office. ## FAQ ### Is Curaçao part of the Madrid Protocol? Yes. The Protocol has applied to Curaçao since it was extended to the Netherlands Antilles on 28 April 2003, and it continued to apply after 10 October 2010. Curaçao must be designated separately, because a Benelux designation does not cover it. ### Does a Benelux trademark cover Curaçao? No. Curaçao has its own Bureau for Intellectual Property, so protection requires a filing with that Bureau or a Madrid designation of Curaçao. ### Is there a trademark opposition period in Curaçao? No. Curaçao has no pre-registration opposition procedure. The Bureau examines only absolute grounds, and third parties must challenge a registration through invalidity proceedings in court. ### How long does a trademark registration last in Curaçao? Ten years from the filing date, renewable for further 10-year periods. Late renewal is possible within six months after expiry with an additional fee. ### Do foreign applicants need a local agent in Curaçao? Yes. Applicants without a seat or domicile in Curaçao must act through a local advocate or a trademark agent registered with the Bureau. ### How much does it cost to designate Curaçao in a Madrid application? From 12 April 2026 the Madrid individual fee for Curaçao is 250 Swiss francs for up to three classes plus 26 Swiss francs for each additional class. ## Sources - WIPO Lex – Madrid Protocol remarks for the Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao, Sint Maarten): https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/parties/remarks/NL/8 - WIPO Madrid Information Notice No. 10/2026 – individual fee for Curaçao: https://www.wipo.int/documents/d/madrid-system/information-notices-en-2026-madrid_2026_10_e.pdf - WIPO – Directory of Intellectual Property Offices: https://www.wipo.int/directory/en/urls.jsp Need a firm that files in Curaçao? Find one at https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/curacao (TrademarksHub lists IP firms by country; featured placements are paid and labelled). General information, not legal advice.