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Country guide · Updated October 2026

Trademark registration in El Salvador

Who registers trademarks in El Salvador, what it costs, how long it takes and what foreign owners need — with links to the official sources and IP firms that can file for you.

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Quick answer

Trademarks in El Salvador are registered with the Instituto Salvadoreño de la Propiedad Intelectual, Centro Nacional de Registros (ISPI). El Salvador is not in the Madrid System, so a national filing is needed.

Checked against official sources on 11 October 2026 · see sources

Office
ISPI
Madrid Protocol
Not a member

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Official fees in El Salvador

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

How to register a trademark in El Salvador

  1. Search the intellectual property records for earlier conflicting marks.
  2. File the application with the Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI) of the Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR); the CNR describes the trademark process as fully digital.
  3. The ISPI examines the application under the Ley de Propiedad Intelectual of 2024.
  4. If the application is accepted, it is published in the ISPI's electronic Intellectual Property Bulletin instead of the Diario Oficial and newspapers, so that third parties can oppose it.
  5. If there is no successful opposition, the registration is granted; it must be renewed every 10 years.

Examination, publication and opposition

  • Publication: Electronic Intellectual Property Bulletin of the ISPI/CNR (replacing publication in the Diario Oficial and national newspapers under the former law)

Filing from abroad

  • Language: Spanish

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

Madrid Protocol

El Salvador is not a member of the Madrid System, so an international registration cannot cover it. You need a national filing, usually through a local agent.

Trademark classes

Goods and services are grouped into the 45 Nice classes. Not sure which classes you need? See all 45 classes or classes by business type.

Good to know in El Salvador

  • A new Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (Decree No. 66, published 15 August 2024) took effect six months after publication and repealed the former Ley de Marcas y Otros Signos Distintivos (Decree No. 868), so older guidance on Salvadoran trademark procedure may be out of date.
  • Under the new law, trademark applications are handled by the Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI), a body of the CNR that took over the functions of the former Intellectual Property Registry.
  • Applications are no longer published in the Diario Oficial and two national newspapers; they are published in the CNR's electronic bulletin.
  • Trade names and advertising signs, previously protected indefinitely, now also have to be renewed every 10 years.
  • El Salvador is not a member of the Madrid System, so protection requires a national application.

Questions

Is El Salvador part of the Madrid Protocol?
No. El Salvador is not a Madrid System member, so trademarks must be filed nationally with the Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI) of the CNR.
Which office registers trademarks in El Salvador?
The Salvadoran Institute of Intellectual Property (ISPI), part of the Centro Nacional de Registros (CNR), which took over from the former Intellectual Property Registry under the 2024 law.
Which law governs trademarks in El Salvador?
The Ley de Propiedad Intelectual (Decree No. 66), published on 15 August 2024 and in force six months later, which replaced the former Ley de Marcas y Otros Signos Distintivos.
Do trademark applications in El Salvador still have to be published in newspapers?
No. Under the 2024 law, applications are published in the CNR's electronic Intellectual Property Bulletin instead of the Diario Oficial and national newspapers.
Do trade names have to be renewed in El Salvador?
Yes. Under the 2024 law, trade names and advertising signs must be renewed every 10 years; they were previously protected indefinitely.