Trademark registration in GhanaQuick answer
Trademarks in Ghana are registered with the Registrar-General's Department (RGD); the official application fee is USD 240, and third parties can oppose within 2 months from publication. A registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed. Ghana can be designated through the Madrid System.
Checked against official sources on 11 October 2026 · see sources
- Office
- RGD
- Official fee
- USD 240
- Madrid Protocol
- Member since 2008
- Opposition
- 2 months from publication (extendable by the Re…
- Protection
- 10 years from filing date
- Multi-class filing
- One class per application
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The trademark office and official links
Trademarks in Ghana are registered by the Registrar-General's Department (Trade Marks Office / Industrial Property Office) (RGD).
Official fees in Ghana
| Official fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Official search (optional) | USD 135 |
| Application Ghana requires one class per application; payable in USD or the cedi equivalent | USD 240 |
| Registration certificate | USD 240 |
Official office fees only. Official fee schedule. Professional fees of a local firm are extra — compare fixed-fee packages.
How to register a trademark in Ghana
- Optionally request an official search to check for identical registered or pending marks.
- File Trade Mark Form No. 2 with four representations of the mark; applicants whose residence or principal place of business is outside Ghana must be represented by a legal practitioner resident and practising in Ghana.
- File a separate application for each Nice class.
- The Trade Marks Office examines the application for formal and substantive requirements under the Trade Marks Act, 2004.
- Accepted applications are published in the Industrial Property/Trade Marks Journal, and third parties may oppose within two months.
- If there is no opposition, the applicant requests the registration certificate, which is then issued.
Examination, publication and opposition
- Examination: The Trade Marks Office at the Registrar-General's Department examines formal and substantive requirements; no official examination time is stated.
- Publication: Industrial Property / Trade Marks Journal (Bulletin) published by the Registrar-General's Department
- Opposition period: 2 months from publication (extendable by the Registrar)
Protection, renewal and use
- Term: 10 years from the filing date, renewable.
- Late renewal: 6 months for late payment of the renewal fee, with a prescribed surcharge (section 11(2), Trade Marks Act 2004)
- Use requirement: a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use.
Filing from abroad
- Local agent: An applicant whose ordinary residence or principal place of business is outside Ghana must be represented by a legal practitioner resident and practising in Ghana (section 17, Trade Marks Act 2004).
- Language: English
Firms on TrademarksHub that cover Ghana can act as your local agent — see firms.
Madrid Protocol
Ghana is a member of the Madrid System (in force since 2008). You can designate it in an international application filed through your home office, or file a national application directly. A local firm can advise which route is cheaper for your classes and timeline.
Trademark classes
Nice Classification (45 classes). Each application covers one class, so file one application per class. Not sure which classes you need? See all 45 classes or classes by business type.
How Ghana compares
- Opposition: 2 months from publication (extendable by the Registrar) — compare all countries
- Renewal: every 10 years; grace period 6 months for late payment of the renewal fee, with a prescribed surcharge (section 11(2), Trade Marks Act 2004) — compare all countries
- Foreign owners: required — rules in every country
Guides: registering in any country · costs by country · Madrid
Good to know in Ghana
- Ghana does not accept multi-class applications; a separate application is needed for each class.
- Ghana is a member of ARIPO but not of the Banjul Protocol on Marks, so trademarks cannot be protected in Ghana through an ARIPO application; the routes are a national filing or a Madrid designation.
- The Registrar-General's Department quotes trademark fees in US dollars or the Ghana cedi equivalent.
- The Trademarks (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Act 876) added Madrid Protocol procedures (a new Third Schedule), a definition of well-known marks, stronger counterfeiting offences and a ten-year renewal period for marks registered under the earlier Act 270.
- A certified copy of a priority application is reportedly due within three months of filing in Ghana.