Trademark registration in Iceland

The trademark office and official links

Trademarks in Iceland are registered by the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office (Hugverkastofan) (ISIPO).

• Trademark office: Icelandic Intellectual Property Office (Hugverkastofan) (ISIPO)
• Online filing: official e-filing portal
• Trademark search: official trademark database
• Law: Trade Marks Act No. 45/1997, as amended
• Law: Regulation No. 850/2020 on the Registration of Trade Marks, etc.
• Law: Regulation No. 1279/2024 on fees for patents, trademarks, designs etc.

Official fees in Iceland

Official office fees only (schedule as of 2025-02). Official fee schedule. Professional fees of a local firm are extra — compare fixed-fee packages.

How to register a trademark in Iceland

1. Check that the mark is distinctive and not descriptive, and search ISIPO's trademark database for identical or similar marks.
2. File the application with ISIPO (online filing requires an Icelandic electronic certificate) and pay the application fee.
3. ISIPO examines the application, including whether the mark is confusingly similar to earlier registered marks or company names; this generally takes about 8–10 weeks after the fees are paid.
4. If everything is in order, the mark is registered and published in the Intellectual Property Gazette (Hugverkatíðindi), issued on the 15th of each month.
5. Third parties may file an opposition within two months of the publication date.
6. Renew the registration every 10 years from the application date; renewal can be requested up to six months before expiry.

Examination, publication and opposition

• Examination: ISIPO examines applications for distinctiveness and descriptiveness and rejects marks it considers confusingly similar to earlier registered marks or company names. Registration generally takes about 8–10 weeks after the fees are paid.
• Publication: Intellectual Property Gazette (Hugverkatíðindi), published on ISIPO's website on the 15th of each month
• Opposition period: 2 months from the publication date of the registration (post-registration opposition)
• Typical timeline: About 8–10 weeks from payment of fees to registration, if there are no objections (ISIPO)

Protection, renewal and use

• Term: 10 years from the filing date, renewable.
• Late renewal: 6 months after expiry; late renewal is also possible with a resumption fee within two months after the end of that six-month period
• Use requirement: a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use.
• Rights system: first to file.

Filing from abroad

• Local agent: Regulation No. 850/2020 requires an applicant not domiciled in Iceland to give details of a representative; the detailed appointment rules are in Article 35 of the Trade Marks Act.
• Power of attorney: A power of attorney must at least meet the requirements of Article 35 of the Trade Marks Act; ISIPO may request a separate power of attorney document, e.g. where authority is in doubt or for a transfer of title.
• Language: Icelandic; the list of goods and services may be filed in English, but the Office can require a translation

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

Madrid Protocol

Iceland is a member of the Madrid System (in force since 1997). 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). One application can cover several classes. Not sure which classes you need? See all 45 classes or classes by business type.

How Iceland compares

• Opposition: 2 months from the publication date of the registration (post-registration opposition) — compare all countries
• Renewal: every 10 years; grace period 6 months after expiry; late renewal is also possible with a resumption fee within two months after the end of that six-month period — compare all countries
• Foreign owners: required — rules in every country
• Official search: www.hugverk.is — all search databases

Guides: registering in any country · costs by country · Madrid

Good to know in Iceland

• Iceland uses a post-registration opposition system: the mark is registered and published first, and oppositions can be filed within two months of publication.
• ISIPO examines relative grounds ex officio and will reject marks it finds confusingly similar to earlier registered trademarks or company names.
• For applications filed on or after 1 September 2020, the 10-year term runs from the application date; for older applications it ran from the registration date.
• Iceland is in the EEA but not the EU, so EU trade marks do not cover Iceland; a national filing or a Madrid designation is needed.
• The renewal fee equals the application fee (ISK 40,600 including one class).

Questions