# Trademark registration in Liechtenstein > Trademarks in Liechtenstein are registered with the Office of Economic Affairs, Bureau of Intellectual Property (AVW); the official filing fee is CHF 400 for up to 3 classes, and third parties can oppose within 3 months from publication of the registration. A registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed. Liechtenstein can be designated through the Madrid System. Source page: https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/liechtenstein Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-11 ## Key facts - **Trademark office:** Office of Economic Affairs (Amt für Volkswirtschaft), Bureau of Intellectual Property (AVW) - **Official fee:** CHF 400 — Filing fee (includes up to 3 classes) - **Madrid Protocol:** Member since 1998 - **Opposition period:** 3 months from publication of the registration - **Protection:** 10 years from the filing date, renewable - **Multi-class applications:** Allowed - **Foreign applicants:** Persons without a domicile, seat or establishment in Liechtenstein, the EEA or Switzerland can take part in proceedings… ## Official links - Law: Law of 12 December 1996 on the Protection of Trademarks and Indications of Source (Markenschutzgesetz, LGBl. 1997 No. 60, LR 232.11) — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/22789 - Law: Trademark Protection Ordinance (Markenschutzverordnung) — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/10602 - Law: Regulation on the Collection of Fees under the Trademark Protection Act (2006) — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/10614 ## Official fees (as of 2013-04) - Filing fee (includes up to 3 classes): CHF 400 - Each class above three: CHF 50 — applies at filing and at renewal - Renewal fee (includes up to 3 classes): CHF 400 - Additional fee for late renewal (within 6 months after expiry): CHF 100 - Further-processing fee: CHF 100 ## Steps 1. Search the Online Trademark and Design Register for earlier identical or similar marks. 2. Complete the Office of Economic Affairs application form with the applicant's name and address, any representative, a representation of the mark and an exact list of goods or services. 3. Pay the official fees and file the application, with proof of payment, at the Office of Economic Affairs; the filing date is the day a complete application is received. 4. The Office examines the application for absolute and relative grounds for exclusion under the Trademark Protection Act. 5. If no ground for exclusion applies, the mark is entered in the Liechtenstein trademark register and the registration is published in the official gazette. 6. The owner or representative receives a confirmation of registration after publication. - **Examination:** The Office of Economic Affairs examines applications against the absolute and relative grounds for exclusion set out in the Trademark Protection Act; no official processing time is stated. - **Publication:** Registrations are published in the official gazette after entry in the register. - **Opposition:** 3 months from publication of the registration (secondary source; the Office lists an opposition procedure among its services) - **Late renewal:** 6 months after expiry, with an additional fee of CHF 100. Renewal can be requested no earlier than 12 months before expiry. - **Use requirement:** a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use. ## Good to know - Liechtenstein is in the European Economic Area but not the EU, so EU trade marks do not cover Liechtenstein; a national filing or a Madrid designation is needed. - Liechtenstein has been party to the Madrid Agreement since 14 July 1933 and to the Madrid Protocol since 17 March 1998. - The registration runs for 10 years from the filing date, not the registration date. - A registered mark that has not been used for an uninterrupted five years after registration can no longer be enforced unless there are important reasons for non-use. - Marks need not be represented graphically, but the representation must be clear, precise, durable and objective; sounds, colours and shapes can be registered. ## FAQ ### How much does it cost to register a trademark in Liechtenstein? The official filing fee is CHF 400, covering up to three classes, plus CHF 50 for each further class. Renewal costs the same. ### Is Liechtenstein part of the Madrid Protocol? Yes. The Madrid Protocol has been in force for Liechtenstein since 17 March 1998, and Liechtenstein has been party to the Madrid Agreement since 1933. ### Does an EU trademark cover Liechtenstein? No. Liechtenstein is in the EEA but not the EU, so protection requires a national filing or a Madrid designation of Liechtenstein. ### How long does a trademark registration last in Liechtenstein? Ten years from the filing date, renewable for further ten-year periods. Renewal can be filed up to 12 months before expiry, and within six months after expiry with an additional fee of CHF 100. ### Do foreign companies need a local representative in Liechtenstein? Applicants based outside Liechtenstein, the EEA and Switzerland must act through a representative in Liechtenstein; those based in the EEA or Switzerland only need a domestic agent for service. ## Sources - WIPO Lex – Liechtenstein Trademark Protection Act: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/22789 - WIPO Lex – Liechtenstein profile: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/members/profile/LI Need a firm that files in Liechtenstein? Find one at https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/liechtenstein (TrademarksHub lists IP firms by country; featured placements are paid and labelled). General information, not legal advice.