Trademark registration in Nepal

The trademark office and official links

Trademarks in Nepal are registered by the Department of Industry – Industrial Property Section (DOI).

• Trademark office: Department of Industry – Industrial Property Section (DOI)
• Law: Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act, 2022 (1965), as amended up to 25 February 2016

Official fees in Nepal

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

How to register a trademark in Nepal

1. Prepare the application form with four specimens of the mark (each no larger than 8 x 8 cm) showing the business name, address and goods or services.
2. Foreign applicants add a certified copy of their home-country registration certificate, any priority proof, a power of attorney and a correspondence address in Nepal.
3. File one application per class with the Department of Industry and pay the application fee.
4. The Department examines the application and publishes the particulars in the Industrial Property Bulletin.
5. Third parties may object within 35 days of publication.
6. If there is no successful objection, the mark is registered for 7 years.

Examination, publication and opposition

• Examination: The Department of Industry examines applications; no official timeframe was found.
• Publication: Industrial Property Bulletin of the Department of Industry
• Opposition period: 35 days from publication

Protection, renewal and use

• Term: 7 years, renewable.
• Late renewal: Renewal is due within 35 days after expiry; late renewal is possible within a further 6 months with a fine, after which the registration is automatically cancelled.
• Use requirement: a registration can be challenged after 1 years of non-use.

Filing from abroad

• Local agent: Foreign applicants must file a power of attorney and give a correspondence address in Nepal, together with a certified copy of their home-country registration certificate.
• Power of attorney: A power of attorney is required for foreign applicants and whenever a representative is appointed; notarisation/legalisation requirements were not verified.

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

Madrid Protocol

Nepal 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

Classes of goods and services are set by government notification; a separate application is required for each class. 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 Nepal compares

• Opposition: 35 days from publication — compare all countries
• Renewal: every 7 years; grace period Renewal is due within 35 days after expiry; late renewal is possible within a further 6 months with a fine, after which the registration is automatically cancelled. — compare all countries
• Foreign owners: required — rules in every country

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

Good to know in Nepal

• Registrations last 7 years (not 10) and are renewable for further 7-year periods.
• A registration can be cancelled if the mark is not used within one year of registration, a much shorter period than in most countries.
• Each class requires a separate application; multi-class filing is not available.
• Domestic applicants must show an industry or business registration certificate and VAT/PAN registration, and renewal requires proof that the business has been renewed and the mark is in use.
• Nepal is not a member of the Madrid Protocol; foreign owners file nationally and must submit a certified copy of their home registration.

Questions