# Trademark registration in Venezuela

> Trademarks in Venezuela are registered with the Servicio Autónomo de la Propiedad Intelectual (SAPI); third parties can oppose within 30 working days from publication. A registration lasts 15 years from the registration date and can be renewed. Venezuela is not in the Madrid System, so a national filing is needed.

Source page: https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/venezuela
Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-11

## Key facts
- **Trademark office:** Servicio Autónomo de la Propiedad Intelectual (SAPI)
- **Madrid Protocol:** Not a member
- **Opposition period:** 30 working days from publication
- **Protection:** 15 years from the registration date, renewable
- **Multi-class applications:** No — one class per application
- **Foreign applicants:** Procedures must be handled by the applicant or by an authorised industrial property agent registered with SAPI

## Official links
- Trademark office: https://sapi.gob.ve/
- Online filing: http://webpi.sapi.gob.ve/index0.php
- Official trademark search: http://webpi.sapi.gob.ve/index0.php
- Law: Ley de Propiedad Industrial (Industrial Property Law) of 1955, published 1956 — https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/3985

## Steps
1. Run phonetic and graphic searches through SAPI's WEBPI system and pay the search fees.
2. Prepare Form FM-02 for one class, with the mark image (5 x 5 cm) and the list of goods or services.
3. File the application with SAPI, through an industrial property agent with an authenticated power of attorney where the applicant does not act directly.
4. After the formal review, the application is published, and third parties have 30 working days to oppose.
5. If unopposed, SAPI examines registrability and publishes the grant or refusal in the Boletín de la Propiedad Industrial.
6. Pay the registration fee within 30 working days of the Bulletin's publication to obtain the certificate.

- **Examination:** SAPI conducts a formal review (with 30 days to correct defects) and, after the opposition period, a substantive examination.
- **Publication:** Boletín de la Propiedad Industrial (SAPI); applications are first published in the press (SAPI digital press), and grants or refusals are also published in the Bulletin
- **Opposition:** 30 working days from publication
- **Timeline:** About 8 to 12 months if there are no delays (SAPI estimate)
- **Power of attorney:** An authenticated (notarised) power of attorney, translated by a sworn interpreter and legalised or apostilled; SAPI keeps the numbered original on file.
- **Language:** Spanish; foreign documents need translation by a sworn public interpreter and legalisation or apostille
- **Use requirement:** a registration can be challenged after 2 years of non-use.

## Good to know
- Registrations last 15 years, renewable for further 15-year periods, which is longer than the usual 10 years.
- Each application may cover only one class, so multi-class protection needs separate applications.
- The registration fee must be paid within 30 working days after the grant is published in the Bulletin, or the application lapses.
- SAPI requires phonetic search reports (and graphic search reports for figurative or mixed marks) to be attached to the application.
- Under the 1955 law, a registration lapses if the mark is not used for two consecutive years.

## FAQ
### How long does trademark registration take in Venezuela?
SAPI estimates about 8 months to one year if there are no delays.

### Is Venezuela part of the Madrid Protocol?
No. Venezuela is not a Madrid Protocol member, so applications must be filed nationally with SAPI.

### How long does a Venezuelan trademark registration last?
Fifteen years from registration, renewable for successive 15-year periods; renewal is requested in the six months before expiry.

### Can I register a trademark in several classes with one application in Venezuela?
No. Each application covers one class, so a separate application is needed for each class.

### How long is the opposition period in Venezuela?
Thirty working days from publication of the application.

## Sources
- SAPI: Trademark service: https://sapi.gob.ve/service-trademark/
- SAPI home page: https://sapi.gob.ve/
- SAPI fee notice DG-14-2021: https://sapi.gob.ve/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/AVISO-OFICIAL-DIRECTOR-GENERAL-No-DG-14-2021-Actualizacion-de-las-Tasas-1.pdf
- WIPO Lex: Ley de Propiedad Industrial (Venezuela): https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/3985
- WIPO Lex: Venezuela profile: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/members/profile/VE
- WIPO Directory of IP offices: Venezuela: https://www.wipo.int/directory/en/details.jsp?country_code=VE

Need a firm that files in Venezuela? Find one at https://trademarkshub.com/trademarks/venezuela (TrademarksHub lists IP firms by country; featured placements are paid and labelled).
General information, not legal advice.