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China Trademark Registration

File a trademark application with the CNIPA as a foreign company or individual — in English, at a fixed price, with no Chinese entity required.

$199 per class
Start My Application
1 day
To file once you approve the quote
9–12 mo
Typical examination to registration
10 years
Protection from the registration date
No entity
No Chinese company or address needed

What China trademark registration actually involves

China is a first-to-file jurisdiction. The registration generally goes to whoever files first with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), not to whoever used the mark first somewhere else. A supplier, a distributor or an unrelated third party who files before you can end up holding the rights to your own brand inside China — and getting it back afterwards is slower and more expensive than filing early.

Foreign applicants cannot file directly. A China trademark application must be submitted through an agent that is registered with the CNIPA, which is what we are. You do not need a Chinese company, a Chinese address or a Chinese bank account to register a trademark in China.

This page covers the filing itself. If you have not chosen your classes yet, start with the trademark search & quote page, which walks through the Nice classification and what your goods or services fall under.

What the $199 fee covers

Availability check before filing We search the CNIPA register for identical and confusingly similar marks in your class, so you are not filing into a known conflict.
Application drafted and filed The application form, the goods or services wording and the mark specimen, prepared in Chinese and submitted in your name.
Up to 10 goods or services items Per class. Additional items are charged at USD 10 each, and each extra class is charged separately.
Follow-up until a decision We track the file through formality examination, publication and substantive examination, and report each stage to you.
Electronic registration certificate Delivered to you once the CNIPA issues it. We also send the official filing receipt and application number as soon as they are available.
English-language handling One point of contact, in English, for the whole file. No need to brief a local translator or chase a Chinese intermediary.
Includes up to 10 items of goods or services per class; additional items USD 10 each. Each additional class is charged separately. The price is all-inclusive — the CNIPA official fee is already inside it and is never billed separately.

How the filing process runs

You send the mark and the goods or services
Tell us the wording or send the logo, and describe what you sell. If you are unsure about classes, we map your products to the right Nice classes for you.
We check it and send a written quote
We search the register for earlier conflicting filings and come back with a fixed quotation covering the classes you need. Nothing is payable before you see it.
We file, usually within one business day
On approval we prepare the Chinese application, submit it to the CNIPA and send you the application number and filing receipt.
Formality examination and publication
The CNIPA checks the form, then publishes the application for opposition. If anyone opposes, we tell you and advise on the response.
Substantive examination and registration
An examiner reviews the mark against earlier rights and for distinctiveness. If a refusal is issued we report it with the options — refusal review is a separate, chargeable service.
Certificate issued, protection begins
The registration is valid for 10 years from the registration date, renewable for further 10-year periods. We send you the electronic certificate.

Fees

Item Amount
China trademark registration — first class USD 199 / class
Each additional class in the same application USD 199 / class
Additional goods or services items beyond 10 per class USD 10 / item
Availability search and written quotation Free

Fees are quoted and payable in US dollars and are all-inclusive — the CNIPA official fee is already inside the price and is never billed separately. Full terms are in our Terms of Service; the complete fee schedule for every other service is on the services page.

Why the timing matters

Your supplier can register it

A factory that knows your brand can file it in its own name. Once it holds the registration it can control the brand, block your own imports, or sell the mark back to you at its price.

Squatters watch foreign brands

Professional applicants monitor brands that are successful abroad but not yet registered in China, then file first and offer to sell the registration back.

Selling on marketplaces needs it

Major Chinese platforms and many distributors ask for a registration certificate before they will list or stock your products under that brand.

Enforcement depends on it

Customs recordal, takedowns and infringement actions all rest on holding the registration. Without it, there is usually nothing to enforce.

China trademark registration — common questions

Can a foreign company register a trademark in China without a Chinese entity?
Yes. A foreign company or individual can own a China trademark without incorporating anything in China. The only requirement is that the application is filed through a CNIPA-registered agent, which we are. Your home address is used as the applicant address on the register.
How long does it take to register a trademark in China?
Filing happens within about one business day of your approval. From there, formality examination and publication typically take four to six months, and substantive examination brings the usual total to around nine to twelve months where nothing goes wrong. If a refusal or an opposition is raised, the file takes longer and involves a separate chargeable service.
How much does it cost to register a China trademark?
Our fee is USD 199 per class, including up to ten items of goods or services. That figure is all-inclusive: the CNIPA official fee is already inside it and is never billed on top. Additional items are USD 10 each, and each further class is charged separately. The availability search and written quotation are free.
Do I need to use the trademark in China before I file?
No. China is first-to-file, so prior use elsewhere creates no rights and is not a filing requirement. There is one practical consideration in the other direction: a registration that has sat unused for three continuous years can be attacked by a third party through a non-use cancellation, so keep evidence of use if you intend to rely on the mark in China.
Is the official fee charged on top of your fee?
No. The official fee is a government charge set by the CNIPA, and we pay it on your behalf out of the price we quote — it is already inside that figure and is never billed to you as a separate line, or as a separate amount. What you see in your quotation is the total: the availability check, drafting and filing the application in Chinese, and following the file through to a decision are all covered by the same one figure.
How many classes should I register in?
You register only in the classes covering the goods or services you actually sell or plan to sell. Filing in a class you do not use carries cost and provides limited protection, and it can leave you exposed to a non-use cancellation. If you sell across several product lines, tell us what they are and we will map them to classes in the free quotation rather than guess.
What happens if my application is refused?
The CNIPA issues a refusal notice with reasons, most commonly a conflict with an earlier mark or a distinctiveness objection. You can respond by requesting a review within the deadline, arguing the mark should proceed. This is a separate service with its own fee; we report the refusal to you with the deadline and the options before anything is spent.
Do you need a Power of Attorney?
Yes. A signed Power of Attorney is required to file on your behalf. We send you the form to sign after the quote is approved, so nothing has to be prepared up front. A simple signed scan is normally enough.

Filing from your country

The process is the same everywhere. These pages answer the country-specific questions — claiming Paris priority from your home office, and the Madrid Protocol route from it.

Related help

Once the filing is done, or if you are still deciding how to approach China, these are the pages that pick up next.

Ready to file?

Send us the mark and the goods or services you need. We check it against earlier filings and come back with a written quotation before you pay anything.