Trademark Registration in the UAE
Registering a trademark in the UAE is handled by the Ministry of Economy, costs roughly AED 6,500 to 7,000 per class in government fees, and realistically takes six to twelve months. Two details decide your budget: the UAE registers one class per application, and a foreign applicant must file through a licensed local agent.
How long it really takes
Published timelines for UAE trademark registration range from 30 days to 12 months, which is not a small discrepancy. The 30-day figure is wrong for the full registration: examination alone commonly takes one to three months, and there is a mandatory publication and opposition window after that. Here is the sequence with realistic durations.
| Stage | Typical duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Search and clearance | 1 - 2 weeks | Check the register for conflicts in each class you need |
| Power of Attorney | 1 - 4 weeks | Notarised and legalised; often the slowest step and it is before filing |
| Filing | same day | Submitted through the Ministry of Economy portal by your agent |
| Examination | 1 - 3 months | Checked against absolute and relative grounds for refusal |
| Publication | after acceptance | Published in the trademark bulletin and local newspapers |
| Opposition window | 30 days from publication | Third parties may file a formal opposition |
| Certificate issued | 1 - 2 months after | Valid 10 years from the filing date, renewable |
Realistic total for a clean, unopposed application: six to twelve months. An opposition adds months and legal cost. Any source promising 30 days is quoting one stage, not the registration.
Cost per class — and the detail that doubles your budget
The UAE does not accept multi-class applications. Protection is granted per class under the Nice Classification, and each class needs its own search, its own application and its own fees. If you need two classes, double everything below. This single point is what most cost estimates omit.
| Item | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application filing | approx. AED 750 | Per class |
| Publication | approx. AED 750 - 1,000 | Plus newspaper publication costs |
| Final registration | approx. AED 5,000 | Payable on acceptance |
| Government subtotal | approx. AED 6,500 - 7,000 | Per class, so two classes is roughly double |
| Trademark agent fee | AED 2,000 - 6,000 | Mandatory for foreign applicants |
| Search | AED 500 - 1,500 | Per class; far cheaper than a refusal |
| Opposition response | on application | Only if someone opposes |
Government fees alone land around AED 6,500 to 7,000 per class. Agent fees, translation and any opposition response are additional and vary widely.
You probably cannot file it yourself
A foreign applicant cannot file directly with the Ministry of Economy. You must appoint a licensed UAE trademark agent and grant a notarised and legalised Power of Attorney. Budget time for the POA: getting it notarised, legalised and where necessary translated is frequently the slowest part of the start, and it happens before the clock on registration even begins.
What gets refused
- Marks that are generic or purely descriptive of the goods
- Anything confusingly similar to an existing registered mark in the same class
- National emblems, flags and official insignia
- Religious symbols and terms
- Marks contrary to public morals or public order
Run a search before you file. A refusal costs the filing fee and several months, and the search is the cheapest stage of the whole process.
Trademark Registration — FAQs
How much does it cost to register a trademark in the UAE?
Government fees are roughly AED 6,500 to 7,000 per class, made up of about AED 750 to file, AED 750 to 1,000 to publish and around AED 5,000 on final registration. Add a trademark agent fee of AED 2,000 to 6,000, which is mandatory for foreign applicants, plus AED 500 to 1,500 per class for a search. Because the UAE registers one class per application, two classes is roughly double everything.
How long does UAE trademark registration take?
Six to twelve months for a clean, unopposed application. Examination alone is typically one to three months, followed by publication and a 30-day opposition window, then the certificate. Sources claiming 30 days are describing a single stage rather than the registration, and that figure is not achievable end to end.
Can I register one trademark across multiple classes in the UAE?
No. The UAE does not accept multi-class applications. Each class under the Nice Classification needs its own search, its own application and its own fees, so protecting a mark across three classes means three applications and roughly three times the cost. This is the single most common omission in published cost estimates.
Can I file a UAE trademark myself?
A foreign applicant cannot file directly with the Ministry of Economy and must appoint a licensed UAE trademark agent with a notarised and legalised Power of Attorney. Allow real time for the POA, because legalisation and translation often take longer than people expect and it all happens before filing.
How long does a UAE trademark last?
Ten years from the filing date, renewable indefinitely in ten-year terms. Renewal is a separate fee and must be applied for before expiry; a lapsed mark can be claimed by someone else.
What is the opposition period for a UAE trademark?
Thirty days from the date of publication. During that window a third party may file a formal opposition, which pauses registration while it is resolved and adds both time and legal cost. A proper clearance search before filing is the main way to avoid it.
Related
General information, not legal or tax advice. Trademark fees and procedure are set by the UAE Ministry of Economy and change. Confirm current fees and appoint a licensed trademark agent before filing.
Last updated: October 2026 · Maintained by the My Business Setup editorial team
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