Company Setup · Business & Trade

Trademark registration in Pakistan: steps, fees and how long it takes

Registering a trademark with IPO-Pakistan costs Rs 3,000 to apply and Rs 9,000 to register, per class, and takes about a year. Steps, forms and online filing.

By Ahtisham Imtiaz · Updated · 3 min read

Application fee
Rs 3,000 per class
Registration fee
Rs 9,000 per class
Time
About a year+
Valid for
10 years
Summarize it for me

AI Summary

To register a trademark in Pakistan, you apply to IPO-Pakistan's Trade Marks Registry, online or on paper, for each class of goods or services. It costs Rs 3,000 per class to apply and Rs 9,000 per class to register, plus Rs 1,000 for an optional search first. After examination, your mark is published and anyone can oppose it for two months. With no opposition, registration takes about a year or more, and it lasts 10 years from filing, renewable for Rs 15,000.

You register a trademark with IPO-Pakistan’s Trade Marks Registry, online or on paper. It costs Rs 3,000 per class to apply and Rs 9,000 per class to register, plus Rs 1,000 for an optional search first. Without opposition, IPO’s own average times add up to about a year or more. Registration lasts 10 years from the day you file.

What does it cost?

IPO-Pakistan’s fees, unchanged since March 2019 and listed on its site in October 2026:

Form What for Fee
TM-55 Search the register first (optional) Rs 1,000 per class
TM-1 Application, one mark in one class Rs 3,000
TM-11 Registration, one mark in one class Rs 9,000
TM-12 Renewal every 10 years Rs 15,000 (+ Rs 900 if late)
TM-5 Opposing someone else’s mark Rs 9,000

There’s no separate fee for publication. One application covers one mark in one class, so a logo used for clothing and for a shop needs two applications. IPO uses the Nice Classification, which has 45 classes.

How do I register, step by step?

  1. Search first (optional but advised): file TM-55 to check no one has registered a similar mark. IPO says results take about 15 days.
  2. Apply on TM-1, online or on paper, for each class. A paper application needs 8 clear copies of the mark, the list of goods or services, and a pay order or bank draft. The Registry doesn’t take cash.
  3. Get the examination report, about 3 to 4 months after filing. If there are objections, you have two months to reply.
  4. Publication: once accepted, your mark appears in the Trade Marks Journal.
  5. Opposition window: anyone can oppose within two months of publication.
  6. Pay the registration fee (TM-11) when IPO sends a demand notice. The certificate follows in about three months.
IPO's average times, without opposition
  1. IPO Acknowledgement About 15 days
  2. IPO Examination report About 3 to 4 months
  3. IPO Acceptance and publication About 2 months
  4. Public Opposition window 2 months
  5. IPO Certificate About 3 months after you pay

Can I file online?

Yes. IPO-Pakistan and the Punjab IT Board launched online filing with online payment in June 2023. To use it:

  • register as a SELF user (filing for yourself) with your CNIC, verified by mobile and email
  • IPO emails a username, a default password and a 4-digit PIN for submitting applications
  • trademark agents and lawyers register as REPRESENTATIVE users

You can also file in person at the Registry in Karachi, IPO’s headquarters in Islamabad or its Lahore regional office.

How long does a trademark last?

Ten years, counted from the filing date, and you can renew it every ten years for Rs 15,000.

What should I do first?

Register your business before or alongside the trademark. A one-person business registers with FBR; see how to register a sole proprietorship. For a company, see how to register a company, and to choose between them, business structures compared.

More guides: Company Setup.

Questions people ask

What is the trademark registration fee in Pakistan?

As of October 2026, IPO-Pakistan charges Rs 3,000 to file an application (TM-1) and Rs 9,000 to register (TM-11), per mark per class. An optional search (TM-55) costs Rs 1,000 per class.

Can I register a trademark online in Pakistan?

Yes. IPO-Pakistan has run an online filing system with online payment since June 2023. You first register as a user with your CNIC and verify your mobile number and email.

How long does trademark registration take?

IPO's own average times add up to about a year or more without opposition: about 15 days for acknowledgement, 3 to 4 months to the examination report, then publication, a two-month opposition window and about three months for the certificate.

How long is a trademark valid?

Ten years from the filing date, renewable every ten years. Renewal costs Rs 15,000, plus Rs 900 if you renew late.

Can I use the ® symbol before registration?

No. Representing an unregistered mark as registered is an offence under section 102 of the Trade Marks Ordinance, punishable with a fine of at least Rs 20,000, up to six months in prison, or both.

Sources

  1. Trademarks: Fee & Forms, IPO-Pakistan (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  2. Notification of revision of trademark fees (March 2019), Ministry of Commerce (via IPO-Pakistan) (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  3. Trademark: Frequently Asked Questions, IPO-Pakistan (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  4. Average Process Time for Services of Trade Marks Registry, IPO-Pakistan (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  5. Procedure for Online Registration, IPO-Pakistan (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  6. Trade Marks Ordinance, 2001 (as amended in 2023), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  7. Nice Classification, 12th Edition (2024), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  8. IPO-Pakistan and PITB introduce online trademark filing system, Punjab Information Technology Board (accessed 7 Oct 2026)

Photo: Sareena Moin / CC BY-SA 4.0

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