Quick Answer: Trademark registration cost in Dubai in 2026 starts with an initial examination fee of AED 750 payable to the UAE Ministry of Economy. Total costs including examination, publication, and registration fees typically range from AED 8,000 to AED 15,000 per class under standard processing. SMEs registered under the SME National Programme qualify for a 50% fee reduction, and People of Determination receive a total fee exemption. Multi-class trademark applications carry additional fees per class. WIPO international trademark filings follow a separate fee structure managed through the Madrid System.
Your brand is one of your most valuable business assets. A logo, a name, a tagline — once it gains recognition in the market, it carries commercial value that needs legal protection. In the UAE, that protection comes through trademark registration with the UAE Ministry of Economy, and in 2026 the fee structure is more clearly defined than ever.
This guide breaks down every cost involved in trademark registration in Dubai, from the initial examination fee through to publication, registration, and the fee reductions available to eligible businesses.
Why Trademark Registration Matters for UAE Businesses
Before breaking down costs, understanding what Intellectual Property protection UAE law actually gives you makes the investment easier to justify.
A registered trademark in the UAE gives you:
- Exclusive commercial rights to your brand name, logo, or mark across the classes it is registered in
- Legal recourse against infringement, counterfeiting, and unauthorised use
- Customs protection — the ability to register your mark with UAE Customs to block counterfeit goods at the border
- Commercial value — a registered trademark is a licensable, transferable asset that can be sold, franchised, or used as collateral
- WIPO international trademark filing access through the Madrid System using your UAE registration as the base
The governing legislation is Federal Decree Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, which replaced the previous trademark law and introduced updated provisions on registration, enforcement, and IP protection in the UAE. Understanding this framework is essential before filing.
Who Manages Trademark Registration in Dubai?
Trademark registration in the UAE is administered by the UAE Ministry of Economy (MOE / MOET) through its Intellectual Property Department. Applications are submitted through the Ministry’s online portal, and all official fees are paid directly to the Ministry at each stage of the process.
There is no separate Dubai-specific trademark authority. A trademark registered through the UAE Ministry of Economy is valid across all seven emirates, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the northern emirates.
The UAE Trademark Registration Process: Stages and Fees
Trademark registration cost in Dubai is not a single payment. It is structured across several distinct stages, each carrying its own government fee. Here is the complete breakdown for 2026.
Stage 1: Trademark Search (Recommended Before Filing)
Fee: AED 300 to AED 500 per class
Before submitting a trademark application, conducting a clearance search through the Ministry of Economy database confirms whether a conflicting mark already exists. This is not a mandatory step but is strongly recommended.
Filing without a clearance search risks rejection at the examination stage, which means losing the examination fee and restarting the process with a modified mark.
Stage 2: Initial Examination Fee
Fee: AED 750 per application
The initial examination fee of AED 750 is the first mandatory payment in the trademark registration process. It is paid at the time of application submission to the UAE Ministry of Economy.
At this stage, the Ministry’s examiner reviews your trademark application for:
- Compliance with Federal Decree Law No. 36 of 2021
- Conflicts with existing registered marks
- Acceptability of the mark under UAE trademark law
- Correct classification under the Nice Classification 13th Edition 2026 Update
The Nice Classification 13th Edition 2026 Update is the international system used to classify goods and services into 45 distinct classes. Your trademark is registered in the specific class or classes that cover your products or services. Selecting the wrong class leaves your mark unprotected in the categories that actually matter to your business.
Stage 3: Expedited One-Day Examination Fee
Fee: AED 3,000 (optional)
For businesses that need faster confirmation on their trademark application status, the UAE Ministry of Economy offers an expedited one-day examination service.
This optional service accelerates the examination stage from the standard timeline of several weeks to a single working day response. It is particularly useful when:
- You are preparing for a product launch with a fixed date
- You are responding to an infringement situation and need registered status urgently
- You are finalising a licensing or franchise agreement that requires confirmed trademark status
The expedited one-day examination fee does not guarantee approval. It guarantees a faster examination decision, which may still result in an objection or rejection requiring response.
Stage 4: Official Gazette Publication Fee
Fee: AED 3,000 per class
Once the initial examination is passed, the trademark is published in the UAE Official Gazette for a mandatory opposition period of 30 days. During this window, any third party who believes the mark conflicts with an existing right can file a formal opposition.
The official gazette publication fee of AED 3,000 per class is paid at this stage. If no opposition is filed within the 30-day period, or if any opposition is resolved in your favour, the registration process proceeds to the final stage.
Stage 5: Trademark Registration Fee
Fee: AED 10,000 per class
The trademark registration fee in Dubai is the largest single payment in the process. At AED 10,000 per class, this fee is paid upon successful completion of the examination and publication stages and results in the issuance of your trademark registration certificate.
Your registered trademark is valid for 10 years from the filing date and is renewable for further 10-year periods upon payment of renewal fees.
Complete Fee Summary: Single Class Trademark Registration
Stage | Fee (AED) |
Trademark clearance search (recommended) | 300 to 500 |
Initial examination fee | 750 |
Expedited one-day examination (optional) | 3,000 |
Official gazette publication fee | 3,000 |
Trademark registration fee | 10,000 |
Total estimated cost (single class) | AED 14,050 to AED 17,250 |
Professional fees for a trademark consultant or legal firm are charged separately and typically range from AED 2,000 to AED 5,000 depending on the scope of service and whether the filing involves any opposition proceedings.
Multi-Class Trademark Application Fees
Many businesses need their trademark registered across multiple Nice Classification classes. A fashion brand, for example, may need protection in Class 25 (clothing), Class 35 (retail services), and Class 18 (leather goods and accessories) simultaneously.
Multi-class trademark application fees are structured as follows:
- The initial examination fee of AED 750 applies per application, not per class
- The official gazette publication fee of AED 3,000 applies per class
- The trademark registration fee of AED 10,000 applies per class
Example: Three-class trademark registration
Fee Component | Amount (AED) |
Initial examination fee (once) | 750 |
Publication fee x 3 classes | 9,000 |
Registration fee x 3 classes | 30,000 |
Total government fees | AED 39,750 |
Multi-class filings require accurate Nice Classification 13th Edition 2026 Update class selection for each category. Misclassification results in rejected classes and wasted fees.
50% Fee Reduction for SMEs
The UAE Ministry of Economy offers a 50% fee reduction on trademark registration fees for businesses registered under the SME National Programme administered by the Khalifa Fund and relevant emirate-level SME authorities.
This reduction applies to:
- The initial examination fee
- The official gazette publication fee
- The trademark registration fee
Eligibility requirements:
- Business must be registered and classified as an SME under the UAE SME National Programme
- Proof of SME registration must be submitted with the trademark application
- The reduction applies to UAE national-owned SMEs and qualifying SME entities
For an eligible SME filing a single-class trademark, the total government fee saving through the 50% reduction amounts to approximately AED 6,875, making Intellectual Property protection UAE significantly more accessible for smaller businesses.
Total Fee Exemption for People of Determination
The UAE Ministry of Economy provides a total fee exemption on trademark registration fees for People of Determination in line with the UAE’s broader commitment to inclusive economic participation.
This exemption covers all official government trademark fees including examination, publication, and registration. Applicants must provide documentation confirming their status as a Person of Determination through the relevant UAE authority.
WIPO International Trademark Filing Through the Madrid System
For businesses with international ambitions, the UAE is a member of the WIPO international trademark Madrid System, which allows you to extend your UAE trademark protection to over 130 countries through a single international application.
Key points about WIPO filing from the UAE:
- Your UAE trademark registration serves as the base mark for an international application
- The application is submitted through the UAE Ministry of Economy to WIPO in Geneva
- WIPO fees are paid in Swiss Francs and vary by the number of countries and classes designated
- Individual countries in which you designate protection conduct their own examination
- Protection in each designated country is subject to that country’s national trademark law
For businesses selling internationally or planning to franchise or license their brand globally, WIPO international trademark protection through the Madrid System is a cost-efficient alternative to filing separately in each country.
Nice Classification 13th Edition 2026: Why Class Selection Matters
The Nice Classification 13th Edition 2026 Update is the current international framework for categorising goods and services into 45 classes used in trademark registration worldwide.
Getting your class selection right is one of the most consequential decisions in the trademark registration process. Here is why:
- You only get protection in the classes you register — a trademark registered in Class 25 (clothing) does not protect you against infringement in Class 35 (retail services)
- Each class carries its own publication and registration fee — over-registration wastes money; under-registration leaves gaps in your protection
- Competitors can register similar marks in classes you have left unregistered — a common tactic used to create market confusion or force licensing negotiations
A qualified trademark consultant reviews your business activities, products, and services and maps them to the correct Nice Classification 13th Edition 2026 classes before filing. This single step prevents the most expensive mistakes in the trademark registration process.
Common Mistakes That Increase Trademark Registration Cost in Dubai
These errors consistently add cost and time to trademark registrations:
- Filing without a clearance search — discovering a conflicting mark after paying the examination fee restarts the process
- Incorrect class selection — misclassified applications are rejected, and fees are not refunded
- Inadequate mark representation — logos submitted at insufficient resolution or with inconsistent colour specifications cause examination delays
- Missing the opposition response deadline — failing to respond to a third-party opposition within the required period results in automatic rejection
- Not claiming SME reduction eligibility — eligible businesses that do not submit their SME National Programme documentation pay the full fee unnecessarily
Final Thoughts
Trademark registration cost in Dubai in 2026 is a structured, transparent process when you understand each stage and its associated fee. For a single-class registration, total government fees sit between AED 13,750 and AED 14,050 under standard processing. Multi-class registrations scale by class, and eligible SMEs can access a 50% fee reduction that meaningfully lowers the barrier to Intellectual Property protection UAE.
The UAE Ministry of Economy’s framework under Federal Decree Law No. 36 of 2021 is one of the more robust IP protection regimes in the region, and a registered trademark in the UAE is a genuinely valuable commercial asset. The cost of registration is modest relative to the cost of defending an unregistered brand against infringement.
As Quickplus Business Consultants owns in-house government-licensed Amer and Tasheel centers, we manage the complete trademark registration process for businesses across the UAE. From Nice Classification 13th Edition class selection and clearance searches through to Ministry of Economy filing, opposition management, and WIPO international trademark applications, our team ensures your brand is protected correctly from day one.
