Last updated: 2026-08-11
Trademark registration in UAE runs through the Ministry of Economy portal and protects your brand nationwide for 10 years. Government fees total AED 8,200 per class, and most applications complete within 6–8 months (2026). Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 governs the process, and DBS Group — serving 80,000+ entrepreneurs since 2009 — handles filing end to end.
What Trademark Registration in UAE Costs in 2026
Every fee below comes from the Ministry of Economy’s published tariff and applies per trademark, per class. If you completed your business setup in Dubai recently, budget for trademark protection in the same quarter — of 80,000+ setups DBS has processed since 2009, 23% of trading-license clients filed a trademark within their first year of operations (DBS internal data, 2025). The UAE follows the Nice Classification with 45 classes, and each class requires a separate application (2026).
Embed this infographic
| Activity | Government Fee (AED) | DBS Service | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trademark search (optional) | 350 | Included in DBS package — WhatsApp for quote | 350 + service | Strongly recommended before filing (2026) |
| Application filing | 750 | Included in DBS package | 750 + service | Per class, via MoE eServices portal |
| Publication in Trademark Journal | 750 | Included in DBS package | 750 + service | Opens the 30-day opposition window |
| Registration certificate | 6,700 | Included in DBS package | 6,700 + service | Payable after opposition period clears |
| Renewal (every 10 years) | 6,700 | DBS renewal monitoring — WhatsApp for quote | 6,700 + service | File within the final year of protection |
| Late renewal fine | 1,000 | Avoidable with DBS monitoring | 1,000 | Applies during the 3-month grace period (2026) |
Total government cost for a single-class registration: AED 8,200 (filing + publication + certificate), excluding the optional AED 350 search (2026).
Need help budgeting this? WhatsApp DBS at +971 54 332 2846 →
The 7 Proven Steps to Register Your Trademark in the UAE
Step 1: Run a trademark availability search
Search the Ministry of Economy trademark database for identical or confusingly similar marks before spending AED 750 on filing. The AED 350 official search flags conflicts across all 45 Nice classes and reduces rejection risk substantially — rejected applications forfeit the filing fee (2026).
Step 2: Prepare your application documents
You need a clear image of the mark, a copy of your UAE trade license, the applicant’s passport copy, and a Power of Attorney if an agent files on your behalf. Foreign applicants without a UAE presence file through a registered local agent under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021.
Step 3: File through the MoE eServices portal
Submit the application online with the AED 750 fee, selecting the correct Nice class and goods/services description. Filing date establishes priority — the UAE operates first-to-file, so the earlier applicant wins conflicts (2026).
Step 4: Examination by the Ministry
The Ministry examines the application within 90 days of filing for distinctiveness, morality and conflict with earlier marks under Articles 3 and 4 of Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021. Office actions demand a response within 30 days, or the application lapses.
Step 5: Publication and the 30-day opposition window
Accepted marks publish in the official Trademark Journal for AED 750. Third parties have exactly 30 days from publication to oppose; unopposed applications proceed directly to registration (2026).
Step 6: Pay the registration fee and receive your certificate
Pay the AED 6,700 registration fee and the Ministry issues the certificate, with protection backdated to your filing date. The registration covers all seven emirates for 10 years.
Step 7: Calendar your renewal and enforce your rights
Renew every 10 years for AED 6,700, filed within the final year of protection; a 3-month grace period carries an AED 1,000 fine. Registered owners can pursue counterfeiters through UAE courts and customs seizure — penalties for infringement reach AED 1,000,000 under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021.
Want DBS to file all 7 steps for you? WhatsApp +971 54 332 2846 →
Documents and Eligibility Requirements
Any natural or legal person — UAE resident or foreign — can own a UAE trademark, and 100% foreign ownership of the mark is permitted (2026). Companies file with their trade license; individuals file with Emirates ID or passport. The mark itself must be distinctive: Article 3 of Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 bars generic terms, national emblems, religious symbols and marks contrary to public order. Since 2021 the law also protects non-traditional marks, including 3D shapes, holograms, sound marks and smell marks — a scope confirmed by the UAE government portal u.ae intellectual property guide (2026). Your trademark is separate from your trade name: registering one gives you zero rights in the other, which is why DBS pairs both filings for new companies alongside its documents-clearing and PRO services in Dubai.
Confused about eligibility? Ask DBS — WhatsApp +971 54 332 2846 →
The 5 Nice Classes Dubai Businesses File Most
Filing in the wrong class is the most common self-filing error DBS corrects, because protection extends only to the classes actually registered (2026). The five classes DBS files most for Dubai clients are:
- Class 35 — Retail, trading and advertising: covers general trading companies, e-commerce stores and marketing agencies, the largest single category among DBS trademark filings in 2025.
- Class 43 — Restaurants and hospitality: cafes, cloud kitchens and catering brands; pairs with Dubai Municipality food permits.
- Class 41 — Education and training: training institutes and coaching brands regulated by KHDA in Dubai.
- Class 9 and Class 42 — Software and technology: apps and SaaS products file both classes together — Class 9 for the software itself, Class 42 for the development service.
- Class 3 — Cosmetics and perfumes: a high-opposition category in the UAE, where the pre-filing AED 350 search pays for itself many times over.
A brand operating across two classes pays AED 16,400 in government fees — AED 8,200 per class — so class strategy directly drives cost (2026).
Trademark vs Trade Name: The Difference That Costs Businesses
A trade name is your company’s legal identity registered with the Department of Economy and Tourism in your emirate; a trademark is your brand identifier registered federally with the Ministry of Economy. The trade name protects you only within your emirate’s commercial registry, while a trademark grants exclusive nationwide rights across all 7 emirates for 10 years (2026). DBS clients who completed trade name registration in Dubai routinely add federal trademark protection next — the trade name reservation costs AED 620 with DET, while full trademark protection costs AED 8,200 with the MoE, and only the trademark stops a competitor in another emirate from using your brand (2026).
Ready to protect your brand federally? WhatsApp +971 54 332 2846 →
After Registration: Renewal, Enforcement and the Madrid Protocol
UAE trademark protection lasts 10 years from the filing date and renews indefinitely in 10-year blocks at AED 6,700 per renewal. Enforcement runs through three channels: administrative complaints to the Ministry, civil damages claims, and criminal prosecution with fines up to AED 1,000,000 for counterfeiting under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021. The UAE joined the Madrid Protocol on 28 December 2021, so a single international application through WIPO’s Madrid System now extends your UAE mark to 100+ member countries — or extends a foreign mark into the UAE — for one consolidated fee (2026). For UAE-based owners, the MoE acts as the office of origin and charges AED 1,000 handling per international application.
Save 40 hours of paperwork — let DBS handle it. WhatsApp +971 54 332 2846 →
The DBS Advantage on Trademark Filings
DBS Documents Clearing LLC files trademarks as part of an integrated brand-protection stack: availability search across all 45 classes, filing, office-action responses, opposition monitoring during the 30-day window, certificate collection, and a renewal calendar so the AED 1,000 late fine never applies. Because DBS also manages trade licenses and PRO work for the same clients, filings go out with consistent ownership details — mismatched applicant names between trade license and trademark application are a leading cause of office actions (2026). Government fees stay transparent at AED 8,200 per class; DBS service pricing comes as a fixed written quote on WhatsApp before any commitment.
Skip the paperwork — WhatsApp DBS at +971 54 332 2846 →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does trademark registration cost in the UAE in 2026?
Total government fees are AED 8,200 per trademark per class: AED 750 filing, AED 750 publication and AED 6,700 for the registration certificate. An optional pre-filing search costs AED 350. Multi-class brands pay the full amount for each class filed (2026).
How long does trademark registration take in the UAE?
Straightforward applications complete in 6–8 months: examination within 90 days of filing, a 30-day publication and opposition window, then certificate issuance after the AED 6,700 registration fee is paid. Office actions or oppositions extend the timeline by 3–6 months (2026).
How long is a UAE trademark valid?
A UAE trademark is valid for 10 years from the filing date and renews indefinitely in 10-year periods for AED 6,700 per renewal. A 3-month grace period after expiry applies with an AED 1,000 late fine, after which the mark lapses (2026).
Can a foreign company register a trademark in the UAE?
Yes. Foreign companies without a UAE presence file through a registered local trademark agent under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021, or extend an existing mark into the UAE via the Madrid Protocol, which the UAE joined on 28 December 2021 (2026).
What is the difference between a trade name and a trademark in the UAE?
A trade name is your company’s legal name registered with your emirate’s economic department for roughly AED 620; a trademark is federal brand protection from the Ministry of Economy costing AED 8,200 per class. Only the trademark grants exclusive rights across all 7 emirates (2026).
Can I register a logo, sound or 3D shape as a UAE trademark?
Yes. Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 protects words, logos, colours, 3D shapes, holograms, sound marks and smell marks, provided the mark is distinctive. Non-traditional marks follow the same AED 8,200 fee structure and 10-year protection term as word marks (2026).
What happens if someone opposes my trademark application?
Opponents file within 30 days of publication in the Trademark Journal. You then submit a counter-statement within 30 days, and the Ministry rules on the opposition; its decision is appealable to the competent court within 30 days. Well-prepared counter-statements resolve most oppositions at ministry level (2026).
Does a Dubai trademark cover the other emirates?
Yes. Trademark registration is federal — one Ministry of Economy registration covers all 7 emirates automatically for 10 years. There is no emirate-level trademark; only trade names are emirate-specific, which is why federal filing is the single AED 8,200 investment that protects nationwide (2026).
Register Your UAE Trademark with DBS
DBS Documents Clearing LLC has guided 80,000+ entrepreneurs since 2009 through licensing, PRO services and brand protection. Send your mark and activity list on WhatsApp at +971 54 332 2846 or email inquiry@dubaibusinessservices.com for a fixed written quote — search results within 1 business day.
Author: Salem Basheer, DBS Documents Clearing LLC — Last updated 2026-08-11
