Insights · Trademarks
How to Register a Trademark in the United Kingdom
A registered UK trademark gives you an exclusive right to your brand name, logo or slogan across the United Kingdom and a clear basis to act against copycats. Registration runs through the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) and follows a defined path: filing, examination, publication and a window for others to object. Below is what the right actually covers, what it costs in 2026, how the process works and the one assumption that catches applicants out.
What this registration gives you
A UK registration covers the whole United Kingdom — England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — and extends to the Isle of Man. Within that territory it lets you stop others using an identical or confusingly similar mark for similar goods or services. What it does not do is reach beyond the UK: since Brexit, a UK trademark no longer covers the European Union, so protection across the EU requires a separate EU right through the EUIPO. It also does not extend to the Channel Islands. If your market is both British and European, you are looking at two registrations, not one.
What it costs in 2026
| First class — online standard route | £205 |
| Each additional class | +£60 |
| Paper application (first class) | £250 |
| "Right Start" — staged option | £125 at filing + £125 to proceed |
| Right Start — additional class | +£30 per class, per stage |
| Renewal (online) | £245 + £60 per additional class |
Fees effective 1 April 2026 (online standard route). The first-class fee rose from £170 to £205. Figures are official application fees and do not include professional advice or any optional clearance search.
Is £205 a lot? It is worth seeing what you get for it. The fee covers a single class of goods or services across one jurisdiction — but that jurisdiction is the entire United Kingdom and its four nations, protected for ten years. Measured per country, the UK is a single market; an EU registration costs more but reaches 27 countries through one filing. Neither is inherently better value — it depends on where you actually trade. If you sell only in Britain, a UK filing is proportionate; if your reach is European, paying twice for UK and EU rights is the realistic cost of full coverage. The staged Right Start option lets you spread the outlay and test the waters before committing the second half.
Done for you
Prefer to have it handled?
From the clearance search to filing and opposition defence, Rabbit Marketing can manage your trademark end to end — in the EU and, through the Madrid System, worldwide. Tell us your brand and the goods or services it covers, and we will send you a tailored proposal.
Request a quote → Book a consultation →Filing basis: use or genuine intention to use
The UK does not ask for specimens or proof of use when you register. Instead, your application includes a statutory statement under section 32(3) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 that the mark is already in use, or that you have a bona fide intention to use it. That statement carries weight: if the mark is not genuinely used within five years of registration, it becomes vulnerable to revocation for non-use. So file for what you realistically intend to trade in, not a speculative wishlist of classes.The UK also allows series marks — up to six versions of a mark that differ only in non-distinctive details, filed in one application (the first two are covered by the base fee, each further one is +£60). Note: the IPO has announced plans to abolish new series filings, so treat this as planned and confirm current availability directly with the UK IPO before relying on it.
The process, step by step
- Run a clearance search (optional but sensible). Check the UK trademarks register and the wider market for identical or similar marks before you spend anything — the IPO will not refuse your mark over earlier rights, so this is your own safeguard.
- File application TM3 online. Submit your mark, the owner details, the goods/services and their classes, and the statement of use or intention to use. Pay the relevant fee, or choose the staged Right Start route.
- Examination. The IPO checks absolute grounds (is the mark distinctive, not descriptive?) and searches for earlier marks. An examination report typically arrives in around two weeks, and you usually have about two months to respond to any objections.
- Publication. If the mark clears examination, it is published in the online Trade Marks Journal, opening a window for third parties to object.
- Opposition window. For two months from publication, anyone can oppose. Owners of earlier marks the IPO flagged are notified and may act here.
- Registration. If no one opposes (or any opposition fails), the mark proceeds to registration — often roughly three to four months from filing in a straightforward, unopposed case.
The trap that costs the most
Assuming a UK mark also covers Europe
The single most common and most expensive mistake is believing a UK registration protects you in the EU. Since Brexit it does not — full stop. Brands discover this only when a competitor registers their name across the EU, and by then the easy, early option is gone. If you trade or plan to trade in Europe, file a separate EU right through the EUIPO alongside your UK application.
A close second is skipping clearance and misreading the opposition stage. The UK IPO does not refuse your mark because an earlier similar mark exists — it simply notifies those earlier owners, who can then oppose. The opposition window is short: two months from publication, extendable to three months total by anyone filing the free form TM7a within the first two months (a formal opposition then runs on the paid form TM7). A clearance search up front, and attention during publication, are what keep that window from becoming a problem.
Keeping the mark alive
A UK trademark lasts ten years from registration and can be renewed indefinitely in ten-year terms — there is no upper limit on how long a mark can stay protected. Online renewal is £245, plus £60 for each additional class. If you miss the date, there is a six-month grace period after expiry during which you can still renew by paying a £60 late fee. Beyond renewing on time, the real maintenance work is use: keep using the mark genuinely on the goods and services you registered, because after five years a mark that is not used can be revoked on those grounds.
For your brand
Built on first-hand experience
Rabbit Marketing does not only advise on trademarks — we hold our own registered EU trademarks and have direct, hands-on experience of EUIPO opposition proceedings, including matters involving major multinational companies. That means we read these filings the way an owner does, not just an observer. We help you clear, file and protect a brand across the offices that matter to you.
Talk to us about your brand →FAQ
Questions, answered
Does a UK trademark cover the European Union?
No. Since Brexit, a UK registration protects only the United Kingdom (and the Isle of Man). Protection across the EU requires a separate EU trademark through the EUIPO. It also does not cover the Channel Islands.
Do I have to prove I am using the mark when I register?
No specimens or proof of use are required at registration. You make a statutory statement under section 32(3) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 that the mark is used or that you intend to use it. However, if it is not genuinely used within five years, it can be revoked for non-use.
How long does UK registration take?
In a straightforward, unopposed case it is often around three to four months from filing. Examination reports typically arrive in about two weeks, publication opens a two-month opposition window, and registration follows if no one objects.
What is the "Right Start" option?
Right Start is a staged fee route: £125 when you file plus £125 to proceed after examination (and £30 per additional class at each stage). It lets you see the examiner's view before committing the second payment.
How long does protection last and what does renewal cost?
A UK trademark lasts ten years and can be renewed indefinitely. Online renewal is £245 plus £60 per additional class, with a six-month grace period after expiry available for a £60 late fee.
Sources
Where this comes from
- UK IPO — How to register a trade mark (GOV.UK)
- UK IPO — New fees from 1 April 2026 (designs, trade marks, patents)
- UK IPO — Guidance: standard opposition proceedings before the Trade Marks Tribunal
Research date: June 2026. Official fees and procedures change periodically — confirm current figures on the relevant office’s website before you file. This is general information, not legal advice. Company and brand names are used for editorial reference only and imply no affiliation with Rabbit-Marketing OÜ.
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