Trademark Registration in the European Union

Registering a trademark in the European Union gives you unified protection in all 27 EU member countries through a single application filed before the **EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office), headquartered in Alicante, Spain.

With one filing, your trademark is protected across the entire European market, including:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

Protection also extends to associated territories such as the Åland Islands (Finland), Guadeloupe and other French overseas territories, the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain).

Choosing an EU trademark offers significant commercial advantages:

• One application = protection in 27 countries, without needing separate national filings
• Stronger positioning on marketplaces, retail platforms, and across the EU
• Easier enforcement against imitators and infringing uses
• A valuable asset that increases your brand’s long-term value

The EU follows a first-to-file system, meaning trademark rights go to the party who files first—not necessarily the first to use the mark. Registering early is essential to secure your brand name and avoid losing it to a competitor.

No documents are necessary.

However, in practice, requirements vary depending on your brand, and most applicants will need to provide:

• The brand name or logo
• The selected Nice classes for goods and services
• The applicant’s information (individual or company)
• A clear representation of the mark

Your iGERENT consultant reviews everything, requests any missing elements, and prepares all documentation according to EUIPO standards, ensuring nothing is overlooked. You can rest assured that our team will manage the entire EU trademark filing process for you and notify you if any additional action is required.

Most EU trade mark registrations take around 5 months to complete in straightforward cases. This is an average timeframe and can vary depending on:

• The examiner’s review
• Whether any objections are raised
• Whether oppositions are filed during the 3-month opposition period
• The overall complexity of your EU trade mark registration

Throughout the process, your iGERENT consultant monitors the progress of your application, keeps track of deadlines, and sends you clear updates, so you don’t need to log in to the EUIPO system or worry about missing any important step.

After your EU trade mark application is examined by the EUIPO and accepted for publication, it is published in the EU Trade Marks Bulletin. Third parties then have a 3-month period to file an opposition.

If no opposition is filed (or if any opposition is successfully overcome), your mark proceeds to registration and a digital EU trade mark certificate is issued.

Once registered, an EU trade mark is valid for 10 years from the application date and can be renewed indefinitely in successive 10-year periods. Renewals can be filed:

• Up to 6 months before the expiry date, and
• During a further 6-month grace period after expiry (with late fees).

An EU trade mark is also accepted by Amazon Brand Registry, giving right holders access to additional brand protection tools on the platform.

Because monitoring renewal dates and use requirements is critical to keeping your EU protection active, we recommend our
EU Trademark Renewal Service, where our team tracks deadlines and manages the renewal process for you.

Yes. The EU trademark registration process includes a 3-month opposition period after the application is published.

Key points:

• The EUIPO does not reject applications ex officio based on earlier similar trademarks.
• Owners of earlier rights must actively file an opposition within the 3-month window.
• Grounds for opposition usually include likelihood of confusion with earlier marks or other prior rights.

If the earlier mark invoked in opposition is more than 5 years old, the opponent may need to prove genuine use of that earlier mark in the EU.

Yes. You do not need to use your trademark before filing or registration in the EU. However, use becomes essential after registration:

• If your EU trade mark is not put to genuine use within 5 years of registration (and use is not resumed), it becomes vulnerable to cancellation for non-use.
• Use must be genuine commercial use in the European Union for the goods and/or services covered by the registration.

Non-use can be raised:

• In a cancellation (revocation) action against your EU trade mark, or
• As a defence in opposition proceedings, if the earlier mark is more than 5 years old and you are required to submit proof of genuine use.

In practice, this means that even though use is not required to obtain an EU trade mark registration, you should plan to use the mark in the EU market to keep it enforceable and safe from non-use challenges.

No. Since Brexit, an EU Trade Mark (EUTM) does not provide protection in the UK. If you need UK coverage, you’ll typically need a separate UK trade mark filing.

If you owned an EUTM that was registered before 1 January 2021, the UK created a comparable UK right automatically, but new EUTM applications don’t extend to the UK.

For UK protection, you can register your trademark in the UK here and if you’re unsure what applies to your case, contact us here for a free no-obligation consultation.

No. We do not provide standalone address for service services in European Union

When you instruct iGERENT to handle your trademark application in European Union, the address for service requirement is automatically covered as part of our full service. We work with qualified local trademark attorneys who act as your official representative before the relevant Trademark Office, including compliance with all local representation and address for service requirements.

We do not offer address for service services separately for applicants who wish to file directly on their own in jurisdictions where self-filing may be technically permitted. Our services are designed to ensure that applications are properly filed, examined, and managed by experienced local professionals.

If you would like assistance with your trademark registration in European Union or any other country, feel free to contact us here and we will be happy to guide you through the process. We offer services worldwide.

Choosing iGERENT means working with a team focused on clarity, reliability, and results.

Trusted by 12,000+ businesses and with over 25,000 trademarks handled since 2014, we simplify trademark registration in the European Union through one dedicated specialist coordinating local attorneys worldwide.

• Transparent pricing for both official and service fees
• Experience managing EU and international portfolios
• Regular status updates from filing to registration

Don’t just take our word for it, see why businesses trust iGERENT as the best trademark registration service.

The EUIPO allows the registration of 3D trademarks to protect product shapes, packaging, or other three-dimensional forms that act as a distinctive indicator of origin across all EU countries.

In practice, applicants must provide multiple views of the mark (usually six) showing the shape from different angles. To be accepted, the 3D sign must:

• Be distinctive
• Not be purely functional
• Not give substantial value to the product
• Not result directly from the nature of the goods

If the shape does not have inherent distinctiveness, the EUIPO may require evidence of acquired distinctiveness through use in the EU.

You can find more information on the official EUIPO website: euipo.europa.eu.

Because 3D trademark applications often involve additional evidence and specific legal arguments, we recommend getting tailored advice. If you’re considering filing a 3D trademark in the EU, feel free to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation so we can review your case and guide you on the best strategy.