Trademark registration in the European Union

Costs, market data and law firms for the European Union

European Union (EUIPO)

The European Union: registering a trademark costs an estimated US$1,441 for one class, plus US$153 for each further class. The European Union is a member of the Madrid System, so a trademark can be filed with its office directly or extended to the European Union through an international registration. An EU trade mark covers all 27 EU countries with one registration. The European Union is a leading import market for agricultural products (class 31) and tobacco and smokers' articles (class 34). It is also one of the world's leading exporters of wines and spirits (class 33) and pharmaceuticals (class 5).

Population451.1m
Economy (GDP)US$21,243bn
Trademark classes filed by foreign applicants (2024)153,663
Member states covered27
Madrid System memberYes

Figures by trademark class count branded goods only: raw commodities that are traded mostly without brands - such as gold bars, fuel, bulk chemicals, grain and fabric by the metre - are left out. Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are left out of the rankings, as much of their trade is re-exported.

Where European Union (EUIPO) is a leading market

  • #1 in the world for class 31 (Agricultural products) - US$37.9bn of imports (48% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 34 (Tobacco and smokers' articles) - US$20.0bn of imports (47% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 29 (Meat, dairy and preserved foods) - US$96.7bn of imports (45% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 25 (Clothing, footwear and headwear) - US$282.3bn of imports (44% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 2 (Paints) - US$22.2bn of imports (40% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 32 (Beer and soft drinks) - US$11.8bn of imports (40% of the world's)

A leading exporter

  • #1 in the world for class 33 (Wines and spirits) - US$32.4bn of exports (49% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 5 (Pharmaceuticals) - US$267.1bn of exports (45% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 31 (Agricultural products) - US$20.6bn of exports (38% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 34 (Tobacco and smokers' articles) - US$11.1bn of exports (37% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 3 (Cosmetics and cleaning) - US$67.4bn of exports (36% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for class 32 (Beer and soft drinks) - US$7.5bn of exports (34% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for jewellery - US$27.5bn of exports (22% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for hormones - US$20.0bn of exports (51% of the world's)
  • #1 in the world for cheese - US$15.1bn of exports (34% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for jet engines and gas turbines - US$39.4bn of exports (20% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for semiconductor-making machines - US$25.1bn of exports (19% of the world's)
  • #2 in the world for handbags, luggage and cases - US$20.9bn of exports (26% of the world's)

Fastest-growing markets

  • Class 13 (Firearms and fireworks): imports up 26% a year
  • Class 34 (Tobacco and smokers' articles): imports up 15% a year
  • Class 32 (Beer and soft drinks): imports up 11% a year
European Union (EUIPO): the biggest import markets by trademark class (2024, US$m)
European Union (EUIPO)'s share of the world's imports, by trademark class (%)
European Union (EUIPO): import growth by trademark class (2022-2024, % a year)
European Union (EUIPO): share of world exports by trademark class (2024, %)

In colour: goods where European Union (EUIPO) is among the world's 10 largest exporters, or has at least 5% of world exports. In grey, for comparison: its next-largest shares.

European Union (EUIPO): export growth by trademark class (2022-2024, % a year)
European Union (EUIPO): its other leading and key exports (2024, US$m)

Goods where European Union (EUIPO) is among the world's 3 largest exporters, has at least 15% of world exports, or that make up at least 25% of its own exports - of at least US$500m a year.

Questions about trademarks in the European Union

How much does it cost to register a trademark in the European Union?

Our estimate is about US$1,441 for one class, from filing to registration: about US$951 in official fees and about US$490 in professional (law firm) fees. Each further class adds about US$153. Responses to office actions and oppositions are not included. These are estimates only: the actual cost depends on the law firm and the application. Request a quote from a law firm on this site for an exact price.

Can I use the Madrid System for the European Union?

The European Union is a member of the Madrid System, so a trademark can be filed with its office directly or extended to the European Union through an international registration. WIPO's fee to designate the European Union is CHF 789 for one class (about US$947) and CHF 837 for two classes, on top of WIPO's basic fee for the international application. An EU trade mark covers all 27 EU countries with one registration.

For which goods is the European Union an important market?

The European Union's 10 largest import markets by trademark class are electronics and software (class 9, US$920.5bn), vehicles (class 12, US$649.1bn), machines (class 7, US$544.7bn), pharmaceuticals (class 5, US$338.7bn), clothing, footwear and headwear (class 25, US$282.3bn), medical apparatus (class 10, US$108.1bn), furniture (class 20, US$98.0bn), meat, dairy and preserved foods (class 29, US$96.7bn), metal goods (class 6, US$93.2bn) and cosmetics and cleaning (class 3, US$88.6bn). Compared with the rest of the world, it stands out for agricultural products (#1 in the world), tobacco and smokers' articles (#1 in the world), meat, dairy and preserved foods (#1 in the world), clothing, footwear and headwear (#1 in the world), paints (#1 in the world) and beer and soft drinks (#1 in the world). Imports are growing fastest for firearms and fireworks (26% a year), tobacco and smokers' articles (15% a year) and beer and soft drinks (11% a year).

What does the European Union export, and why does that matter for my trademark?

The European Union's exports of goods came to US$2,750.6bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were packaged medicines (US$155.5bn, 6% of its exports, #1 in the world), cars (US$142.7bn, 5% of its exports, #1 in the world), refined petroleum products (US$99.4bn, 4% of its exports, #2 in the world), vaccines, blood products and biologics (US$96.2bn, 3% of its exports, #1 in the world), vehicle parts (US$72.1bn, 3% of its exports, #1 in the world), aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft (US$40.9bn, 1% of its exports, #1 in the world), jet engines and gas turbines (US$39.4bn, 1% of its exports, #2 in the world), mobile phones and network equipment (US$28.2bn, 1% of its exports, #4 in the world), computers (US$27.7bn, 1% of its exports, #6 in the world) and jewellery (US$27.5bn, 1% of its exports, #1 in the world). By trademark class, its 10 largest exports were machines (class 7, US$328.7bn, #2 in the world), electronics and software (class 9, US$283.3bn, #3 in the world), vehicles (class 12, US$274.0bn, #1 in the world), pharmaceuticals (class 5, US$267.1bn, #1 in the world), cosmetics and cleaning (class 3, US$67.4bn, #1 in the world), clothing, footwear and headwear (class 25, US$64.7bn, #3 in the world), coffee, tea, bakery and confectionery (class 30, US$48.3bn, #1 in the world), meat, dairy and preserved foods (class 29, US$48.0bn, #1 in the world), medical apparatus (class 10, US$45.2bn, #2 in the world) and furniture (class 20, US$41.3bn, #2 in the world). Where goods are made and exported, copies are often made too: a registered trademark there lets you act against counterfeits at the source, including with the help of customs.

Law firms for European Union (EUIPO)

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Trade: imports and exports of each trademark class's branded goods. Rankings compare countries' trade in those goods, without the re-export hubs. Costs are estimates.