A business's name and sign in the UAE only have full legal protection once registered as a trademark. Registering a trade name with the emirate's economic department is different from registering a trademark: the first is the company's name, the second is a sign that distinguishes your goods or services from others. This article is based on the service pages of the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the official UAE Government portal (`u.ae`), checked on 24 October 2026.
Legal basis
The UAE Government portal, updated on 11 August 2026, names the governing law as "Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks" and the registering authority as the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The same page names two other rights: copyright under "Federal Law No. 38 of 2021" and patents under "Federal Law No. 11 of 2021", whose protection lasts 20 years from the application date.
Registration steps
| Step | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Complete the application and attach the documents |
| 2 | Pay the examination fee |
| 3 | The Ministry reviews it and announces its decision within 20 days of the application date |
| 4 | If accepted, pay the publication fee; the mark is published in the official trademark bulletin |
| 5 | 30-day objection period from the bulletin's issue date |
| 6 | After the objection period, pay the final registration fee; the certificate is issued within 30 days of the end of the period |
The summary of the same page gives the review time as "20 working days", while the steps section says "20 days from the application date"; the page itself does not reconcile the two.
Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Regular examination | AED 750 |
| Expedited examination, one working day | AED 2,250 |
| Publication | AED 750 |
| Final registration of a trademark | AED 5,000 |
| Final registration of a quality mark | AED 7,500 |
Late fines, according to the Ministry:
| Delay | Fine |
|---|---|
| Publication fee not paid within 30 days of acceptance | AED 100 a month, at most AED 1,000 a year |
| Final registration fee not paid within 30 days of the end of the objection period | AED 1,000 a month, at most AED 10,000 a year |
Part of a month also counts as a month.
Applicants outside the UAE
The Ministry says that if the owner of the mark is outside the UAE, the application must go through a "registration agent", with a notarised and officially translated power of attorney attached. The main documents:
- an image of the mark;
- a copy of the trade licence, if the applicant is a company or establishment;
- a notarised and certified power of attorney, if an agent files the application, whether the owner is inside or outside the UAE.
Discounts and other fees
On 21 October 2025 the Ministry of Economy and Tourism announced new trademark service fees:
- members of the "National SME Programme" get a 50% reduction in all fees;
- People of Determination are exempt from trademark service fees;
- filing an infringement complaint costs AED 2,250, a grievance against refusal of registration AED 5,000, and converting a national mark to an international one AED 400.
Other Ministry trademark services
Besides registration and renewal, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's list of services includes:
| Service | Use |
|---|---|
| Licence to use a trademark | Recording permission the owner gives another party to use the mark |
| Trademark product modification | Changing the list of goods or services the mark is registered for |
| "To whom it may concern" certificate for a registered mark | An official registration certificate to show others |
| Copy of the trademark registration certificate | Obtaining another copy of the certificate |
| Trademark agent registration | Registering someone who files applications for others |
The fee announcement of 21 October 2025 lists registering a "geographical indication" at AED 6,500 and a grievance by a party whose objection was dismissed at AED 7,500. If your mark is linked to the name of a region or a local product, look at these services too.
Renewal
The "renew registration of trademark" service page says renewal extends protection for another 10 years:
| When renewing | Final renewal fee |
|---|---|
| In the tenth year, i.e. the final year of protection | AED 5,750 |
| At most 6 months after protection ends | AED 6,500 |
The AED 750 publication fee is separate from the renewal fee.
Three examples
These examples are hypothetical and only put the official fees above side by side.
| Case | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Regular registration of one mark | 750 + 750 + 5,000 | AED 6,500 |
| Registration with one-day examination | 2,250 + 750 + 5,000 | AED 8,000 |
| Regular registration for a member of the National SME Programme | 50% discount on AED 6,500 | AED 3,250 |
If the owner pays the final registration fee three months after the deadline, a fine of AED 3,000 is added under the fines table. Agent and translation costs are not included.
Practical points
- Registering the company's trade name does not replace registering a trademark; follow up both separately.
- After acceptance, track the payment deadlines; the late fine on the final registration fee is AED 1,000 a month.
- Put the tenth year in the calendar for renewal; renewing after protection ends costs more.
- If you are a member of the National SME Programme, check the 50% discount before paying.
Royal Golden does not give legal advice on intellectual property. This article is general information and not legal advice.
Sources
- UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, register trademark — https://www.moet.gov.ae/en/w/register-trademark%C2%A0 (checked on 24 October 2026)
- UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, renew registration of trademark — https://www.moet.gov.ae/en/w/renew-registration-of-trademark (checked on 24 October 2026)
- UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, trademark service fees announced (21 October 2025) — https://www.moet.gov.ae/en/-/ministry-of-economy-and-tourism-introduces-trademark-service-fees-as-part-of-efforts-to-enhance-uae-s-appeal-for-national-and-international-brands-and-support-sme-owners (checked on 24 October 2026)
- UAE Government portal, intellectual property — https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/business/Business-laws-and-compliance/intellectual-property (checked on 24 October 2026)
- UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, trademark services — https://www.moet.gov.ae/en/w/trademark-services-1 (via the search index; checked on 24 October 2026)