New UK official fees have applied since 1 April 2026. A direct UK application now costs GBP 205 for one class and GBP 60 for each further class, and renewal is GBP 245 plus GBP 60 per class. The change also reset the individual fee the UK charges when you designate it through the Madrid System. EU designations were not touched: they follow EU trademark law and WIPO's rules, not the UK schedule.
We file Madrid designations and direct national applications for brands every week. Here is the practical plan we use with clients who want both UK and EU coverage: what the UK now costs, when a Madrid designation beats a direct filing, and how to keep the EU track on its own rails.
What changed on 1 April 2026 for UK trademark fees?
The UK government revised its intellectual property fees under the Intellectual Property Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocation and Transitional Provisions) Rules 2026. The old rates applied through 31 March 2026; the new rates apply to everything filed from 1 April 2026. For trademarks the headline figures are:
- Application: GBP 205 for one class, GBP 60 for each further class.
- Renewal: GBP 245 plus GBP 60 per class, every 10 years.
- Opposition (form TM7): GBP 250.
- Recording an assignment (form TM16): GBP 60.
Madrid designations of the UK are affected too. When you designate the UK in an international application, a subsequent designation, or a Madrid renewal, WIPO collects an individual fee for the UK set in Swiss francs. That individual fee tracks the UK's national schedule, so it moved with the April change. WIPO's fee calculator shows the current amount for any combination of countries and classes.
Does the UK change affect EU designations under Madrid?
No. The UK is a national designation within the Madrid System. The EU is a regional designation governed by EU trademark law and WIPO's Madrid rules. The UK schedule does not govern EU designation fees or EU practice.
For reference, a direct EU application at the EUIPO costs EUR 850 for one class, EUR 50 for the second, and EUR 150 for each further class, and one registration covers all 27 Member States. If you plan to cover both the UK and the EU, treat them as two parallel tracks with different fee schedules and different examination practice. Our EU trademark service covers the direct route.
Who is affected and which filings are in scope?
Anyone who designates the UK through the Madrid System, and anyone filing directly at the UKIPO. That includes:
- International applications that include a UK designation.
- Subsequent designations of the UK added to an existing international registration.
- Renewals of international registrations where the UK individual fee applies.
- Direct UK applications, renewals, oppositions, and recordals filed at the UKIPO.
Before you finalize a budget, confirm the treatment of each filing in the official UKIPO fee tables or the WIPO calculator. Provider price lists often mix official fees with service charges.
Madrid designation or direct UK filing: which is cheaper now?
The answer depends on how many countries you need, not on the UK fee alone.
Direct UK filing makes sense when:
- The UK is the only country you are adding, or one of two.
- You want the fastest route to a UK examiner. A clean direct application often registers in about four months.
- You do not have a home application to base a Madrid filing on, or your home mark is not yet secure. A Madrid registration depends on the home mark for five years.
- You need flexibility to draft the UK specification differently from your home mark.
A Madrid designation of the UK makes sense when:
- You are already filing an international application for three or more countries and want one form, one currency, and one renewal date.
- You hold an international registration and can add the UK as a subsequent designation without a new base.
- Centralized management matters more than a few weeks of speed.
Either way, non-UK applicants need a UK address for service, and a Madrid designation that meets an objection or an opposition needs UK counsel to answer it. Our UK trademark service provides the address and the attorney for both routes, and our Madrid Protocol filing service prepares the international application and chooses the designations with you. Current package prices are on our pricing page.
How should you plan subsequent designations and EU coverage?
- If the UK is a must-have market in the next 12 months, add it now, direct or by subsequent designation, provided the specification is ready and the mark is cleared for the UK.
- If the UK is a nice-to-have, do not force a weak or unvetted specification. A refusal costs more than the fee you were trying to save.
- Keep the EU plan separate. Decide between an EU designation via Madrid and a direct EU application based on your clearance, classes, and risk tolerance. The UK change does not alter that analysis. For process detail, see our guides to the UK and EU systems: How to Register a UK Trademark: Complete 2026 Guide and How to Register an EU Trademark (EUTM): Complete 2026 Guide.
Attorney tip from recent Madrid work: filings most often trip on mismatched owner names or addresses across the home mark, the WIPO form, and supporting documents. Fixing that after the fact costs more than any fee difference between routes.
What about renewals and portfolio budgeting?
International registrations renew on a 10-year cycle. Where the UK individual fee applies at renewal, the current schedule sets the amount. Direct UK registrations renew at GBP 245 plus GBP 60 per class.
Budgeting steps we use with in-house teams:
- Group renewals by month and flag every UK-covered registration, direct or Madrid.
- Price each at the current UK rate, then validate against the official table before finance sign-off.
- Reserve a buffer for specification clean-ups or owner updates, which add professional time even when official fees are fixed.
For EU renewals, use the EUIPO's rules and schedule. Our overview of EU renewal timing is here: EU Trademark Renewal: EUIPO Deadlines, Grace Periods, and Costs.
Common pitfalls we see on UK and EU Madrid work
- Conflating official and professional fees. WIPO and UKIPO official fees are separate from any attorney or provider charge. Keep them on different lines.
- Filing a vague or over-broad specification. That triggers Madrid irregularity notices and UK objections.
- Leaving holder details to the last minute. Record name changes, mergers, and address updates before you file, not after.
- Assuming the EU follows the UK change. It does not. EU fees and practice are set under EU law.
- Forgetting the address for service. Papers that never reach a responsible representative are how deadlines get missed.
How we build a UK-EU Madrid plan
A typical playbook when a company wants both UK and EU coverage:
- Clear the mark in the UK and the EU. Lock the core goods and services per region.
- Decide the routes. Madrid for both, or Madrid for one and direct for the other, based on how many other countries are in the plan.
- File the home application first if you do not have one; it is the base for Madrid and the source of a six-month priority claim.
- File the UK designation or direct UK application, and the EU designation or direct EU application, within the priority window.
- Docket the renewals and set up a watch. Track UK and EU deadlines separately.
If you hold comparable UK registrations cloned from pre-Brexit EU marks, coordinate renewals across both registers so you do not pay twice for overlapping rights you no longer need. Background here: Brexit Cloned Trademarks in 2026: Maintenance, Renewals, and Avoiding Dual-Filing Pitfalls. For a plain-English overview of the UK system, see our UK country guide.
Where should you verify fees?
- UK fee levels and class structures: the UKIPO's trade mark forms and fees page.
- Madrid individual fees for the UK, the EU, and every other member: WIPO's Madrid fee calculator.
- EU direct filing fees: the EUIPO's fee page.
Avoid vendor or aggregator summaries for fee amounts. Many mix official fees with service charges or quote figures that are out of date.
We are an attorney-led team that files Madrid designations and direct national or regional applications every day. If you want a plan that gets the UK and the EU covered at the right price in the right order, we can run it start to finish.
Related reading:
- How to Register a UK Trademark: Complete 2026 Guide
- How to Register an EU Trademark (EUTM): Complete 2026 Guide
- EU Trademark Renewal: EUIPO Deadlines, Grace Periods, and Costs
Sources
Need help with your trademark?
Get a free trademark check from our specialists, no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the new UK official fees take effect?
On 1 April 2026. The old rates applied only up to and including 31 March 2026.
What does a UK trademark cost now?
A direct UK application is GBP 205 for one class and GBP 60 for each further class. Renewal is GBP 245 plus GBP 60 per class every 10 years. Opposition is GBP 250.
Which Madrid filings are affected by the UK fee change?
International registrations that designate the UK: UK designations in an international application, subsequent designations of the UK, and renewals where the UK individual fee applies. WIPO's fee calculator shows the current individual fee.
Are UK and EU Madrid designations treated the same?
No. The UK is a national designation with fees set under UK law. The EU is a regional designation governed by EU trademark law and WIPO rules. A direct EU application costs EUR 850 for one class.
Is it cheaper to designate the UK through Madrid or to file directly?
For one or two countries, direct filing is usually simpler and faster. For three or more countries, a Madrid application with a UK designation usually saves on paperwork and gives one renewal date. We compare both for every client.
