Mexico · IMPI Filing

In Mexico, first to file wins — make sure that's you.*

Mexico is first-to-file. Flat fee, registered Mexican IP attorney, clearance included. We file directly with IMPI — Spanish-language drafting and the mandatory declaration-of-use handled for you.

Last updated May 2026

Complete Package

Complete Mexico trademark registration

Have a Mexican IP attorney prepare and file your trade mark with IMPI — drafted to clear examination under the Mexican Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property.

Real applications, real registrations — across the US and other jurisdictions. Live count from our case management system.

We file directly in the US and coordinate through partner counsel for international protection via the Madrid Protocol and national routes.

Plus 50+ partner attorneys across multiple jurisdictions, so your US filing and your international rollout sit with one accountable team.

Do

• File at IMPI early — Mexico is strictly first-to-file with no prior-use defence for unregistered foreign marks.
• Draft the specification in Spanish — IMPI examiners examine in Spanish and reject English-only specifications.
• Calendar the 3-year Declaration of Use and the 10-year renewal-and-declaration — missing either cancels the registration.
• Diary the 1-month opposition window after publication in the IMPI Gazette.
• Notarise and apostille the Spanish-language power of attorney early — Mexican formalities take 3-4 weeks.

Don't

• Don't miss the 3-year Declaration of Use — Mexican law mandates it, and IMPI cancels marks that miss it.
• Don't assume your US registration covers Mexico — USMCA does not grant cross-border trademark rights.
• Don't pick descriptive or laudatory Spanish terms — they fail under Article 173 absolute grounds.
• Don't ignore IMPI office actions — the response window is 2 months from notification.
• Don't file only the Latin-character mark if a Spanish-language equivalent matters in your market.

Conflict with an earlier mark (Article 173, XVIII)

An earlier identical or similar Mexican registration covers the same or similar goods. A pre-filing IMPI clearance search catches this before you spend MXN 3,106.

Lack of distinctiveness (Article 173, IV-VI)

The mark is generic, descriptive, or laudatory in Spanish. Your attorney argues acquired distinctiveness or refines the specification.

Geographic indication or origin (Article 173, X-XII)

Mexico applies strict GI protection (e.g. Tequila, Mezcal). Marks that suggest a protected geographic origin are refused unless the applicant qualifies.

Public-policy or prohibited-sign refusals (Article 173, I-III)

Includes Mexican state symbols, names of government services, religious symbols, and protected official insignia. We screen for these at intake.

Your Customer Success Team

A real team that owns your matter — not a ticket queue.

Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing — real people who pick up the phone, so you never re-explain your brand or chase a queue.

A real person, on email or a call — at every step.

A Mexico trademark registration, granted by the Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) in Mexico City, gives you exclusive rights to use your brand name, logo, or slogan across Mexico for the registered Nice classes of goods and services. Mexico is one of the largest Spanish-speaking trademark markets in the world and a critical USMCA jurisdiction for any North American brand.

What an IMPI registration actually gives you

• Exclusive use of your mark across Mexico (all 32 federal entities) for the registered Nice classes.
• The legal right to use the registered trade mark symbol ® in Mexico.
• A basis for Mexican customs enforcement at major land crossings (Nuevo Laredo, Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez) and Pacific/Gulf ports.
• The right to sue infringers in the Mexican federal courts with statutory presumption of validity.
• A basing application for Madrid Protocol international filings (Mexico joined Madrid in 2013).
• A 10-year registration term, renewable indefinitely.

Why a Mexican attorney matters

IMPI is a Spanish-language office. The specification of goods must be drafted in Spanish, examination is conducted in Spanish, and the mandatory 3-year Declaration of Use must be filed in Spanish before a Mexican attorney. Missing the Declaration of Use cancels the registration — there is no automatic grace period for foreign applicants. A registered Mexican IP attorney handles the diary and the formalities so the registration survives the 3-year and 10-year milestones.

The 3-year and 10-year Declaration of Use

Mexico is one of the few major jurisdictions that requires an interim Declaration of Use 3 years after registration — independent of the 10-year renewal-and-declaration. A registration that misses either declaration is cancelled by IMPI. For foreign brands serving Mexico through distributors, dated invoices and product photographs are the standard evidence package. We set up the 3-year and 10-year diary at registration and notify you in time to gather evidence and file.

Start your Mexico trademark

Tell us about your brand and a GTC attorney will review it and email a flat-fee quote — no payment, no obligation.

Filing in 10+ countries?

Consider Madrid Protocol instead of Mexico alone.

One Madrid international application filed via WIPO can register your trademark across the 130+ countries in the Madrid System — including Mexico — from a single submission instead of separate national filings. We price international filings per matter and quote your exact country list.

Talk to a Mexican trademark attorney

Protect your brand in Mexico.

Book a free 30-minute consultation with a Mexican-experienced trademark attorney. We'll review your brand, recommend the right jurisdictions, and quote a flat fee — no obligation.