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Trademark Registration in UAE: What Changed from 2024 to 2026
This page was first written in November 2024. Rather than delete it, we keep it as a record of how the UAE trademark system has changed since, so that anyone who filed under the 2024 rules can see what now applies. The current process is on trademark registration in the UAE.
What has changed since 2024
| Topic | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Authority name | Ministry of Economy (MoE / MoEc) | Ministry of Economy & Tourism (MoET); portal moved to moet.gov.ae |
| Fee schedule | Pre-2025 schedule | Cabinet Resolution No. 102 of 2025, in force 14 Nov 2025 |
| Standard fees (750 / 750 / 5,000) | Same | Same – AED 6,500 total per class |
| Expedited examination | Not available | One-day examination, AED 2,250 |
| Renewal tiers | Several overlapping late categories | Two tiers: AED 6,500 in year 10, AED 7,250 in the 6-month grace period |
| SME discount | – | 50% on all fees for National Programme for SMEs members; People of Determination exempt |
| Classification | Nice 12th edition | Nice 13th edition from 27 January 2026 |
| Legalised documents | Strict deadline | Administrative Decision No. 2 of 2026 (25 March 2026) allows temporary extra time to submit legalised POAs |
What has not changed
- Governing law: Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021.
- Ten-year protection from the filing date, renewable indefinitely.
- First-to-file principle; one application per class.
- 30-day opposition period after publication; bulletin issued twice a month.
- Foreign applicants must use a registered agent with a legalised power of attorney.
- Non-use for five consecutive years exposes a mark to cancellation.
If you filed in 2024
- Marks filed in 2024 are examined and published under the rules in force at each stage; fees due after 14 November 2025 are charged at the new schedule.
- Goods lists drafted under Nice 12 remain valid for those filings; new filings from 27 January 2026 must follow Nice 13.
- Your renewal falls in 2034 – see the renewal guide.
Current guides
Related guides
Well-Known Trademarks in the UAE: Protection Without Registration
How the UAE protects well-known (famous) marks under Decree-Law 36/2021 even if unregistered, what evidence proves fame.
Trademark Registration for Free Zone Companies in the UAE (DMCC, JAFZA, DIFC, ADGM, RAKEZ and others)
Free-zone companies register trademarks with MoET like any UAE company. Accepted licences, name matching, filing for holding companies.