Filing a Madrid trademark through Serbia

Who can use Serbia as the office of origin

Under the Madrid Protocol the applicant must be a national of Serbia, be domiciled in Serbia or have a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment in Serbia. A Serbian limited company (d.o.o.) that actually operates qualifies; a residence permit with a real address also does. A mailbox company without activity is a weak basis and can be challenged later.

The international application must rest on a Serbian application or registration for the same mark, filed by the same applicant, with a list of goods and services that is the same or narrower. So the first step is always a Serbian filing.

Fees in Swiss francs

WIPO charges a basic fee of 653 francs (903 francs for a mark in colour), a complementary fee of 100 francs for each designated country that has no individual fee, a supplementary fee of 100 francs per class above three for those countries, and individual fees set by countries that have opted for them. The Serbian Office charges 10,660 dinars for forwarding the application.

Individual fees according to the WIPO table as of 24 October 2026: the EU 789 francs for the first class, 48 for the second and 144 for each further class; the United States 460 per class; China 220 for the first class and 110 for each further class; the United Arab Emirates 1,420 per class; Switzerland 400 for up to three classes and 50 for each further; the United Kingdom 240 for the first class and 64 for each further. The calculator below adds them up.

Madrid or direct EUIPO filing

For the EU alone, EUIPO's own fees are lower: 850 euros for one class, 50 for the second and 150 for each further class, against roughly 1,440 francs under Madrid for one class, plus the Serbian basic filing. Madrid wins when the EU is one of several markets, because everything is filed, renewed and amended once, and no foreign representative is needed unless a refusal or opposition arrives.

A practical middle way: file in Serbia and directly at EUIPO for the EU, and use Madrid for the US, China, the UAE, Switzerland and the UK. Which combination is cheapest depends on the number of classes and countries, and we calculate it before filing.

Dependency and other risks

For five years the international registration depends on the Serbian basic mark. If the Serbian application is refused, withdrawn or the mark is cancelled, the international registration falls in every designated country, with a three-month window to transform it into national applications at full national fees. Make sure the Serbian basis is cleared and solid before you build on it.

The list of goods cannot be broader than the Serbian one, each designated office can refuse within 12 or 18 months, and in the United States you must file a declaration of use between the fifth and sixth year or lose the registration.

Timeline

Serbian application filed electronically on day one. International application filed through the Serbian Office within six months, so the Serbian filing date becomes the priority date abroad. WIPO records the registration within a few months and notifies the designated offices, which have 12 or 18 months to refuse. Protection abroad runs ten years from the international registration date and is renewed with one payment.

Frequently asked questions