How to Register a Trademark in Nepal: A Step-by-Step Guide

Before you file: what the law expects

Trademark registration in Nepal runs under the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act, 2022 BS (1965) — the PDTA — administered by the Department of Industry (DOI) in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu. No prior use is required, but each application covers a single Nice class under Section 18A: a tea brand sold packaged and served in its own restaurant files separate Class 30 and Class 43 applications, each with its own fee and its own renewal clock.

Two things decide most outcomes before any form is touched: whether an earlier identical or deceptively similar mark exists (Section 18(1), the dominant refusal ground), and whether your goods or services wording is precise. Both are fixable in advance; neither is cheap to fix after a refusal.

How to register a trademark in Nepal: the process, step by step

The sequence below is the practical journey of a domestic application with no objections.

1. 1

   Search the register

   Screen the proposed name against registered marks and published applications in your classes — including Devanagari transliterations, since cross-script sound-alikes count as conflicts. Most doomed applications were doomed on filing day; the search reveals it while changing course is still free.

   Run the free Trademark Conflict Checker
2. 2

   Fix the class and the specification

   Map each product to its Nice class and draft the goods wording precisely — 'packaged tea', not 'quality goods'. Over-broad wording invites a descriptive objection; wording that misses the product line leaves it unprotected.

   Find your class with the NICE Class Finder
3. 3

   Prepare the Schedule 1(c) application

   The form states the applicant, the mark, the class and the specification. Four printed specimens of the mark — in practice, labels of roughly 8×8 cm — accompany it, together with the applicant documents (or a notarised Power of Attorney for foreign filers).

4. 4

   File and pay

   Submit class by class with NPR 1,000 per application. The DOI records the filing — the darta date — and examination begins.

5. 5

   Examination and response

   The DOI examines formality and substance, above all Section 18(1) similarity. Objections issue in writing and must be answered within the stated period; a slow response is the quietest way to lose months.

6. 6

   Publication and the 90-day opposition window

   An accepted application publishes in the Industrial Property Bulletin, opening roughly 90 days in which any interested party may oppose. Unopposed marks proceed; opposed ones enter a separate proceeding.

7. 7

   Registration and certificate

   With the window closed, pay the NPR 5,000 registration fee per class, and the mark enters the register with its certificate. The 7-year term — and the renewal calendar — starts from that registration date.

Fees and dates at each stage

Official fees are charged per application, per class, under Schedule 3. The figures below reflect current practice; confirm exact rates at the DOI before paying.

How long it takes, and what slows it down

An unopposed domestic application commonly registers in roughly 6 to 12 months: formality and substantive examination take time, the Bulletin publishes on the DOI's own rhythm, and the 90-day window runs from publication regardless. Objections, oppositions or an incomplete document set stretch the timeline — sometimes by a year or more.

The recurring failure points are all preventable: skipping the search, choosing the wrong class, generic specification wording, missing applicant documents, and slow responses to examination letters.

Documents by applicant type

Domestic applicants attach company or industry registration, tax clearance and PAN details. Foreign applicants file through a local authorised agent under a notarised Power of Attorney, plus evidence of home-country registration or priority documents where the Paris Convention's six-month priority is claimed. The POA is the document foreign filers most often get wrong — it should be in hand before the filing date, not chased afterwards.

After the certificate: the obligations that keep it alive

Registration is a milestone, not a finish line. Use the mark within one year of registration — a mark unused in that window invites DOI inquiry and cancellation under Section 18C — and keep dated evidence of use. Renew on time inside the 35-day window every seventh year, and record transfers or name changes as they happen so the register points to the true owner.

One more habit separates defended brands from lucky ones: watching the Bulletin so a later conflicting application is opposed while the 90-day window is open — not discovered after it has registered.