Foreign Applicant China Trademark Filing Materials Checklist

1. Who is the applicant?

Foreign company / legal entity Foreign individual / natural person

2. Filing route?

Direct CNIPA national application (via a Chinese agent) Madrid Protocol — designation of China

3. Claim Paris Convention priority from an earlier home-country application?

No priority Yes — claim 6-month priority

Your document list

Official fees at filing (CNIPA, per class)

Item	Online filing	Paper filing
Application — 1 class, up to 10 goods/services items	CNY 270	CNY 300
Each item beyond 10 in the same class	CNY 27	CNY 30

These are government fees only; the Chinese agent's service fee is separate. Use the Fee Calculator and Budget Planner for totals.

Key rules foreign applicants often get wrong

Power of attorney — no notarization or legalization. For trademark matters a signed POA is enough; unlike patents or litigation, notarization and consular legalization are not required. A POA issued by a foreigner or foreign enterprise must also state the principal's nationality (Implementing Regulations, Art. 5). Identity documents need a Chinese translation. Foreign companies submit a copy of the certificate of incorporation / business registration; foreign individuals submit a passport or ID copy. The applicant name must match the identity document; the application is processed in Chinese. Mark specimen: one clear drawing, 5–10 cm. Length and width no more than 10 cm and no less than 5 cm; a high-resolution JPG for e-filing. Supply colour and a black-and-white version strategy with the agent. Goods/services must be in Chinese with Nice classes. Use the current Nice Classification (NCL) Chinese list — an over-broad or mistranslated specification causes refusals. Use the Nice Class Picker for the 45 classes. Priority: 6 months to file, plus 3 months for the certified copy. Claim priority within 6 months of the first filing (Paris Convention / Trademark Law Art. 25; Art. 29 of the amended law effective 1 Jan 2027). The certified copy of the first application, issued by the origin office and showing its date and number, must be supplied within 3 months of the Chinese filing, with a Chinese translation. Madrid route has different paperwork. Designating China through WIPO needs no Chinese POA or Chinese translation at the international stage; you file through your home office and CNIPA may issue a provisional refusal (respond within the stated deadline, usually 15 days for the Chinese review).

Foreign Applicant — China Trademark Filing Materials Checklist

Your document list

Official fees at filing (CNIPA, per class)

Key rules foreign applicants often get wrong