Trademark Registration in Vietnam 2026: Procedure, Requirements, Cost and Timeline
Vietnam changed several trademark-procedure timelines from 1 April 2026. Foreign applicants should therefore avoid relying mechanically on older 2024-2025 guides. The current framework shortens publication, substantive examination and opposition periods, while introducing an accelerated substantive-examination mechanism for qualifying trademark applications.
For trademark applications published from 1 April 2026, substantive examination is 5 months from publication and the opposition period is 3 months. Publication is shortened to 1 month after the application is considered valid. Qualifying applications may request accelerated substantive examination within the 3-month statutory period.
1. Who can file a trademark in Vietnam?
Vietnamese and foreign applicants may seek protection. A foreign individual not permanently residing in Vietnam, or a foreign organization without a production or business establishment in Vietnam, must file through a lawful representative in Vietnam. Foreign applicants may also designate Vietnam through the Madrid System where eligible.
2. What documents are typically required?
- Trademark application/declaration in the prescribed form.
- A representation of the mark and the list of goods/services.
- Power of attorney where filing through a representative.
- Priority documents if priority is claimed.
- Evidence of filing entitlement or special permissions where relevant.
- Additional regulations/documents for collective or certification marks.
Application materials are handled in Vietnamese, so foreign counsel should plan translation and local filing instructions accordingly.
3. Recommended pre-filing step: search and registrability review
A search is not merely an optional convenience. It can identify earlier conflicting rights before the applicant incurs filing, translation, representative and launch costs. Lawdoc can be used to search the Vietnam database and run AI-assisted similarity and registrability screening before the formal filing instruction is sent.
4. Main stages of a national application
- Filing and formality examination: the application is checked for formal compliance.
- Publication: under the 2026 framework, a valid trademark application is published within 1 month after it is considered valid.
- Opposition window: third parties may file an opposition within 3 months from publication.
- Substantive examination: the statutory period is 5 months from publication for applications within the new regime.
- Grant or refusal: if protection conditions are met and required fees are paid, IP Vietnam proceeds with registration; otherwise the applicant may receive an office action/refusal process.
5. Accelerated examination in 2026
The 2025 IP Law amendments and implementing 2026 regulations introduced accelerated substantive examination for trademark applications in cases specified by the Government. Where the conditions are met and the request is accepted, the statutory accelerated examination period is 3 months from the relevant starting point. This is not an automatic option for every filing.
6. What does trademark registration cost?
Official charges depend on the number of classes, number of goods/services, priority claims and other procedural requirements. Professional fees are separate. See the dedicated Lawdoc cost article for the current 2026 fee structure and the temporary 2026 reductions that are scheduled to change in 2027.
7. How long does the process take in practice?
Statutory examination periods and real-world elapsed time are not always the same. Formal defects, amendments, oppositions, objections, classification issues or procedural backlogs can extend a case. Foreign counsel should avoid promising a fixed grant date and instead communicate the statutory stages plus case-specific variables.
8. Where Lawdoc fits in the filing lifecycle
Lawdoc is strongest at the pre-filing stage: search, AI similarity analysis, registrability triage and strategic escalation to Vietnam counsel. After filing, the platform can also support monitoring and portfolio management workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must I conduct a search before filing?
It is not a mandatory filing document, but it is a prudent risk-management step.
Can a foreign company file directly?
A foreign organization without a qualifying establishment in Vietnam must file through a lawful Vietnam representative.
Do the 2026 statutory periods guarantee registration within a fixed number of months?
No. They are procedural time limits; office actions, opposition and other case-specific events can extend the real timeline.
Conclusion
A strong Vietnam filing starts before the filing date: clear the mark, choose the correct owner and specification, understand the 2026 procedure and use the right local representation route. Lawdoc can support the clearance and triage stage before foreign counsel issues filing instructions.
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