Trademark Registration in Liechtenstein
A prepared file for the Office of Economic Affairs, filed by a licensed Liechtenstein patent attorney or lawyer, with the official fees and deadlines stated up front.
- CHF 400 for up to three classes
- Protection for ten years
- Three months for oppositions
What we do for your trademark filing
Anyone may file a Liechtenstein trademark: a person, a company or a Liechtenstein foundation that holds the family's brands. LFT prepares the file, collects the documents and coordinates. A licensed Liechtenstein patent attorney or lawyer, named in your engagement letter, files and acts in the proceedings.
The Office of Economic Affairs receives the application, examines absolute grounds and enters the mark. The right arises with entry in the register, not with use, and the first to file holds it.
What's included
Collecting the file
We collect the applicant's details, the mark as it will be shown in the register, and your own description of the goods or services.
Goods and services list
The licensed partner drafts and classifies the list. Trademark advice and representation are reserved to licensed patent attorneys and lawyers (Patent Attorneys Act Art. 8, RAG Art. 8).
Register search results
We gather what the Office's register shows for your sign and pass it on. The licensed partner assesses it.
Representation and power of attorney
We choose the route under Art. 39 with you and prepare the power of attorney for your signature.
Filing and fees
The applicant or the partner files with the Office. Official fees are paid in Swiss francs, in advance.
Deadlines in your file
We keep the opposition and renewal dates in your file. If an owner opposes, the licensed partner answers.
Who it is for
Who must act for you before the Office
Question: Where is the applicant based?
Condition: No domicile, seat or establishment in Liechtenstein, another EEA state or Switzerland
Outcome: Act through a Liechtenstein lawyer or patent attorney
LFT prepares, the licensed partner files
Condition: Domicile, seat or establishment in an EEA state or Switzerland
Outcome: Name an address for service
LFT prepares, the licensed partner files
No base in Liechtenstein, the EEA or Switzerland
You must act through a lawyer or patent attorney established in Liechtenstein, under Art. 39(1) of the Trademark Act.
Based in an EEA state or Switzerland
You need only an address for service in Liechtenstein (Art. 39(2)). We prepare the file either way.
Brands held in a structure
A Liechtenstein holding company can own the marks, or you can start by buying an existing AG or Anstalt instead of forming one. Residence is not a condition of filing (MSchG Art. 29(1)).
Relocating families and regulated businesses
Families relocating a family to Liechtenstein may also file their brand, and a business may need a licence application prepared for the Financial Market Authority beside it.
How the process works
The law fixes no examination period, so no time is given for the Office's work.
Eight steps of a Liechtenstein trademark filing
Optional register search
Who acts: LFT gathers, partner assesses
Choose representation
Who acts: Client, LFT
Prepare the application; Paris priority within six months of a first filing
Who acts: LFT, licensed partner
Term: six months
File and pay; filing date once the required documents are in
Who acts: Applicant or partner
Examination of absolute grounds; appeal to the Government within 30 days of service
Who acts: Office; partner
Term: 30 days
Opposition window from publication; owner answers within one month, opponent has two months
Who acts: Partner
Term: three months
Confirmation of registration after publication in the official gazette
Who acts: Office
Maintain: ten-year term, renewal in the last twelve months, five years of non-use
Who acts: LFT keeps the dates
The statutory windows run from priority to renewal; the Office's examination has no fixed period.
Register search (optional)
We gather what the Office's public register shows for your sign; the law does not require a search and fixes no time for it. Who: LFT, licensed partner.
Choose representation
Under Art. 39, a lawyer or patent attorney in Liechtenstein, or an address for service; the power of attorney is signed. Who: client, LFT.
Prepare the application
Applicant, mark, goods and services list; a Paris priority claim within six months of a first filing elsewhere. Who: LFT, licensed partner.
File and pay
Filed online or on paper with the fees in advance; the filing date is the day the Art. 29(2) documents are in. Who: applicant or licensed partner.
Examination
The Office checks formal defects, unpaid fees and absolute grounds; a refusal can be appealed to the Government within 30 days of service. Who: Office, licensed partner.
Opposition window
Three months from publication; the mark owner answers within one month, then the opponent has two months. Who: licensed partner.
Confirmation of registration
After publication in the official gazette, the Office sends the confirmation to the owner or the representative. Who: Office.
Maintain the mark
Renew in the last twelve months of the ten-year term, and use the mark within five years. Who: owner, LFT keeps the dates.
Which representation does your mark need?
Tell us where you are based and what the mark covers. The plan lists the route, the documents and the official fees.
Documents you will need
- Applicant's name or firm, and address
- The mark exactly as it is to be shown in the register
- The goods or services, in your own words
- A signed power of attorney, where Art. 39(1) applies
- A priority document, if you filed first elsewhere within six months
- Supporting documents not older than one year
- The owner's consent, where an agent files in its own name
- The official fees in Swiss francs, paid in advance
Official fees and deadlines
Statutory fees in Swiss francs under the fee ordinance LGBl. 1997 Nr. 78, paid in advance. Our own fees and the partner's are on request.
Official Liechtenstein trademark fees, paid in Swiss francs and in advance
| Item | Fee in CHF | What it covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing | 400 | Up to three classes | Fee ordinance |
| Additional class | 50 | Each class after the third | Fee ordinance |
| Accelerated examination | 300 | On request, on top of the filing fee | Fee ordinance |
| Opposition | 800 | Opposition proceedings | Fee ordinance |
| Revocation or invalidity | 800 | Revocation or invalidity proceedings | Fee ordinance |
| Renewal | 400 | Up to three classes | Fee ordinance |
| Late renewal | 100 | Additional, up to six months after expiry | Fee ordinance |
| Change of representative | 100 | Entry of a new representative | Fee ordinance |
| Division | 400 | Division of a registration | Fee ordinance |
| Register extract | 35 | Per mark | Fee ordinance |
| Madrid request | 200 | Transmitted by the Office, besides the WIPO fees | Fee ordinance |
Source: fee ordinance LGBl. 1997 Nr. 78.
Periods the Trademark Act fixes
| Period | Length | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Term of protection | Ten years from the filing date, renewable for ten years | MSchG Art. 10 |
| Opposition after publication | Three months | MSchG Art. 31a |
| Appeal to the Government | 30 days from service | MSchG Art. 33 |
| Paris priority | Six months from the first filing | MSchG Art. 7(1) |
| Non-use | Five uninterrupted years without genuine use | MSchG Art. 12 |
| Renewal request | Last twelve months before expiry; up to six months after it with the additional fee | MSchG Art. 10 |
Source: MSchG, consolidated text including the amendment LGBl. 2026 Nr. 148.
Problems we solve
The Office does not check earlier marks
It examines absolute grounds only. An earlier owner objects by opposition within three months of publication, so a register search before filing is worth considering.
An EU trade mark is not a Liechtenstein registration
The Office describes the EUIPO route as protection in EU member states. Liechtenstein is reached by a national filing or a Madrid designation.
A mark filed in an agent's own name
Without the owner's consent it is excluded, and the owner can oppose (Art. 31a). For a holder, see what the sources say about holding a mark through a licensed trustee.
Looking up the register first
The register is public. The Online Register holds only marks actively registered and published in Liechtenstein.
Missed deadlines
Renewal is possible up to six months late with an additional CHF 100; further processing is excluded for the renewal deadline. Five years of non-use bar enforcement.
Ready to have the file prepared for the Office?
Send us the mark and the goods or services. We prepare the file; the licensed partner files it.
Why work with us
Dominik Heeb, our corporate files lead, prepares the file that the licensed patent attorney or lawyer files. LFT is not a patent attorney or lawyer and gives no view that a mark is registrable or free of earlier rights; legal advice stays with a lawyer under the RAG.
Trademark registration in Liechtenstein: questions
Must a foreign applicant use a Liechtenstein lawyer or patent attorney?
It depends on where the applicant is based. A party with no domicile, seat or establishment in Liechtenstein, another EEA state or Switzerland must act through a Liechtenstein lawyer or patent attorney. One based in an EEA state or Switzerland needs only an address for service. LFT prepares the file; the licensed partner files and acts.
What is an address for service, and which applicants need only that?
An address for service is a person or firm established in Liechtenstein that is appointed to receive the Office's documents. It is enough for a party with domicile, seat or establishment in an EEA state or Switzerland. LFT does not offer itself in that role on this page.
Can I register a trademark without living or having a company in Liechtenstein?
Yes. Anyone may file, and domicile or establishment is not a condition of filing. It decides how you act in the proceedings: through an address for service, or through a Liechtenstein lawyer or patent attorney. We prepare the file and the licensed partner conducts the filing.
What does the Office charge, and how many classes does the basic fee cover?
The Office charges CHF 400 for up to three classes and CHF 50 for each class after the third. Accelerated examination costs CHF 300 and an opposition CHF 800. Fees are paid in Swiss francs in advance. Our own fees and the partner's fees are given on request.
How long does registration take?
The Trademark Act fixes no examination period, so this page quotes none. The periods it does fix are three months to oppose after publication, 30 days to appeal, and a protection term of ten years. Accelerated examination is available for an additional fee.
Does the Office look for earlier conflicting marks, and what happens when an owner objects?
The Office examines absolute grounds for refusal. An earlier owner raises similarity through an opposition within three months of publication. The mark owner answers within one month, the opponent has two months, and the parties may ask for at least two months to settle. The opposition fee is CHF 800.
Does an EU trade mark protect me in Liechtenstein?
The Office describes an EUIPO application as protection in the member states of the EU. Liechtenstein is reached by a national filing or by designating it in a Madrid registration. This page quotes no EU fee and does not state that an EU trade mark covers Liechtenstein.
If I hold a Swiss or an international registration, do I still need a national one?
An international registration with effect for Liechtenstein has the same effect as a national application and registration. For a Swiss national registration, the sources used here say only that use in Switzerland counts as use. A shared protection territory with Switzerland exists for patents only.
Can an agent or nominee file the mark on my behalf?
A mark filed in the agent's or representative's own name without the owner's consent is excluded unless the agent justifies the act, and the owner can oppose. This page claims no statutory basis for nominee holding of marks; the nominee service is described on its own page.
How long does protection last, and when must it be renewed?
Protection lasts ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for ten years. Renew in the last twelve months before expiry; renewal for up to three classes costs CHF 400. The Office's reminder, sent at least six months before expiry, carries no liability.
What if I miss the renewal date?
Renewal is still possible up to six months after expiry, with an additional fee of CHF 100 on top of the renewal fee of CHF 400 for up to three classes. Further processing is excluded for the renewal deadline, so the expiry date is worth tracking from the day of registration.
Must I use the mark, and where does use count?
After five uninterrupted years without genuine use the owner cannot enforce the right, unless there are proper reasons. The five years run from the end of the opposition period or from the day the decision ending an opposition becomes final. Use in the EEA or Switzerland counts.
How do I look up the Liechtenstein trademark register?
The register is public. The Office gives inspection, information and extracts; an extract costs CHF 35 per mark. The Online Register holds only marks that are actively registered and published. No other search tool is named in the sources this page relies on.
Can I designate Liechtenstein in a Madrid registration?
Yes. A Madrid designation of Liechtenstein has the same effect as a national application and registration. A Liechtenstein-origin applicant can have the Office transmit a Madrid request for CHF 200 besides the WIPO fees. Opposition against a Madrid registration starts on the first day of the month after publication.
Did the 2026 amendment of the Trademark Act change how I file, oppose or renew?
No. LGBl. 2026 Nr. 148 changes person designations and the customs-assistance part, in force from 1 July 2026. The rules on filing, examination, opposition, renewal, non-use and representation are unchanged. The customs part is covered on the page about IP enforcement.
Ready to start your Liechtenstein trademark file?
Call the Wealth Management department on +423 210 0004, Monday to Friday 09:00-17:30 (CET/CEST), or write to info@foundation-liechtenstein.com. LFF Heritage Trusts, Schlossplatz 5, 9490 Vaduz. Pricing on request.