A foreign applicant can consider a domestic China trademark application or an international registration designating China through the Madrid System. The requirements differ by route and applicant.
China enacted a revised Trademark Law in June 2026, scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027. This guide uses CNIPA guidance checked on 2 November 2026. Check the effective rule and any final implementation measures for the date of a specific matter. Read the separate law-update draft ↗
Under the domestic route, a foreign company without a business domicile in China must entrust a trademark agency established in accordance with Chinese law. The CNIPA guidance, updated 17 March 2026 explains that a wholly owned branch established in China, and a local or representative office, do not count as the foreign company's business domicile. A foreign individual with habitual residence in China may apply directly through the trademark registration hall or online system. This self-filing option in the cited CNIPA guidance should not be generalized to every foreign individual.
Two routes to examine
Domestic application in China
Start by checking the applicant's legal identity and whether the CNIPA guidance requires an agency for that applicant. Identify the mark to be filed and describe the goods or services accurately for China. CNIPA's application guidance is the place to check current forms and document requirements. The correct filing approach depends on the applicant and proposed mark; this page does not determine an individual case.
Madrid System designation of China
The WIPO filing guidance says an applicant must be a national of, or have a domicile or business in, a Madrid System member. The applicant must also have filed for or registered a trademark with that member's IP Office (the Office of origin) as a basic mark. The applicant may then seek protection in designated members, including China. WIPO explains that the domestic law of each designated member determines the scope of protection. A Madrid designation is a filing route, not an automatic approval in China.
Questions to settle before choosing a route
- Who will be the applicant: a company or an individual, and where is its relevant domicile or habitual residence?
- What exact word, logo or other mark is intended for the China application? Are there separate Chinese and non-Chinese versions to assess?
- Which goods or services will the brand actually use in China? Have their descriptions been checked against CNIPA's classification guidance and current materials?
- Is there an existing application or registration that could serve as a Madrid basic mark, and which Office of origin would be involved?
- Is there an official notice, a filing deadline or an existing China matter that needs individual review?
Where CNIPA lists documents for a specific self-filing scenario, follow that list for that scenario. Required documents, route eligibility, costs, timing and response to any official notice should be checked against current official material and the facts of the matter.
Start a discussion with ChanYond
You can prepare a non-confidential summary of the applicant, proposed mark, intended goods or services, existing registrations and any relevant deadline. Do not put confidential case files into a public page. The contact page creates an initial summary in your browser; creating it does not send it. Submission and reply arrangements should be confirmed through the contact route.
CNIPA foreign-applicant guidance (updated 17 March 2026); CNIPA application guidance; CNIPA classification guidance; WIPO Madrid filing guidance; CNIPA 2026 law-revision portal. Sources checked 2 November 2026. This is ChanYond's independent explanation of official guidance, not an official statement or an assessment of a specific application.