If you sell on both sides of the Atlantic, the first real budgeting decision is where to file first: the USPTO in the United States or the EUIPO in the European Union. The two offices price protection very differently — one charges per class per country, the other gives you 27 countries in a single filing — and the timelines diverge just as much. This guide puts the 2026 official fees, renewal costs and realistic timelines side by side so you can plan the spend properly.

Official filing fees at a glance

  • EUIPO — €850 for the first class, €50 for the second class, €150 for each further class, covering all 27 EU member states in one application.
  • USPTO — $350 per class under TEAS Base (raised from $250 in 2025), covering the United States only.
  • EUIPO renewal — €850 for one class every 10 years, plus €50 / €150 for extra classes.
  • USPTO maintenance — $150 per class Section 8 declaration between years 5–6, then $425 per class for the combined Sections 8 & 9 renewal at year 10.

The headline number favours the USPTO, but the comparison is misleading. A single €850 EUIPO filing gives you enforceable rights in 27 national markets. Buying equivalent coverage country by country would cost tens of thousands of euros. Per market protected, the EU trademark is by far the cheapest registered right available anywhere.

Attorney fees: what you actually pay

Government fees are only part of the invoice. Clearance searching, drafting the specification of goods and services, filing and monitoring the examination phase all sit with your attorney. Typical market rates are €500–€1,500 for an EU application and $500–$2,000 for a US one. Sayadi Law works on fixed fees: €1,700 all-in for an EU trademark in one class, and €1,700 plus the USPTO government fee for a US filing — so the total is known before we start.

Registration timelines compared

  • EUIPO — roughly 4–5 months from filing to registration if nothing goes wrong: about 1 month to examination, a 3-month opposition window after publication, then registration.
  • USPTO — roughly 12–18 months. Examination alone commonly takes 8+ months before a first office action, followed by publication and a 30-day opposition period.
  • Office actions — add 2–6 months in either jurisdiction. They are far more common at the USPTO, which examines specifications of goods and services much more strictly.
  • Madrid Protocol designations — each designated country has its own 12–18 month refusal period, so international extensions run in parallel rather than in sequence.

In practice this means the EU registration certificate usually lands on your desk a year before the US one, even if you file both on the same day. If you need a registered right quickly — for an Amazon Brand Registry application, an investor due-diligence checklist or an enforcement action — the EUIPO route gets you there faster.

Key procedural differences that affect cost

Proof of use

The USPTO requires evidence of actual commercial use: either at filing (Section 1(a)) or later through a Statement of Use, which carries an additional $150 per class government fee plus attorney time. The EUIPO requires no proof of use at all for the first five years, so an EU filing can secure a brand before launch without extra cost.

Class specifications

US examiners insist on narrow, precisely worded goods and services and frequently issue office actions over wording alone. EUIPO accepts broader class headings. That difference is the single biggest driver of unplanned US costs — budget €990–€1,500 for an office-action response as a realistic contingency.

All-or-nothing effect

An EU trademark is a unitary right: a successful opposition in any one member state can bring down the whole registration, though it can then be converted into national applications. A US registration only ever stands or falls in the United States.

Which office should you file with first?

  • Your revenue is EU-based, or you are pre-launch — file the EUTM first. It is cheaper per market, faster, and needs no proof of use.
  • Your customers, marketplace or investors are US-based — file the USPTO application first and build in the office-action contingency.
  • You need both — file the home-market application first, then use it as the basis for a Madrid Protocol designation of the other territory within the 6-month priority window, which backdates your filing date.
  • You already sell in 3+ countries outside your home market — go straight to Madrid: base fee 653 CHF (903 CHF for colour marks), 100 CHF per extra class and roughly 100–500 CHF per designated country.

Realistic total budget for both jurisdictions

For one class in both territories, including a proper clearance search, expect roughly €1,700–€2,200 for the EU and a similar figure plus the $350 government fee for the US — so around €3,600–€4,500 to hold registered rights across the EU and the United States, with renewals due a decade later. Set aside a further €1,000–€1,500 as an office-action or opposition contingency on the US side.

Frequently asked questions

Is an EU trademark cheaper than a US trademark?

Per application the US filing fee is lower ($350 versus €850), but the EU trademark covers 27 countries against the USPTO's one. Measured per market protected, the EUIPO route is dramatically cheaper.

Does a US trademark protect me in Europe?

No. Trademark rights are territorial. A USPTO registration gives you no rights in the EU, and an EUIPO registration gives you none in the US. You need a filing in each territory, either directly or through the Madrid Protocol.

How often do I have to renew?

Both offices renew every 10 years. The USPTO additionally requires a Section 8 declaration of continued use between years 5 and 6 — miss it and the registration is cancelled, which is the most common way US trademarks are lost.

How Sayadi Law can help

At Sayadi Law we specialise in intellectual property protection tailored to your industry. We register trademarks, patents and designs internationally, monitor for infringement, and draft the contracts that turn your IP into a durable business asset. Our fixed-fee packages give you predictable pricing and direct access to the lawyer handling your file — no billable-hour surprises.

If you'd like to discuss your IP strategy, send us a message via our contact form or email us at info@sayadilaw.com to schedule a consultation.