If you are planning to protect a business name, product name or logo in the UK, one of the first practical questions is usually cost.

The official UKIPO filing fee is only part of the picture. The total cost can depend on how many classes you need, whether you use the standard or Right Start route, whether objections arise, and whether you instruct a professional to carry out searches and prepare the application.

In this article: the official UKIPO fees in 2026; how additional classes affect the price; what Right Start costs; professional fees; and when a lower-cost application can become more expensive later.

UKIPO trade mark application fees in 2026

From 1 April 2026, the official fee for a standard online UK trade mark application is £205 for one class.

Each additional class costs £60.

For example:

• →One class: £205
• →Two classes: £265
• →Three classes: £325
• →Four classes: £385

These are official filing fees only. They do not include professional advice, clearance searches, correspondence with the UKIPO, or the cost of dealing with objections or oppositions.

Why the number of classes matters

Trade marks are registered for particular goods and services. Those goods and services are organised into 45 classes under the international Nice Classification system.

You do not need every class that might conceivably relate to your business. The aim is to identify the classes and terms that properly reflect the goods and services for which protection is commercially required.

Choosing too few classes can leave important activities unprotected. Choosing unnecessary classes increases filing cost and can also create a specification broader than the business genuinely needs.

Our Trade Mark Registration service can help identify an appropriate filing strategy and specification before the application is submitted.

What does a Right Start application cost?

The UKIPO also offers the Right Start application route.

Under the 2026 fee structure, you initially pay £125 for the first class and £30 for each additional class for the UKIPO to examine the application.

If you decide to continue after receiving the examination report, a second payment is due. The total official cost is therefore broadly the same as a standard application if you proceed to completion.

Right Start can be useful where there is uncertainty about whether the mark meets the UKIPO’s requirements, but it is not automatically the best route for every application.

Should you carry out a trade mark search first?

A filing fee can be wasted if the application runs into an earlier right that could reasonably have been identified before filing.

A professional Trade Mark Search can help identify potentially conflicting earlier marks and assess whether they create a meaningful risk.

This is particularly important because the UKIPO does not simply refuse every application that resembles an earlier registration. In many cases, the earlier owner is notified and may decide whether to challenge the application. That means an applicant can incur further time and cost after filing if a conflict develops.

What professional fees cover

Professional fees are separate from the UKIPO’s official fees and vary according to the work required.

A professionally prepared application may involve reviewing the proposed mark, checking ownership details, advising on registrability, considering earlier rights, selecting the correct classes and terms, preparing the specification, filing the application and dealing with routine UKIPO correspondence.

The cheapest filing route is therefore not always the lowest-cost route overall. An application filed with an unsuitable specification, incorrect ownership details or an avoidable conflict can be much more expensive to correct later.

What if the UKIPO raises an objection?

The UKIPO examines applications before publication. If it considers that the mark does not meet the legal requirements for registration, it can issue an examination report.

Some objections can be resolved through written submissions, amendments or clarification. Others may require a more detailed assessment of whether the mark is sufficiently distinctive.

If the application is accepted and published, third parties then have an opportunity to oppose it. Where an earlier rights holder objects, advice on Trade Mark Opposition can help assess whether the application should be defended, amended, negotiated or withdrawn.

Is registering a trade mark worth the cost?

For a business that is investing in a brand, trade mark registration can be a relatively modest cost compared with the expense of rebranding or resolving a dispute later.

A registered trade mark can provide a clearer legal basis for preventing confusing use by competitors, challenging problematic applications, licensing the brand and supporting the value of the business’s intellectual property.

The right question is therefore not only “what is the filing fee?” but also “what protection does the business actually need, and what is the most sensible way to obtain it?”

How Corpinal IP can help

Corpinal IP advises businesses on UK trade mark searches, filing strategy, classification and registration.

We can review your proposed mark, identify the appropriate classes, assess relevant earlier rights and prepare the application so that the scope of protection reflects your commercial requirements.

Planning to register a UK trade mark? Contact Corpinal IP to discuss the likely filing strategy and costs.

This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Official UKIPO fees can change, and the appropriate filing strategy depends on the circumstances of each application.