Trademark Registration in Romania, the OSIM and EUIPO Routes
Updated 23 October 2026
We set out the owner, sign, fees and dates before anything is filed at OSIM or EUIPO. We prepare the file. The company or its attorney files it.
- Two routes: OSIM for Romania, EUIPO for the Union
- 10 years from the filing date, renewable
- Word mark, one class: 1,016 lei at OSIM, EUR 850 at EUIPO
- A company name is not a trade mark
A brand in use on the counter; the register decides who owns it.
What a Romanian trade mark covers
You get a Romanian trade mark (marcă) by registering it at OSIM (Oficiul de Stat pentru Invenții și Mărci), the state office for inventions and trade marks. It protects Romania only. It lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed, per OSIM's trade-mark filing guide. An EU trade mark has the same effect in the whole Union for 10 years (Regulation (EU) 2017/1001, art. 1(2), 52). Any person or company may apply.
This page is for the owner of a Romanian company, or of one you are about to buy. The company name (firma) comes from the trade register, not from OSIM (art. 51(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). A company has a mark only if one is registered in its name. No company yet? See our company incorporation service.
What the service includes
One file in seven parts. The company or an industrial-property attorney files it and acts before the office. A Bar-registered lawyer drafts any assignment.
Owner and route laid out
Who owns the mark: the SRL or its founder. Where to file: OSIM or EUIPO. We set out the rules of each on currency and representation. You make the choice.
Clearance on the free registers
We search the sign in OSIM's national register, TMview and WIPO Madrid Monitor. OSIM's own paid search is for information only.
Goods and services list
We write the list in Nice classes, 12th edition (Clasificarea Nisa). A class heading is read as covering everything its words name, so the wording matters.
Fee calendar
The 2026 state fees at each office and the deadline for each, from filing to the 10-year renewal.
File prepared for filing
The application form, the sign as an image and the payment orders, ready for the company or its attorney to file.
Recordals after a purchase
A new company name, a new seat or an assignment each needs a recordal. We prepare them mark by mark and office by office.
Attorney and lawyer coordinated
Where an attorney acts, we work with an industrial-property attorney (consilier în proprietate industrială) on the national register (OSIM on the profession). For any assignment, we work with a Bar-registered lawyer (Law 51/1995, art. 3).
The national route and the EU route side by side
Two offices, the same questions. Facts side by side, no verdict.
National route, OSIM
Romania only, 10 years from filing. A Romanian SRL pays in lei (OSIM's calculator). Seated in the EU, it does not need a representative: that is our reading of OSIM's rule. Opposition: 2 months from publication in BOPI.
EU route, EUIPO
The whole Union, 10 years from filing. You pay the fees in euro to EUIPO, with no VAT. A company seated in the EEA does not need a representative and may act through an employee (art. 119 EUTMR). Opposition: 3 months from publication.
National route (OSIM)
- TerritoryRomania only
- Term10 yearsfrom the filing date
- State fees for one class1,016 lei for a Romanian SRLblack-and-white word mark, our arithmetic on the 2026 schedule
- Who pays in whatlei for Romanian citizens and Romanian-law companieseuro for all others
- Opposition window2 monthsfrom publication in BOPI
- Late renewalwithin 6 months after expiryfee raised by 50%
- Compulsory representationan applicant with no domicile, seat or establishment in the EU or EEAexcept for filing
EU route (EUIPO)
- Territorythe whole Union
- Term10 yearsfrom the filing date
- State fees for one classEUR 850electronic
- Who pays in whateuropaid to EUIPO
- Opposition window3 monthsfrom publication
- Late renewalwithin 6 months after expiry25% of the belated fee, up to EUR 1,500
- Compulsory representationa person with no domicile, place of business or establishment in the EEAin all proceedings other than filing
How the national filing works, step by step
At EUIPO, you file online and pay the basic fee within 1 month of receipt. Opposition runs 3 months from publication. The steps below follow OSIM's filing guide.
Choose the owner and the sign the client
The owner is the SRL or the founder. At OSIM, the sign's form sets the examination fee for one class: 559 lei for a word mark, 711 for a black-and-white figurative mark, 1,117 with claimed colours.
Clear the sign the client or an attorney
Search the free registers listed below. OSIM's paid documentary search is for information only. It is not a decision on the sign.
List the goods and services the client or an attorney
Use Nice classes, 12th edition, and word them with care. OSIM classifies a description of activity for 152 lei, per its guide.
Pay the fees and file the SRL or its attorney
OSIM grants no filing date without the filing and publication fees. Pay the examination fee at filing, as the guide allows 30 days.
Publication, observations, examination OSIM
OSIM publishes the application online within 7 days of the filing date. Observations on absolute grounds run for 2 months. OSIM examines the merits within 6 months of publication.
Opposition window third parties
The window is 2 months from the BOPI publication of the application's admission. Any interested person may oppose on the relative grounds (art. 6, per OSIM's guide). The fee is 305 lei for one class.
Pay the certificate fee the SRL
Pay 254 lei within 30 days of OSIM's notice, per its guide. Otherwise OSIM treats the mark as abandoned. OSIM has sent its notices by e-mail since 19 March 2025.
Calendar the renewal the SRL
The mark runs 10 years from the filing date. You then have 6 more months at a fee raised by 50%. Record any new name or seat for 127 lei.
Are the owner and the sign settled?
We lay out the owner, the route and the fee calendar for your file.
Registers to search and documents to prepare
The three official registers are free to search. OSIM's own paid search is not a decision.
Search first
- The OSIM national register, public and free to search.
- TMview, the EUIPO register, free.
- WIPO Madrid Monitor, free.
- The sign, the company's name and the seller's name, in each register.
- OSIM's paid documentary search: for information only, separate from examination.
Prepare
- The application form and the sign, as a gif or jpeg online.
- The list of goods and services in Nice classes.
- The payment orders, with their number entered in the form.
- A power of attorney or signed authorisation, where someone acts for the applicant.
- For an assignment, the signed written deed, drafted by a Bar-registered lawyer.
- ONRC rename, foreign papers: apostille or superlegalisation unless a treaty or EU rule removes it.
- Always a legalised Romanian translation of each foreign paper filed at ONRC.
State fees in 2026
State fees only; our service is quoted on request. A mark's fees are separate from the fees of a Romanian incorporation.
OSIM charges lei to Romanian citizens and Romanian-law companies. Everyone else pays in euro, at 1 euro = 5.0811 lei in 2026. EUIPO charges euro, with no VAT.
| Item | Lei | EUR (payers in euro) | Annex 4 item |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing, individual mark | 51 | EUR 10 | 1 |
| Publication: black and white; colour | 152; 508 | EUR 30; EUR 100 | 2 |
| Examination, one class, word mark | 559 | EUR 110 | 3.1 |
| Examination, each further class | 254 | EUR 50 | 3.1 |
| Registration certificate, within 30 days of OSIM's notice per its guide | 254 | EUR 50 | 8 |
| Total, one class, black-and-white word mark (our arithmetic) | 1,016 | EUR 200 | 1, 2, 3.1, 8 |
| Opposition examination, one class | 305 | EUR 60 | 13 |
| Renewal for 10 years, one class: black and white; colour; each further class | 610; 1,016; 254 | EUR 120; EUR 200; EUR 50 | 3.2 |
| Recording a change of name or address; a transfer of rights | 127; 508 | EUR 25; EUR 100 | 18(b); 18(a) |
Sources: OSIM's 2026 fee schedule, OG 41/1998 Annex 4, in force from 1 January 2026, and OSIM's filing guide. State fees only; our service is quoted on request.
| Item | Amount | Annex I, A |
|---|---|---|
| Application, electronic, one class | EUR 850 | item 2 |
| Application, on paper, one class | EUR 1,000 | item 1 |
| Second class | EUR 50 | item 3 |
| Each class beyond two | EUR 150 | item 4 |
| Opposition | EUR 320 | item 10 |
| Renewal, electronic, one class | EUR 850 | item 12 |
| Late-renewal surcharge, within 6 months after expiry | 25% of the belated fee, up to EUR 1,500 | item 19 |
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 and EUIPO's list of fees payable direct to the EUIPO. State fees only; our service is quoted on request.
When the company changes hands
What a purchase does to a mark the company already owns.
A share sale: the company stays the proprietor
New shareholders need no OSIM or EUIPO filing. This is our reading, as we have not read Law 84/1998. The change binds third parties from the ONRC entry (Law 31/1990, art. 203(2), text of January 2024). That entry is where our share transfers service ends.
A new name or seat: record it mark by mark
Name and seat are set in the constitutive act (art. 7(b) Law 31/1990, text of January 2024). First comes updating the articles at ONRC. Then each mark needs a recordal: 127 lei at OSIM, on request at EUIPO (art. 55).
A mark held by the seller: it moves only by a transfer
In a sale of the whole undertaking, the EU mark goes with it unless the parties agree otherwise or circumstances clearly dictate otherwise (art. 20(2) EUTMR). Read the deed. An EU mark held by the seller needs a signed written assignment (art. 20(3)). A Bar-registered lawyer drafts it. OSIM records a transfer for 508 lei.
A ready-made company carries a mark only if one is registered in its name
The company name comes from the trade register, not from OSIM. The same holds for a VAT-registered or aged SRL from the catalogue: the free registers show any mark.
Before paying, read the registers
Search the company's name and the seller's name. Read each mark's renewal date, 10 years from filing. For an EU mark, check whether 5 continuous years passed without genuine use (art. 58(1)(a) EUTMR).
The company changes hands
A share sale
- The company stays the proprietor and no OSIM or EUIPO filing is needed for the new shareholdersour reading
- The change binds third parties from the ONRC entryart. 203(2) Law 31/1990, text of January 2024
- The company, the seller or the buyer notifies ANAF within 15 days of the transferfor the shares of any SRL member (Law 239/2025 art. V as widened by OUG 13/2026)
A new name or seat
- An ONRC amendment of the constitutive act
- The holder's new name or address recorded at OSIM for 127 lei and at EUIPO under art. 55
A mark held by the seller
- A written assignment signed by both parties, drafted by a Bar-registered lawyerart. 20(3) EUTMR
- Recorded at OSIM for 508 lei and entered at EUIPO before the new owner can invoke it
- In a sale of the whole undertaking the EU mark follows it unless agreed otherwise, so the deed is readart. 20(2) EUTMR
Is a mark part of the company you are buying?
We read the registers against the company and list what to record.
Frequently asked questions
Do you file the trade mark for me?
No. The company files itself at OSIM or EUIPO, or through an industrial-property attorney on OSIM's national register. At EUIPO, it may also use an EEA legal practitioner or a professional representative on EUIPO's list (art. 120 EUTMR). We prepare the file and coordinate the attorney and the Bar-registered lawyer. We do not file or represent.
Should the mark be filed by my Romanian SRL or by me?
Either may own it. The SRL pays OSIM in lei and needs no representative (our reading of OSIM's rule). A founder with no domicile, seat or establishment in the EU or EEA must use an attorney after filing. A founder who is not a Romanian citizen pays in euro. Tax and licensing questions go to a tax adviser.
What do OSIM's state fees come to for one class?
Take a black-and-white word mark under the 2026 schedule. A Romanian SRL pays filing 51 lei, publication 152 lei, examination 559 lei and certificate 254 lei. That is 1,016 lei in total (our arithmetic), or EUR 200 for a foreign individual. Each further class adds 254 lei to the examination fee. We quote our own fee on request.
And an EU trade mark?
An electronic application costs EUR 850 for one class. The second class adds EUR 50 and each class beyond two adds EUR 150 (Regulation (EU) 2017/1001, Annex I). A paper application costs EUR 1,000. The basic fee is due within 1 month of receipt. EUIPO fees carry no VAT and are not refunded if the application is rejected.
What is the difference between the national and the EU route?
OSIM marks protect Romania only. An EU trade mark has the same effect in the whole Union (art. 1(2) EUTMR). Both last 10 years from filing and are renewable. At OSIM, opposition runs 2 months from the BOPI publication of the application's admission. At EUIPO, it runs 3 months from the application's publication. We give no verdict on which fits.
How long does an OSIM registration take, and when is each fee due?
OSIM sets no total. Its guide gives publication within 7 days of filing and 2 months for observations. Examination comes within 6 months of publication, then a 2-month opposition window. Pay the certificate fee within 30 days of OSIM's notice. Filing and publication fees go with the application. Pay the examination fee at filing, as the guide allows 30 days.
What if I miss the renewal date?
At OSIM, you can renew within 6 months after protection expires, at the renewal fee raised by 50% (art. 24(1) OG 41/1998, as OSIM's calculator prints it). At EUIPO, the 6 months after expiry carry a surcharge of 25% of the belated renewal fee, up to EUR 1,500. EUIPO renewal itself opens 6 months before expiry.
We are buying a company that owns a mark. Do we need to transfer the mark?
Not for a share transfer. The company stays the proprietor. The new shareholders count against third parties from the ONRC entry. This is our reading; we have not read Law 84/1998. A new name or seat needs a recordal: 127 lei at OSIM, art. 55 at EUIPO. The company, the seller or the buyer notifies ANAF within 15 days.
The seller holds the brand personally, not in the company. What then?
The mark does not move with the shares. It needs a written assignment signed by both parties, or at EUIPO it is void. OSIM records it for 508 lei. At EUIPO, the new owner cannot invoke the mark until the transfer is entered. A licence is the other route. A Bar-registered lawyer drafts the assignment (art. 3 Law 51/1995).
Does a ready-made company come with a trade mark?
Only if one is registered in its name. The exclusive right to the company name comes from the trade-register entry (art. 51(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text), not from OSIM. A free company name does not mean a free mark. The OSIM national register, TMview and WIPO Madrid Monitor show what is registered, free of charge.
Where can I search the Romanian trademark register?
The OSIM national register, TMview and WIPO Madrid Monitor are public and free to search online, per OSIM's filing guide. OSIM's guide lists TMview as the EUIPO register. OSIM's own paid documentary search is for information only and separate from examination. It is not a decision on whether a sign can be registered.
Can I lose the mark if I do not use it?
An EU trade mark can be revoked after 5 continuous years without genuine use in the Union and without proper reason (art. 58(1)(a) EUTMR). This page states the EU rule only. For a Romanian mark, ask an industrial-property attorney. The renewal date is a separate deadline, 10 years from the filing date.
Can the EU SME Fund pay for the filing in 2026?
Not at the moment. The EU SME Fund 2026 runs from 2 February to 4 December 2026. But Voucher 2, for trade marks and designs, takes no new applications because its funds are used up. OSIM reported that it closed at the end of the working day on 23 April 2026.
Ready to protect the brand of a Romanian company?
Our fee is on request. The company or its attorney files. The attorney handles any representation, and the lawyer does the drafting.