Trademark Registration in Colombia: Step by Step, Costs and Requirements (2026)

Registering a trademark in Colombia costs approximately $1,347,500 COP (the official fee of the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) in 2026), takes between 8 and 12 months, and, if granted, protects your trademark for 10 renewable years. The process is handled before the SIC.

This guide breaks down each step of the process, the documents you need, the itemized costs, the mistakes that lead to rejection, and the differences between registering a word mark, a figurative mark, or a composite mark. If you need specialized legal and technical advice to protect your trademark, SPI Américas is a firm specialized in intellectual property with experience in trademark registrations before the SIC.

Why register a trademark in Colombia?

Without registration, your trademark has no legal protection. Any third party can register a name identical or similar to yours, and you would have no legal recourse to stop it. Registration before the SIC grants you the exclusive right to use it throughout Colombian territory for 10 years, with the option of indefinite renewal.

According to SIC data, more than 42,000 trademark registration applications were filed in Colombia in 2025. Of those, roughly 30% ran into some objection, whether for similarity with existing trademarks or for deficiencies in the application. Preparing the application well from the start is what separates a six-month procedure from one that drags on past a year.

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Common types of trademarks you can register

Word mark

Made up exclusively of words or letters. It protects the name itself, regardless of the word, letters, numbers, punctuation marks, typography, or design. It is the most common type and the one that gives the name the broadest protection.

Figurative mark

Made up exclusively of a design, logo, or image. It protects the graphic element without any text. Useful when the trademark’s main differentiator is its visual symbol.

Composite mark

Combines word and figurative elements. It is the most complete option, but it protects the specific combination, not the elements separately. If your logo changes often, consider registering the name (word mark) and the current design (figurative mark) separately.

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Complete process to register a trademark

Step 1: Check prior records in SIPI

Before you invest in the application, we make sure that no identical or similar trademark is already registered in the same class, using SIPI (the SIC’s industrial property database). Based on the findings, we assess with an intellectual property attorney whether there is a real risk of confusion before moving forward.

Step 2: Classify in the correct Nice class

The Nice Classification organizes all products and services into 45 classes (34 for products and 11 for services). With our guidance and experience, you choose the class or classes that cover the products or services your trademark will identify. Each additional class means a separate application and a separate official fee. A common mistake is picking a class that is too broad or too narrow, which can limit protection or trigger an objection from the SIC.

Step 3: Prepare and file the application

Once we are ready to file, with the information we requested in advance, namely the formal requirements and the power of attorney, we go ahead with the filing.

Step 4: Formal examination

A SIC examiner checks that the application meets the formal requirements. If the examiner raises objections, it issues a requirement that must be answered within 60 business days, so the application is not declared abandoned.

Step 5: Publication in the Industrial Property Gazette

Once the application is admitted after clearing the formal examination, the SIC publishes the trademark in the Industrial Property Gazette. From that publication, any third party has 30 business days to file an opposition if it believes the trademark harms its rights. If there are no oppositions, the process moves on to the substantive examination.

Step 6: Registrability examination

A SIC examiner assesses whether the trademark meets the legal requirements: that it is distinctive, that it is neither generic nor descriptive for the products or services applied for, that it does not run contrary to morality or public order, and that it does not cause confusion with previously registered trademarks, among other criteria.

Step 7: Grant resolution

Once the trademark passes the examination, the SIC, if it sees fit, issues the grant resolution. If it decides to deny the application, you can file an appeal within the 10 business days following the one-month notification period. The registration is valid for 10 years counted from the grant date. Renewal can be requested within the 6 months before expiration or up to 6 months afterward (with a surcharge).

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Costs of trademark registration in Colombia (2026)

The SIC’s official fee to apply for a trademark registration in one class is roughly $1,300,000 COP (the exact figure is updated each year in the SIC’s fee resolution). Each additional class costs the same. If you hire an intellectual property attorney or firm, professional fees range from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000 COP depending on how complex the case is and whether it includes the trademark clearance search and follow-up of the procedure.

The typical total cost for a single-class registration, including professional advice, runs between $2,600,000 and $6,100,000 COP. When you protect your trademark across several classes the official fee varies, but professional fees usually come with a volume discount.

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Mistakes that lead to rejection of the application

The SIC rejects applications when the trademark is generic or descriptive (for example, “Fresh Fruit” for a fruit shop), when there is confusion with a trademark already registered in the same class, when the application does not correctly specify the products or services, or when the applicant fails to answer the requirements within the legal deadline. The most frequent cause of rejection is similarity with trademarks that are already registered, something a professional trademark clearance search before filing can help you avoid.

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Next step

SPI Américas’ intellectual property team leads trademark protection strategy before the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce at every stage, safeguarding the strength, availability, and continuity of the company’s intangible assets through comprehensive management of its trademark portfolio. If you want to protect your trademark in Colombia or across multiple jurisdictions, contact us at [email protected] or visit spiamericas.com.