What an overseas business should prepare before filing
Before paying for a China trademark filing, confirm who will own the application, which route you will use, what the filing must contain, and where official notices will arrive.
On this page
1. Confirm the applicant and the mark
Use the legal person or business that should own the China trademark. The applicant name and address must match the supporting identity or registration document, and the mark submitted must be the mark that applicant intends to own.
The filing requirements checklist lists the applicant, mark, class, item, and authorization inputs used in the direct filing flow.
2. Choose direct filing or Madrid
An overseas business can compare a direct CNIPA filing with designating China through the Madrid System. They are different filing routes, not two names for the same application path.
Use Madrid Protocol or direct CNIPA filing to compare the required base application, filing channel, fee structure, and post-filing record before choosing.
3. Verify the filing agency
A foreign person without habitual residence in China, or a foreign enterprise without a place of business in China, generally appoints a legally established trademark agency for a direct CNIPA application. The exact rule and direct-filing qualifier are in the local-agent requirement.
Verify the Chinese filing entity on CNIPA’s public register and confirm who will receive and relay official correspondence.
4. Assemble the filing materials
Prepare the applicant document, exact mark file, selected classes and goods or services, and signed authorization before submission. Missing or inconsistent details can produce a correction request instead of a clean filing receipt.
Review what the direct filing needs before the order is submitted.
5. Confirm the notice workflow and next step
For a Ginbing order, the original CNIPA correspondence, English translation, deadline, and required action appear in the order’s Notices area. Do not treat an external email or invoice as an official filing update without checking it against the account record.
Read how official notices are delivered and what happens after filing. When the checklist is complete, start a direct CNIPA filing.
Read the durable filing references in Docs, or open Support.