> Source: https://chinaipmark.com/blog/madrid-protocol-china-filing/ > Updated: 2026-10-10 Guide # Madrid Protocol vs National Filing: How to Protect Your Brand in China September 9, 2026 Updated October 10, 2026 By ChinaIPMark ![Madrid Protocol vs National Filing: How to Protect Your Brand in China](https://chinaipmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/blog-desk-1024x684.jpg) You can register a China trademark two ways: through the Madrid Protocol via WIPO, or by filing directly with CNIPA. If China is your only market, national filing is usually simpler and cheaper; Madrid earns its keep when you need several countries at once. ## How the Madrid route works Madrid lets you file one international application through your home trademark office and designate China along with other members. WIPO forwards the designation to CNIPA, which examines it under the same Chinese rules as a national filing. ## When Madrid makes sense If you need protection in three or more countries, one Madrid application replaces several national filings, and renewals are centralized. For a brand expanding across Europe and Asia, that is a real saving. ## When national filing is better For China alone, the national route is usually faster, cheaper and easier to manage: you control the classes directly, the official fee is 270 RMB per class, and our [Standard plan](https://chinaipmark.com/trademark-registration/) covers the search, filing and translation, and any refusal review is quoted before it starts. Madrid also adds a dependency period in the early stage, which some sellers do not expect. ## A practical note Whichever route you choose, the examination is still done by CNIPA, and the same refusal rules and the 15-day review window apply. The route decides how you file, not how strong the resulting right is. [Ask us](https://chinaipmark.com/contact/) to compare both routes for your brand before you commit. ## About this guide Written by the ChinaIPMark team in Changsha, China. We help overseas brands register China trademarks and design patents, and all official filings are prepared and submitted by CNIPA-registered partner agencies. **Sources:** This guide references [CNIPA](https://english.cnipa.gov.cn/) official fee schedules and examination guidance, and [WIPO](https://www.wipo.int/) materials where an international route applies. Figures are current as of the update date shown above. **Disclaimer:** This guide is general information, not legal advice. Filing outcomes are never guaranteed. See our [Terms of Service](https://chinaipmark.com/terms/) and [Privacy Policy](https://chinaipmark.com/privacy-policy/). ## Related guides - [Should You File a Defensive China Trademark?](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/defensive-trademark-china/) - [Protect Your Logo in China Manufacturing](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/protect-logo-china-manufacturing/) - [Do EU or US Trademarks Protect You in China?](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/overseas-trademark-china-protection/) - [China Trademark for Cosmetics and Skincare Brands](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-cosmetics-brands/) - [How to Claim Trademark Priority in China](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/how-to-claim-trademark-priority-china/) ## Services - [China trademark registration](https://chinaipmark.com/trademark-registration/) - [China design patent](https://chinaipmark.com/design-patent/) - [Pricing](https://chinaipmark.com/pricing/) ## Get a quote Tell us about your brand and receive a clear quote within 24 hours. [Contact us](https://chinaipmark.com/contact/) Read next ## Keep reading October 16, 2026 ### [Should You File a Defensive China Trademark?](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/defensive-trademark-china/) A defensive filing holds a class or a lookalike you are not using. Worth it in crowded classes,… [Read guide](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/defensive-trademark-china/) October 16, 2026 ### [Protect Your Logo in China Manufacturing](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/protect-logo-china-manufacturing/) A logo needs its own application. File the word mark first, then the visual asset. What CNIPA needs,… [Read guide](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/protect-logo-china-manufacturing/) October 16, 2026 ### [Do EU or US Trademarks Protect You in China?](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/overseas-trademark-china-protection/) A US, EU, UK or Australian registration has no legal effect in China. What your overseas mark can… [Read guide](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/overseas-trademark-china-protection/)