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How do you register a trademark in Algeria with INAPI?

In Algeria you register a trademark with INAPI, the Algerian National Institute of Industrial Property — the only competent office. The right to a mark is acquired through registration, not use: protection runs for 10 years from the filing date and is renewable indefinitely for consecutive 10-year periods. You start by creating an account on the INAPI platform and filling in the online form, then pay in cash at a CNEP bank branch or by cheque at INAPI, and file the dossier in Algiers or at the nearest branch. Official fees published by INAPI in October 2026 start at 15,000 DA. Before filing, check that the sign is available: INAPI refuses descriptive, deceptive or conflicting marks.

Key points

Filing is done exclusively with INAPI; the right to a mark is acquired through registration.
Protection lasts 10 years from the filing date and is renewable indefinitely for 10-year periods.
INAPI checks form and substance: the mark must be distinctive, lawful and available.
Official fees (October 2026): 15,000 DA without colours, 16,000 DA with colours, plus 2,000 DA per class up to the third.
There is no opposition procedure in Algeria: third parties act through annulment or revocation before the courts.

Three ways to approach your brand protection

This table compares a national filing with INAPI, the international Madrid route, and no registration at all.

Criterion	National filing with INAPI	Madrid System (WIPO)	No registration
Coverage	Protection across the whole Algerian territory	Algeria plus the designated member countries	No legal protection for the name
Official cost	15,000 DA base without colours, plus 2,000 DA per class up to the third	INAPI national fee of 10,000 DA plus WIPO international fees	0 DA, but no enforceable right
Duration	10 years, indefinitely renewable	10 years, renewable	—
Use requirement	Serious use required, otherwise revocation possible after 3 years	Depends on the national basic mark for 5 years	None
Remedies in a dispute	Annulment and revocation before the competent court	Provisional refusal possible from each designated office	Risk of counterfeiting and action for unlawful use

Why register a trademark in Algeria

Algerian trademark law rests on Ordinance No. 03-06 of 19 July 2003, published in the Journal officiel No. 44 of 23 July 2003. The text makes marking mandatory: every product or service offered or sold on the national territory must carry a mark, and no mark may be used without a registration or a filed application at INAPI (Articles 3 and 4).

Registration grants a property right over the designated goods and services: you may assign the mark, grant licences, and prohibit any third party from commercial use without your authorisation on identical or similar goods and services (Article 9). Penalties deter counterfeiting: up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of ten million dinars (Article 32).

Prove your right: the registration certificate and the entry in the trademark register are the legal evidence.
Act against imitators: unauthorised commercial use and confusingly similar signs can be blocked.
Turn the mark into an asset: assignment, licensing and pledging are recorded in the INAPI register.
De-risk the launch: INAPI checks the availability of the sign before registering it.

What you can protect as a trademark

Article 2 of Ordinance 03-06 defines a mark as any sign capable of graphic representation that distinguishes your goods or services: words (including personal names), letters, numerals, drawings or images, the characteristic shape of products or their packaging, and colours, alone or combined. INAPI adds logos and slogans.

Some signs are excluded from registration (Article 7): descriptive signs or signs devoid of distinctive character, signs that mislead the public about the nature, quality or origin of goods, signs contrary to public order or morality, signs imitating official emblems, and signs creating confusion with an earlier or well-known mark.

The INAPI filing steps

INAPI’s official procedure runs in eight steps: create an account on the INAPI website; open the trademark section and choose a new filing; fill in the required fields; print the payment receipt and the application form in three copies; pay in cash at a CNEP bank branch (INAPI account No. 100 00 13733, key 7, agency ESSAFIR ALITTI, code 103) or by cheque at INAPI; sign the three copies; submit the file in Algiers or at the nearest branch; receive the filing record with the number, date and time.

The file contains the official form in three completed, signed and dated copies, three payment receipts printed from the online system, proof of fee payment into INAPI’s account, a power of attorney if you use a representative, and a priority document where applicable.

Then come the examinations set by Executive Decree No. 05-277: the formal examination (two months to regularise the application, otherwise rejection), the substantive examination against the Article 7 grounds (two months to submit observations), then entry in the register, delivery of the registration certificate, and publication in the official trademarks bulletin.

Duration and renewal

Registration lasts ten years, retroactive to the filing date, and is renewable for consecutive ten-year periods (Article 5 of Ordinance 03-06). Renewal takes effect the day after expiry.

File the renewal request within the six months before expiry, or at the latest within the six-month grace period that follows, subject to a late surcharge of 1,000 DA (Article 18 of Decree 05-277 and the INAPI fee schedule).

Two limitations to keep in mind: renewal may neither alter the mark nor extend the list of goods and services, and you must show use of the mark during the year preceding expiry. Without serious use for three years, the mark faces revocation (Article 11).

What trademark registration costs in Algeria

INAPI publishes its official parafiscal fee schedule. These are the trademark fees in force as of October 2026:

Filing and publication: 15,000 DA without a colour claim, 16,000 DA with a colour claim.
Per class of goods or services: 2,000 DA up to the third class, 5,000 DA beyond.
Renewal: 20,000 DA without colours, 25,000 DA with colours, plus the per-class fees.
Prior search: 1,600 DA for an identical search (plus 400 DA per additional class), 3,000 DA for a similarity search up to three classes, 6,000 DA beyond.
Priority claim: 5,000 DA; international extension via the Madrid System: 10,000 DA national fee.
Payment is made in cash at a CNEP agency or by cheque directly at INAPI; no other payment method is accepted.

The most common refusal grounds

INAPI conducts a substantive examination and refuses the mark if it falls under one of the Article 7 grounds. In practice, three situations recur most often:

Descriptive or generic sign: words naming the product itself, its quality or its origin, such as a geographical indication.
Deceptive or unlawful sign: false promise about nature or origin, breach of public order, imitation of official emblems without authorisation.
Conflict with an earlier right: identical or confusingly similar mark, including marks well known in Algeria.
Formally inadmissible file: incomplete form or unpaid fees; you have two months to regularise, with no refund if rejected.
There is no opposition procedure: third parties challenge a registered mark through annulment (time-barred after five years) or revocation for non-use (Articles 20 and 21).

Protecting your mark beyond Algeria

An Algerian registration only protects the national territory. To protect your mark abroad, INAPI offers two routes: filing directly with the offices of each target country, or using the Madrid System administered by WIPO.

Algeria has been a party to the Madrid Protocol since 31 October 2015. The extension request is made through INAPI against a national fee of 10,000 DA; WIPO then charges the international fees. Protection lasts ten years, renewable, and for its first five years it depends on the Algerian basic mark.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a representative to file a trademark?

Only if you are domiciled abroad: the law then requires an agent accredited by the ministry in charge of industrial property. If you are based in Algeria, you can file yourself, online and then at the counter.

Is a trademark registered abroad protected in Algeria?

No. Protection in Algeria only comes from a national filing at INAPI or a designation of Algeria in an international registration under the Madrid System.

How long does registration take?

INAPI publishes no guaranteed duration. The filing record is issued once the file is formally admissible, then come the formal and substantive examinations and publication in the official bulletin; allow several months and track your file from your online account.

What happens if I do not use my mark?

The right effectively lapses: after three years of uninterrupted non-use, INAPI or any interested third party may seek revocation before the competent court (Article 11).

Can I claim the priority of an earlier filing?

Yes, under the Paris Convention: declare the priority when filing and submit the official copy of the earlier filing within three months. The priority claim fee is 5,000 DA.

Can a trademark be assigned or licensed?

Yes. The assignment or licence must be in writing and recorded in the INAPI register to be effective against third parties; the assignment registration fee is 5,000 DA.

How do I check that a mark is available before filing?

Order a prior search from INAPI: 1,600 DA for an identical search, 3,000 DA for a similarity search up to three classes, 6,000 DA beyond. The report is delivered within 48 hours, and INAPI recommends consulting the Nice classification to choose your classes.

What to do next

Build a solid brand identityOur brand-identity service: name, logo and visual guidelines before your INAPI filing.Create your brand websiteThe website that carries your mark after registration and presents it to your customers.Check a name’s availabilityA quick check before filing: prior-art search and Nice classification.