How to Register a Trademark in Panama: 2026 Step-by-Step Guide.

Registering your trademark is the cheapest way to protect your business's most valuable asset: its name and reputation. In Panama, the trademark belongs to whoever registers it first, not to whoever uses it. This guide walks through the full DIGERPI process in 2026, with the real fees and the Panama-specific quirks most pages leave out.

Note: general information current as of the update date. Fees and timelines can change; confirm your case with a lawyer before filing.

Step 1 · Clearance search (before you invest)

Before paying the official fee, confirm your mark is free. DIGERPI's public search shows exact matches, but a mark can be refused for phonetic or visual similarity to an existing one. A professional search assesses that risk and prevents a wasted investment.

→ Start here: check your trademark availability.

Step 2 · Choose the correct Nice class

Panama uses the Nice Classification: 45 classes grouping goods (1-34) and services (35-45). Your mark is protected only in the classes you register. Choosing the wrong class leaves your mark unprotected in your actual activity; registering in several classes broadens protection (and fees).

Step 3 · File the application with DIGERPI

The application is filed before the General Directorate of the Industrial Property Registry (DIGERPI) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries. You will need: a power of attorney for the lawyer, the description of goods/services, and — for figurative or composite marks — the mark image. If you reside outside Panama, the law requires a Panamanian lawyer to represent you.

Step 4 · Examination, publication and opposition

DIGERPI conducts a formal and substantive examination. If it passes, the mark is published in the BORPI (official bulletin), opening a two-month window for third parties to oppose. A key Panama quirk: opposition is handled through the courts (judicial), not administratively, and can take about a year. Anticipating possible oppositions in the initial search is therefore decisive.

Step 5 · Registration and term

With no opposition, DIGERPI grants the registration. The mark is protected for ten years, renewable indefinitely for equal periods. The whole process typically takes six to ten months.

Official fees (DIGERPI, 2026)

Legal fees are added to the official fees. Estimate your case: trademark cost estimator.

Three Panama quirks you must know

1. Panama is NOT in the Madrid Protocol. You cannot protect your mark in Panama through an international registration; you must file directly with DIGERPI. Many foreigners discover this too late.
2. Opposition is judicial. Unlike other countries, anyone opposing your mark goes to court, which lengthens and raises the cost of the conflict — another reason to clear the ground with a good prior search.
3. Cancellation for non-use. A registered but unused mark can be cancelled after five years at a third party's request. Registering is not enough: you must use the mark.

After registration: don't stop there

Registration is the beginning, not the end. To truly protect your mark you should: watch it (to catch confusingly similar third-party filings early), renew it at ten years without letting the term lapse, and manage licenses or assignments as your business grows. That is the difference between holding a certificate and holding a protected brand.