The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks was established to simplify the filing, registration and maintenance of trademark rights in more than one jurisdiction. The centrally administered system offers trademarks protection in separate jurisdictions by filing a single international application.
The system is administered by the International Bureau of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), located in Geneva, Switzerland, which maintains the International Register and publishes the “WIPO Gazette of International Marks.”
Trademark owners with office or residence or domicile in one of the member countries of the Madrid System who have an existing trademark application or registration (known as the “basic application” or “basic registration”) in a member jurisdiction may obtain an international registration for their trademark through WIPO. The owner is allowed to extend the request for protection to one or more or even all member states of the Madrid System without further national applications. This process is known as “designation”.
The system for international registration of marks was governed by two treaties: the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, originally dating from 1891, and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement, that was adopted in 1989. It should be noted that the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol are two different treaties. Some countries were party to the Madrid Agreement only, others were party to the Madrid Protocol only, with consequences in different procedures of registration and fees. Nowadays, all countries that are members of the Madrid Agreement are also parties to the Madrid Protocol.

Members of the Madrid Agreement are Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Eswatini, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, North Korea, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Viet Nam (status: Aug. 2022)

Members of the Madrid Protocol are AIPO/OAPI, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Eswatini, European Union, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius (as of 6 May 2023), Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tomé and Principe, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Zambia and Zimbabwe (status: March 2023)

Nice classification, 11th edition

Registrable as a trademark is any distinctive sign capable of identifying certain goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise.
Trademarks may be one or a combination of words, letters, and numerals. They may consist of drawings, symbols, three-dimensional signs such as the shape and packaging of goods, audible signs such as music or vocal sounds, fragrances, or colours used as distinguishing features.
The following trademark categories are registrable: trademarks, service marks, collective marks and certification marks. It should be noted that each member party may have its own rules.

An international application must be presented to the International Bureau of WIPO through the industrial property office of the country of origin. Any application sent directly to the International Bureau will not be considered as such. A WIPO form has to be filed in English, French or Spanish The applicant has to pay a national and an international fee at the time of application.
Multiple-class applications are possible.
An application can include goods in any number of classes, but with additional fees for each additional class.
In order to apply for international registration of a trademark through the Madrid System, you have to be a national of a member state of the Madrid Union or to have either a real and effective industrial and commercial establishment or a residence/domicile in that country. If you do not have such entitlement, you have to apply for registration of your mark separately with the industrial property office of each country in question.
The application process includes a formal examination by WIPO, followed by examination in each designated country according to local trademark law.
After the examination of the application, the trademark accepted by WIPO will be registered and published in the bulletin “Gazette des Marques”.
The approximate time frame for completing the registration process of a trademark at a local level varies greatly according to the countries designated.
The trademark is dependent on the base trademark during the first five years after the date of registration. If – within these five years – the basic trademark is no more subject to protection, the international trademark will be no more subject to protection either.
The authorities of member countries may refuse protection in their country within one year (in many member countries of the Protocol within 18 months). If any problems arise, local agents have to be used in the applicable jurisdictions.

The opposition period is based on the law of the respective countries.

An international registration is effective for 10 years. It may be renewed for further periods of 10 years on payment of the prescribed fees. International registrations under the convention obtained before April 1st, 1996, can still have a 20 year validity, but will be renewed for 10 year periods at their next renewal date. The trademark protection may be renewed as often as demanded.
The international registration may be renewed in respect of all the designated Contracting Parties or in respect of only some of them. However, it may not be renewed in respect of only some of the goods and services recorded in the International Register; if therefore the holder wishes, at the time of renewal, to remove some of the goods and services from the international registration, he must separately request cancellation in respect of those goods and services.

Practical details on grace periods for trademark renewals are available in our publication here

The application fees consist of a basic fee, a supplementary fee for each class of goods and services beyond three classes and a complementary fee for the designation of each designated Contracting State. The basic fee is CHF 653 where no reproduction of the mark is in colour and CHF 903 where any reproduction of the mark is in colour.
The supplementary fee is CHF 100 per class of goods and services exceeding three. The complementary fee is CHF 100 per Contracting State. Individual country fees may substitute complementary fees if designated country has so decided under the Protocol. The WIPO fee calculator can be found here

Depending on basic registration for 5 years after registration, if, and to the extent that, the basic registration ceases to have effect within these 5 years, the international registration will no longer be protected. Under the Protocol, however, within 3 months the holder may file an application for registration with the national Offices of Contracting Parties to maintain the date of the international registration.
Recordal of assignment may be filed directly through WIPO. Recordal of licence is also filed centrally but it is necessary to check country by country if the recordal through WIPO is locally effective. Otherwise, it is necessary to record directly in the country.