A practice manual for renewing Chinese trademark registrations. China opens the renewal window a full year before expiry, which is more generous than most jurisdictions — and that generosity invites complacency. Miss the six-month grace period as well and the registration is cancelled with no procedure to revive it. Refiling remains possible, but a third party who files in the meantime comes first.
1. At a glance
- System type
- Ten-year renewal cycle
- Anchor date
- Date of approval of registration — not the filing date
- Due date rule
- Tenth anniversary of the approval date
- Renewal window
- 12 months before expiry — the earliest among major offices
- Grace period
- 6 months, with a late fee of CNY 250 (paper) / 225 (online)
- Restoration
- None — once cancelled, refiling is the only route
- Fee basis
- Per class — multi-class registrations multiply by class count
- Declaration of use
- None Non-use cancellation after three years is a separate exposure
- Representation
- Foreign proprietors must act through a Chinese agency
- Risk level
- Caution
2. Anchor date and due-date calculation
The anchor is the date the office approved the registration, not the filing date — a difference from the European offices. Renewal falls due on the tenth anniversary of that date, and the renewed ten-year term begins the day after expiry.
Worked example
For a registration approved on 2023-03-10, the first renewal runs as follows.
| Item | Formula | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Window opens | Expiry − 12 months | 2032-03-10 |
| Renewal due | Approval of registration + 10 years | 2033-03-10 |
| Grace ends | Due date + 6 months | 2033-09-10 |
| New term begins | Day after expiry | 2033-03-11 |
| Next due date | Every 10 years thereafter | 2043-03-10 |
3. The renewal window
- The window opens twelve months before expiry, the earliest among the major offices, which leaves ample preparation time.
- Foreign proprietors must act through an agency registered in China. Appointing one and executing the power of attorney takes time, so start when the window opens.
- Renewal is processed without examination, though the renewal certificate takes time to issue after filing.
- Narrowing the list of goods is a separate procedure and cannot ride on the renewal request.
4. Grace period and late fee
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grace period | 6 months from the due date |
| Late fee | CNY 250 on paper / CNY 225 online |
| Basis | The late fee is also calculated per class, alongside the renewal fee |
| If missed | The registration is cancelled — no restoration |
5. Lapse and restoration
After the grace period the registration is cancelled, and no procedure restores a missed renewal deadline. Refiling is available, but if a third party filed the same mark in the meantime that application comes first and may block the refiling.
6. Fees — multiplied by class
Renewal fees are charged per class. A single registration number covering several classes is still charged for every class it contains, so count classes rather than registration numbers when quoting.
| Item | Online | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal fee, per class | CNY 450 | CNY 500 |
| Grace late fee | CNY 225 | CNY 250 |
7. No declaration of use, but evidence still matters
China does not require proof of use at renewal and sets no declaration deadline. However, a mark left unused for three years without proper reason is open to a third-party non-use cancellation. That is a standing exposure rather than a deadline, so evidence of use should be collected as an ongoing matter, separately from renewal reminders.
8. Management checklist
- The approval-of-registration date; calculating from the filing date shifts the deadline by years.
- Whether the case is a direct filing or a Madrid designation, since designations renew at WIPO on the international date.
- The number of classes on the registration, which drives the fee.
- Whether a Chinese agency is appointed — mandatory for foreign proprietors and slow to arrange.
- Begin client confirmation when the window opens a year before expiry, and use that lead time.
- Do not plan around the grace period, because there is no restoration.
- Collect evidence of use separately; it guards against non-use cancellation rather than satisfying a renewal requirement.
Sources, cut-off date and disclaimer
This manual is based on iphere's August 2026 survey of country-by-country overseas maintenance rules, together with values produced by the deadline engine that runs on those same rules. Official fees and deadline rules change by office notice, so please confirm against the official source and your local agent before any actual payment or filing.