Cuba Drops Its Second Madrid Fee: What Trademark Owners Must Know Before 20 November 2026

Cuba is removing its second official fee for trademarks filed under the Madrid Protocol. From 20 November 2026, most filings will pay one individual fee instead of two. Renewals go the other way and get more expensive. Here is what changes, what stays the same, and what to do now.

What changes on 20 November 2026?

Cuba will stop charging its second official fee on Protocol applications and subsequent designations. Filings made through the Protocol from that date onward will carry a single individual fee, calculated like this:

• Up to 3 classes: 317 Swiss francs
• Each additional class: 97 Swiss francs

Do older filings still pay the second fee?

Yes. Applications filed before 20 November 2026 remain subject to the second fee. The filing date decides which regime applies, so a designation filed a day earlier can cost more than one filed a day later. Check the filing date on every pending Cuba designation before you quote a client.

How much do Cuba renewals cost now?

Renewals are the part of this notice that trademark owners will feel most. The increase is steep for the most common renewal scenario.

The standard three-class renewal rises by roughly 49 per cent. That is a material change for portfolios with many Cuba registrations due in the same year.

What does a five-class filing or renewal cost?

A five-class designation filed after the change carries an individual fee of 511 Swiss francs: 317 for the first three classes plus 97 for each of the two additional classes. A five-class renewal in the standard period comes to 551 Swiss francs (357 plus 194). These figures cover only the Cuban individual fee. They do not include WIPO’s basic fee or other charges, so build them into your full budget.

Why does the filing cost fall while renewals rise?

The notice pairs a cheaper entry point with a more expensive upkeep. For a brand entering Cuba for the first time, the filing side gets simpler and usually less costly. For a brand that has held Cuba protection for years, renewals now carry most of the cost. The overall economics therefore depend on where each mark sits in its life cycle.

Who should act now?

Most of the work sits with trademark teams and the advisers who manage renewal calendars. Four steps cover it:

1. List every pending and registered Cuba designation under the Protocol, and note its filing or renewal date.
2. Flag any renewal falling due in the next 12 months and rebudget it at the new rate.
3. Confirm with your adviser which date governs the fee, the filing date or the payment date, before timing any filing around the cutoff.
4. Update client quotes, internal budgets and any fee schedules that still show the old figures

What mistakes should be avoided?

• Assuming the single fee applies to every Cuba filing. It applies only to filings made from 20 November 2026.
• Forgetting that the grace-period renewal fee has also increased, from 287 to 422 Swiss francs.
• Budgeting renewals with the old 80 Swiss franc figure for each additional class. The new figure is 97.
• Quoting clients from an outdated fee sheet. Fee tables change often, so confirm against WIPO’s notices before sending any estimate.

Plan your Cuba filings and renewals with confidence

Fee changes like this are easy to miss and costly to get wrong. Legacy Partners brings more than 15 years of experience in trademark registration and Madrid Protocol filings, and acts as an authorised representative for clients across the region. Contact Legacy Partners today to review your trademark portfolio and avoid unplanned costs. info@legacypartners.global