List of accepted trademark offices for BIMI VMC certificates
Compare the 17 trademark offices accepted for BIMI VMC certificates, including government fees, registration times and fast-track options. Your logo needs an active registration, followed by separate VMC validation.
Accepted trademark offices, prices, wait times and fast track
All 17 offices appear in the published lists from DigiCert, GlobalSign and SSL.com. Checked on 9 October 2026. Prices are online government fees for one class, excluding attorney and VMC fees. Japan and South Korea include full ten-year registration fees. USD estimates use ECB reference rates from 8 October 2026, rounded to the nearest dollar.
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Australia | ≈US$174 AUD 250 | 7+ months | Free on request |
Benelux (BOIP) Fastest | ≈US$273 EUR 244 | 3 months Average, standard route | +≈US$219 EUR 196; early registration |
Brazil | ≈US$175 BRL 880 | 18 months If unopposed | +≈US$177 BRL 890 |
Canada | ≈US$344 CAD 491.06 | 8.2 months To examination; registration later | Free on request |
Denmark | ≈US$359 DKK 2,400 | 6 weeks Review, then 2 months opposition | Free |
European Union | ≈US$951 EUR 850 | 5–6 months Registration target | Free 4–5-month registration target |
France | ≈US$213 EUR 190 | 5+ months | Not advertised |
Germany | ≈US$324 EUR 290 | Weeks to months Backlogs can extend this | +≈US$224 EUR 200 |
India | ≈US$93 INR 9,000 | 6–24 months EC guidance | +≈US$413 INR 40,000 |
Japan | ≈US$284 JPY 44,900 | 7.8 months FY2024 registration average | Free |
New Zealand Cheapest | ≈US$39 NZD 70 | 6+ months If uncomplicated | Free on request |
South Korea | ≈US$195 KRW 262,120 | 17.2 months To decision, 2024 average | +≈US$119 KRW 160,000 |
Spain | ≈US$143 EUR 127.88 | 6–12 months | +≈US$53 EUR 47.05 |
Sweden | ≈US$270 SEK 2,700 | 6 weeks Registration or objection | Not advertised |
Switzerland | ≈US$420 CHF 350 | 2 months To examination; simple cases faster | +≈US$480 CHF 400 Express |
United Kingdom | ≈US$271 GBP 205 | 3–4 months | Suspended |
United States | US$350 Base filing fee | 12–18 months | US$400 Exceptional-case petition |
Cheapest compares the listed government fees. Fastest identifies BOIP’s accelerated early-registration route; it has no fixed turnaround and does not guarantee faster VMC issuance.
Wait times concern uncomplicated applications unless stated otherwise. Published averages and service targets are labeled; an examination or decision date is not a completed registration date. Opposition periods can add time, or take place after registration, depending on the office.
Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and Sweden use fees for pre-approved goods and services terms. Without those terms, Australia costs AUD 400, New Zealand NZD 100 and Sweden SEK 3,900. New Zealand’s fee excludes GST. Germany and Switzerland include up to three classes; South Korea includes local tax, with surcharges above ten goods per class. Brazil offers BRL 440 for qualifying applicants; India offers INR 4,500 for individuals, startups and small enterprises. South Korea costs KRW 256,120 with approved wording. US intent-to-use applications also require US$150 per class for the use filing. Japan and South Korea offer staged five-year payments.
BOIP covers Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. SSL.com also lists the Netherlands separately under BOIP; this is the same office. EUIPO registration is distinct from registration with an EU country’s national office. Your business can be based elsewhere, but the registration and artwork still need to meet the issuer’s requirements.
Cheapest trademark registration for BIMI
New Zealand has the lowest one-class government filing fee in this comparison: NZD 70 (about US$39) using IPONZ’s pre-approved goods and services terms. Otherwise, the fee is NZD 100 (about US$56). Registration takes at least six months.
These are government fees, not the total cost of a trademark or VMC. GST applies to New Zealand applicants, and attorney fees are separate. You need an address for service in New Zealand or Australia, so overseas applicants may need a local representative.
Fastest trademark registration for BIMI
BOIP’s accelerated route registers your mark once formal requirements are met, before substantive examination and opposition. For one class, the total government fee is EUR 440 (about US$492), including the EUR 196 acceleration fee. BOIP publishes no fixed turnaround, and later objections can cancel the registration.
Confirm that your VMC issuer will accept the accelerated registration before paying. Trademark registration and certificate validation are separate processes. Switzerland also offers quick processing for simple applications, with examination within six working days and registration after payment; that is an examination timeframe, not a guaranteed registration deadline.
What does trademark fast track mean?
Fast track usually moves examination forward in the queue. It does not guarantee approval or remove opposition periods. Paid amounts above are added to the standard filing price. Free and paid routes have eligibility conditions; a faster examination still has to lead to an active registration before you can use it for a VMC.
- Free streamlined filing: EUIPO and Denmark use approved goods and services wording and other filing conditions; Denmark omits its search report. EUIPO keeps its three-month opposition period. Japan’s eligible accelerated applications target a first examination result in about two months.
- Paid priority examination: Germany’s six-month deadline is for a decision; Switzerland’s one-month Express target can end in an objection. India normally examines expedited applications within three months but keeps its four-month opposition window. Its expedited fee is INR 20,000 (about US$207) for eligible individuals, startups and small enterprises. South Korea’s 30- or 45-day first-action targets are followed by a 30-day opposition period; eligibility applies.
- Early registration in Benelux: BOIP can register after formal checks, before substantive examination and opposition finish. The registration can subsequently be reversed. Confirm acceptance of the registration with your VMC issuer before paying for acceleration.
- Urgency-based requests: Australia, New Zealand and Canada need a reason for expedition. Australia’s minimum seven months and New Zealand’s minimum six months remain. The US petition needs special circumstances, rather than simply a willingness to pay. Spain also requires evidence of urgency and publishes no accelerated completion deadline.
- Brazil’s quota-based priority: Eligibility categories have separate quotas. As of 9 October 2026, the marketplace category’s September–December quota is full. Other qualifying categories and fee reductions have their own rules; check the current INPI notice.
Trademark requirements for a BIMI VMC
The trademark must be registered and active. A pending application does not qualify, even if you have paid the filing fee or received an application number. The issuer validates the registered artwork and your organization’s right to use it before issuing a VMC.
DigiCert requires the submitted SVG to exactly match the registered trademark. Registering your company name does not automatically qualify a separate graphic icon. Confirm the proposed artwork with the issuer. Do not assume a cropped icon, changed colors or redesigned logo is covered by an existing registration. See DigiCert’s artwork validation requirements.
A company registration, domain name, copyright claim or ™ symbol does not substitute for trademark registration. Eligible government marks have a separate validation route. Trademark approval also does not replace the DMARC, logo-format and hosting requirements.
Who can register your trademark?
The government intellectual property office grants registration. A trademark attorney or IP law firm can search for conflicts, prepare the application and respond to objections. The certificate authority validates the completed trademark for the VMC; it does not grant the trademark.
- Australia: Find a registered trade marks attorney or firm through the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board.
- United Kingdom: Find a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney through CITMA’s directory.
- United States: USPTO’s attorney-finding guidance explains state and local bar referral services.
You can apply directly where local rules allow. Foreign-domiciled USPTO applicants must use a U.S.-licensed attorney. Ask for a quote separating government fees, searches, filing and responses to objections. A low filing-service price may exclude those costs.
Trademark registration process for a VMC
- Confirm eligibility with the certificate issuer. Send the exact logo and proposed trademark office. For an existing registration, provide the registration number and owner details.
- Search for conflicting marks and prepare the application. Confirm the owner, artwork, relevant goods and services, and filing requirements.
- File with the IP office and complete examination. Respond to objections and meet deadlines. Accepted applications proceed through publication and any opposition process before registration.
- After registration, complete VMC validation. The issuer checks the trademark, organization, domain control and authorized applicant before issuing the certificate.
Prepare DMARC and file hosting while waiting for trademark registration and certificate validation.
Can you use BIMI without registering a trademark?
Yes. A CMC supports eligible logos without completed trademark registration. DigiCert’s prior-use route requires at least 12 months of logo use on a domain you control, verified through website archives. It also supports certain modified registered marks. A newly created logo does not meet the prior-use requirement. See the CMC eligibility rules.
Gmail accepts CMCs for logo display, but reserves its verified checkmark for VMCs. Compare the VMC and CMC certificate providers and prices before choosing a certificate.
Sources
Official fee schedules, processing guidance and fast-track rules used for this comparison:
- Australia: fees, processing times, fast track.
- Benelux (BOIP): fees; processing times, fast track.
- Brazil: fees; processing times; fast track.
- Canada: fees; processing times; fast track.
- Denmark: fees, processing times; processing times; fast track.
- European Union: fees; processing times; fast track.
- France: fees; processing times, fast track.
- Germany: fees, processing times, fast track.
- India: fees; processing times; fast track.
- Japan: fees; processing times; fast track.
- New Zealand: fees; processing times; fast track; applicant requirements.
- South Korea: fees; fees; processing times, fast track.
- Spain: fees; processing times; fast track.
- Sweden: fees; processing times, fast track.
- Switzerland: fees; processing times, fast track.
- United Kingdom: fees; processing times; fast track.
- United States: fees; processing times; fast track; fast track.
USD conversions: European Central Bank reference exchange rates for 8 October 2026. Exchange rates change; the local-currency government fee is the amount payable.
