Documents Required from Nepali Applicants: A Deep Dive

Nepali trademark applicants must file seven core documents with the Department of Industry (DoI) under the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965: the application form, a notarised Power of Attorney, a board resolution (for companies), the trademark label, a certified copy of any priority filing, the industry registration certificate, and a current tax clearance letter.

Key Takeaways

• The DoI requires seven specific documents for a domestic trademark application — missing any one will stall your filing.
• A notarised Power of Attorney, signed by the applicant and attested by two witnesses, is mandatory even if you file yourself.
• Company applicants must include a board resolution authorising the trademark filing.
• The tax clearance letter must be current — an expired one leads to rejection.
• Your trademark label must match exactly what you intend to use in commerce; the DoI publishes it in the Industrial Property Bulletin.
• Nepal follows first-to-file — rights belong to whoever submits a complete, valid application first, not to the first user of the mark.
• If you claim priority from an earlier foreign filing, the certified English copy of that filing receipt is non-negotiable.

What documents does a Nepali company need for trademark registration?

A Nepali company filing a trademark application must submit the application form, a notarised Power of Attorney attested by two witnesses, a board resolution authorising the filing, four specimens of the trademark label, a certified English copy of any priority application, the industry registration certificate, and a current tax clearance letter. These seven items form the complete documentary basis for a domestic application under the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965.

Every document serves a distinct legal purpose. The DoI uses the application form to establish the applicant's identity and the class of goods or services under the NICE Classification. The Power of Attorney proves the signatory has authority to act. The board resolution confirms the company's internal decision to register the mark. Together, these documents allow the DoI examiner to verify that the application is genuine, complete, and filed by a properly authorised party.

Why is a notarised Power of Attorney mandatory even for self-filing?

The DoI requires a notarised Power of Attorney — signed by the applicant, sealed, and attested by two witnesses — for every trademark application, even when the business owner files in person. This is a procedural requirement rooted in the DoI's quasi-judicial role under the Act. The Power of Attorney confirms the signatory's legal capacity to bind the applicant, and the notary seal gives the document evidentiary weight before the Department.

A common mistake we see is submitting a Power of Attorney that is signed but not notarised, or notarised but lacking two witness attestations. The DoI will reject an incomplete PoA. The two witnesses must be independent adults; they cannot be the applicant or the signatory themselves. If you are unsure whether your PoA meets the requirements, our team can review it before you file.

What is the board resolution and when is it required?

A board resolution is a written decision of the company's board of directors expressly authorising the trademark application. Any company — private limited, public limited, or non-profit — must include this document. Sole proprietorships and individuals do not need one. The resolution names the mark, the class, and the person authorised to sign the application and Power of Attorney on the company's behalf.

In practice, the board resolution should be on the company's letterhead, dated, and signed by the chairperson or managing director. The DoI checks that the signatory named in the resolution matches the signatory on the Power of Attorney and the application form. A mismatch is grounds for a deficiency notice, which adds weeks to your timeline. If your company's board meets infrequently, plan ahead — the resolution must be in place before you file.

How do I prepare the trademark label for submission?

You must submit four identical specimens of the trademark label with your application. The label is the visual representation of your mark — a wordmark, logo, or combination — exactly as it will appear on your goods, packaging, or service materials. The DoI publishes this label in the Industrial Property Bulletin during the opposition stage, so what you submit is what the public sees.

The label should be clear, high-contrast, and reproducible in black and white if your mark is not colour-claimed. If colour is a distinctive feature of your brand, submit a colour version and note in the application that colour is claimed. A common mistake is submitting a rough sketch or a low-resolution printout. The DoI treats the label as a legal description of the mark; a blurry or inconsistent label can create ambiguity about the scope of your rights. For help preparing a publication-ready label, see our trademark registration service.

Which documents prove the applicant's business standing?

Two documents establish that the applicant is a legitimate, operating business: the industry registration certificate and the latest tax clearance letter. The industry registration certificate is issued by the Department of Industry or the Office of the Company Registrar when you register your business. The tax clearance letter, obtained from the Inland Revenue Department, confirms your tax filings are current. Both must be valid at the time of application.

The DoI uses these documents to verify that the applicant is not a shell entity and has standing to hold trademark rights. An expired tax clearance letter is one of the most common grounds for a deficiency notice. If your tax clearance renewal is pending, wait until you have the updated letter before filing the trademark application. You can check the status of an existing application using our application number lookup tool.

What is a priority document and who needs one?

If you filed a trademark application for the same mark in another country within the last six months and you want to claim that earlier filing date in Nepal, you must submit a notarised or certified copy of that foreign filing receipt, translated into English. Nepal is a member of the Paris Convention, which allows this six-month priority right. Without the priority document, your Nepal application gets its own filing date — which, under Nepal's first-to-file system, could be critical if a competitor files a similar mark in the gap.

Most domestic Nepali applicants do not need a priority document. It applies only when you have already filed abroad and want to backdate your Nepal filing. If you are a Nepali business expanding internationally, you might also use a Nepal filing as the basis for priority claims abroad — but Nepal is not in the Madrid System, so each foreign filing must be done directly through a local agent in that country. For more on cross-border strategy, read how to register a trademark abroad from Nepal.

Complete document checklist for a domestic trademark application

Below is the practitioner-confirmed list of every document a Nepali applicant must submit to the DoI for a trademark application. Use it as your pre-filing checklist.

If any document is missing or defective, the DoI issues a deficiency notice. You then have a limited window to respond before the application is abandoned. In practice, it is far cheaper to get the documents right the first time than to restart a lapsed application. For a walkthrough of the full process, see how to register a trademark in Nepal.

How does the document package differ for an individual versus a company?

An individual applicant — a sole proprietor — does not need a board resolution or an industry registration certificate. Instead, they submit a copy of their Nepali citizenship certificate or passport. The tax clearance letter may also be waived if the individual is not registered for tax purposes, though in practice most business-owning individuals have a PAN and should include the clearance. All other documents — application form, Power of Attorney, and label — remain identical.

If you operate under a trading name that differs from your personal name, the DoI will treat the trading name as the applicant. In that case, you should register the trading name with the relevant ward office or the Office of the Company Registrar first. A mismatch between the applicant name on the application and the supporting documents is a common reason for rejection.

What are the most common document mistakes Nepali applicants make?

The single most frequent error is an incomplete Power of Attorney — missing a notary seal, a witness signature, or a date. The second is an expired tax clearance letter. The third is a mismatch between the signatory named in the board resolution and the signatory on the Power of Attorney. Any of these triggers a deficiency notice from the DoI and adds four to eight weeks to your timeline.

Less common but equally damaging is submitting a trademark label that does not match the mark described in the application. If your application describes a wordmark but your label shows a stylised logo, the DoI examiner may treat it as a different mark. Be precise. If you need a second opinion on your document package, our team can help you review it before submission.

How does the document process connect to the broader registration timeline?

Your documents are the foundation of the entire 12- to 14-month registration process. Once you submit a complete package, the DoI examines the application for formalities and conflicts, then publishes the mark in the Industrial Property Bulletin. The 90-day opposition window starts from that publication date. If your documents are deficient, you never reach publication — the application stalls at the examination stage.

After a successful opposition period, the DoI issues the registration certificate under Sec. 18 of the Act. Your trademark is then protected for seven years, renewable indefinitely. The certificate itself becomes a key document for future renewals, assignments, and enforcement actions. For the full timeline breakdown, read how long trademark registration takes in Nepal.

What if my documents are in Nepali? Do I need English translations?

The DoI accepts documents in Nepali. However, if you intend to claim priority under the Paris Convention or if you plan to use your Nepal registration as the basis for filings abroad, you will need certified English translations of key documents — particularly the registration certificate and the trademark label. Many applicants prepare both Nepali and English versions from the start to avoid delays later.

The Power of Attorney and board resolution can be in Nepali; the DoI does not require English translations for domestic-only applications. If any document originates in a language other than Nepali or English, a notarised translation into English or Nepali is required. This is especially relevant for foreign applicants filing through a Nepal-based agent.

In short

A complete Nepali trademark application rests on seven documents: the application form, notarised Power of Attorney with two witnesses, board resolution (for companies), four identical label specimens, certified priority filing copy (if claiming priority), industry registration certificate, and a current tax clearance letter. Get these right, and your application moves smoothly through examination and publication. Get any one wrong, and you face weeks of delay. The DoI does not give partial credit for a nearly complete file — it is all or nothing.

Before you assemble your documents, run a search to confirm your mark is available. Use our trademark database search to check for conflicting marks, try the NICE class finder to confirm your class, and if you would like a practitioner-level review of your document package, reach out to our team — we will help you file a complete, defensible application the first time.

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