How to Check Trademark Application Status at the DoI

You check your trademark application status at Nepal's Department of Industry (DoI) by entering your application number on the DoI's online industrial-property search portal, or by visiting the DoI office in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu with your filing receipt — the process is free and gives you the current stage of examination, publication, or registration.

Key Takeaways

• Status checks are done through the DoI's official online portal using the application number from your filing receipt.
• You can also enquire in person at the DoI office in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, or have your authorised agent check for you.
• Each application moves through four clear stages: filed → examined → published → registered.
• The Industrial Property Bulletin is the public record where your mark appears during the 90-day opposition window.
• A status showing "under examination" for several months is normal — the full process typically takes 12 to 14 months.
• If your agent filed the application, they are your fastest and most accurate source for status updates.
• No separate login or account is needed for the public DoI portal — only your application number.

What exactly does "trademark application status" mean in Nepal?

Your trademark application status is the official stage your filing has reached inside the Department of Industry, as governed by the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965. It tells you whether the DoI examiner is still reviewing your mark, whether it has been published in the Industrial Property Bulletin for public opposition, or whether the registration certificate has been issued. Because Nepal is a first-to-file jurisdiction, the date and sequence of these status milestones determine your priority rights over any later applicant for a similar mark.

Why should you check your application status regularly?

The 90-day opposition window under Sec. 21A of the Act starts from the date your mark is published in the Industrial Property Bulletin — if you miss knowing that date, you may not realise an opposition has been filed until it is already deep in the DoI's hearing process. Regular checks also catch administrative delays: a common problem we see is a file sitting idle because the examiner is waiting for a missing document or a clarification you never knew was requested. Nepal's DoI does not proactively email or call applicants with status nudges, so the responsibility to monitor falls entirely on you or your agent.

How do you check trademark status online through the DoI portal?

The Department of Industry maintains a public industrial-property search portal on its website, doind.gov.np, where you can look up any trademark application by its application number. You do not need a login, password, or digital certificate — the lookup is open to anyone. Navigate to the industrial-property or trademark section, enter your full application number exactly as it appears on your filing receipt, and the system returns the current register entry showing the status, filing date, class, and applicant name. If the mark has been published, the Bulletin reference and date also appear.

How do you check trademark status in person at the DoI?

Visit the Department of Industry at Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, during office hours with your filing receipt or a copy of your application number. Go to the industrial-property section — the same division that handles fresh trademark filings — and request a status enquiry at the counter. The staff can pull up your file on their internal system and tell you verbally where it stands, or in some cases issue a brief written status note. If a third party filed your application, the DoI may ask for written authorisation before releasing details, so it is always faster to send your authorised agent.

Can your trademark agent check the status for you?

Yes — and in practice, this is how the vast majority of applicants in Nepal track their marks. Because the appointed agent holds the Power of Attorney on file with the DoI, they can walk into the industrial-property division, speak directly with the examiner handling your file, and get a far more detailed update than the public portal shows. They learn not just the formal status label but any informal queries, objections being drafted, or scheduling for Bulletin publication that has not yet appeared online. If IP Sewa is handling your filing, our team can check and relay your status whenever you need it — just reach out through our contact page.

What does each status stage actually mean?

Every trademark application in Nepal passes through the same sequence of milestones. Understanding what each one signals helps you gauge how close you are to a registration certificate — and when you need to act. Here is what you will see at each stage:

How long does each stage normally take?

While every file is different, a realistic timeline in Nepal looks like this: the initial examination phase typically takes 4 to 7 months from filing, longer if the examiner issues queries or the DoI is experiencing backlogs. Publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin usually happens within 1 to 2 months after examination clears. The opposition window is fixed by law at 90 days. After that, certificate issuance takes roughly 2 to 4 weeks once the registration fee is paid. In total, a smooth unopposed application runs about 12 to 14 months — the 6-to-8-month figure some sources mention is a best-case scenario that assumes zero examiner queries and no queue delays. For a fuller picture, see how long trademark registration takes in Nepal.

What documents do you need to check your status?

For an online check through the DoI portal, you need only your application number — the unique reference printed on the acknowledgement slip you received when you filed. For an in-person enquiry at the DoI counter, bring your filing receipt or a photocopy of the application form showing that number, plus a form of identification if you are the applicant. If someone else filed on your behalf, the DoI may ask to see the notarised Power of Attorney that appointed them, so it is better to send that same agent. Keep your application number safe — without it, a manual search by name or logo description at the DoI is slow and unreliable.

What if your application status shows "no record found"?

First, double-check the application number — a single mistyped digit returns a blank result. If the number is correct and the DoI portal still shows nothing, the most likely explanation is that your application was only recently filed and has not yet been entered into the public-facing database; there is often a data-entry lag of a few weeks. It is also possible, though rare, that the application was rejected at the counter for incomplete documents and the filing was never formally lodged. In that case, visit the DoI in person or have your agent enquire directly. You can also try searching by the applicant name on the portal, though name-based search is less precise. Our application number lookup tool can help you confirm the format is valid before you go to the DoI.

What is the Industrial Property Bulletin and how does it relate to your status?

The Industrial Property Bulletin is the official government gazette published by the Department of Industry where all trademark applications that have passed examination are publicly listed. Under Sec. 21A of the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965, the DoI must publish registered marks — and renewals and cancellations — for public information. The moment your mark appears in the Bulletin, your status moves from "under examination" to "published," and the 90-day countdown for third-party opposition begins. The Bulletin is accessible through the DoI's office and, increasingly, through its online portal. Checking it directly is one way to confirm that your publication date matches what your agent tells you.

Can a third party check the status of your trademark application?

Yes. The DoI's online portal is public, and anyone with your application number can pull up the current register entry. Competitors, potential investors, or a party considering an opposition can — and often do — monitor the status of marks that interest them. That transparency is exactly why the Industrial Property Bulletin exists: to give the public a formal window to object before rights are finalised. There is no confidentiality mechanism to hide an application once it has been filed, so assume that your filing date, class, goods description, and status are all publicly visible from day one. If you need to search the register yourself — to see what competitors have filed, or to check for conflicts before you apply — use our trademark database search tool.

What are the most common mistakes people make when checking status?

A mistake we see repeatedly is applicants searching by brand name instead of the application number, then panicking when they get no result — the DoI portal's search logic is built around the numeric application ID, not free-text brand lookup. Another is assuming that "under examination" means something is wrong; it simply means your file is in the queue. Some applicants check once right after filing, see nothing, and never check again, then discover a year later that an opposition was filed and decided without their knowledge. Also, not all agents proactively push updates — if you have not heard anything in four months, pick up the phone and ask. Finally, do not mistake the Industrial Property Bulletin for a real-time tracker; there is always a lag between a decision being made internally and it appearing in the published Bulletin.

A realistic example: tracking a restaurant's trademark in Nepal

Imagine a Pokhara-based restaurant chain called "Himalayan Plate" files a trademark application in Class 43 through a Kathmandu agent. Two weeks after filing, the agent emails them the application number — 065-0001234. The owner visits the DoI portal, enters that number, and sees "Application Received." Six months later the status still reads "Under Examination" — which is normal. At month seven, the agent calls: the examiner has asked for a clearer specimen of the logo. They submit it the next day. By month nine, the portal shows "Published" and the agent confirms the Bulletin date. The owner marks 90 days from that date on their calendar. No opposition arrives. At month thirteen, the status flips to "Registered," and the certificate is couriered to Pokhara. That is a textbook unopposed timeline — and it illustrates why checking status at each handoff matters.

What happens after your status shows "Registered"?

Once the DoI issues your registration certificate under Sec. 18 and Schedule 2(c) of the Act, you hold a valid trademark right in Nepal for seven years from the date of registration. You can now use the ® symbol, licence the mark, and enforce it against infringers through the DoI's quasi-judicial process or the courts. But the work does not end there. Under Sec. 18C, if you do not put the mark to genuine commercial use within one year, the DoI can cancel it on its own motion or on a third party's complaint. And the seven-year renewal clock has already started ticking — you must apply for renewal within 35 days of expiry to avoid a late fee and the risk of automatic cancellation. Our renewal calculator can help you find your exact renewal deadline and avoid missing it.

In short: checking your trademark status at the DoI takes two minutes with your application number, costs nothing, and is the single simplest way to protect a right you have already invested time and money in. Make it a calendar habit every four to six weeks until your certificate is in hand — and then again whenever a renewal deadline is approaching.

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If your application status has stalled, or you are unsure what it means, we can check it with the DoI directly and give you a plain-Nepali explanation of where things stand and what to do next. Start with a quick search of the trademark database to confirm your mark's details, or reach out to our team and we will look into it for you.