NGO Name Registration Nepal: Legal Naming Guide

09 Aug, 2026
Updated 11 Oct, 2026
Brand & Business
IP Sewa Admin
9 min read

NGO name registration Nepal requires more than registering an organisation with an administrative body: trademark protection comes through the Department of Industry (DoI) under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965. A clear, unopposed trademark application usually takes about 12–14 months and gives a renewable seven-year registered-mark right.

Key Takeaways

NGOs can protect their public-facing name, logo, or wordmark through the DoI trademark system under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965. Nepal follows first-to-file rules, uses 45 NICE classes, and gives third parties 90 days to oppose publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin.

Your NGO’s registration or incorporation record is not the same as trademark ownership.
Nepal is first-to-file, so an earlier valid DoI application usually has the stronger claim.
One trademark application covers one NICE class only; several activities may need several filings.
Class 36, 41, 44 and 45 may be relevant, depending on your actual services.
The DoI examines the mark before publication and registration.
A registered NGO name lasts seven years and can be renewed in further seven-year terms.

An NGO trademark application moves from clearance and filing to examination, Industrial Property Bulletin publication, opposition, and a DoI registration certificate.

Why should an NGO protect its name as a trademark in Nepal?

A trademark gives your NGO a registered identity for the services named in its DoI application. Under Sec. 16 and Sec. 18 of the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965, trademark title follows registration, while Nepal’s first-to-file system rewards the first valid applicant rather than the first organisation to start using a name.

Your association, foundation, or non-profit may need registration with a relevant administrative authority to operate. A company may also have a record with the Office of the Company Registrar (OCR). Those records matter, but they do not replace a trademark registration certificate from the DoI.

Think of two different jobs. Organisation registration establishes an entity for governance and administration. Brand registration protects the name and logo people see on donation campaigns, health camps, training certificates, Facebook pages, banners, and project materials.

A confusingly similar name can misdirect donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, and partner organisations. Filing early gives you a dated application in the national system. It also puts the proposed registered mark through formal examination rather than leaving a later dispute to chance.

Which NICE class applies to an NGO name in Nepal?

NICE class NGO selection depends on the services your organisation actually provides, not simply its non-profit status. The DoI follows the 45-class NICE Classification, and Sec. 18A requires a separate application for each class. Many NGOs need Classes 36, 41, 44, or 45, sometimes alongside Class 35.

NICE class	Typical NGO activity	Why it may matter
Class 36	Charitable fundraising and financial support	Useful where fundraising is a central public service.
Class 35	Administrative, promotional, or project-management support	May fit management-focused or campaign-support activities.
Class 41	Education, training, workshops, and awareness programmes	Relevant for learning centres and skills programmes.
Class 44	Health, medical, sanitation, and care services	Relevant for health camps and community health work.
Class 45	Personal and social services meeting individual needs	Often relevant for direct social-support services.

NGO names are not assigned one automatic class: the right NICE class follows the organisation’s real public services in Nepal.

A common mistake we see is filing only for fundraising while the NGO’s public identity is mainly tied to schools, counselling, disaster support, or health services. Use the NICE class finder to explore wording, then check the final list against your actual work plan.

How do you register an NGO name with the Department of Industry Nepal?

The Department of Industry Nepal processes trademark NGO Nepal applications in five ordered stages: filing, examination, publication, a 90-day opposition period, and registration. Under Sec. 17–21A of the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965, an unopposed application commonly takes about 12–14 months from filing to certificate.

Choose a distinctive working name. Avoid names that merely describe a location, cause, or service. “Community Health Nepal” is harder to distinguish than a distinctive name paired with a clear logo.
Search identical and similar marks. Search names, spelling variations, phonetic equivalents, and likely logo conflicts in the relevant class. Start with the public Nepal trademark database search, but remember that a search is risk screening, not a registration guarantee.
Select services and NICE classes. Write a clear list of the services you will offer under the mark. Each class requires its own application, so avoid both under-filing and adding classes with no genuine link to your work.
File the trademark application at the DoI. The application identifies the owner, mark, class, and services. For a logo, submit a clear label of the version you want protected.
Respond to examination and await publication. The DoI checks whether the mark conflicts with earlier rights or falls within refusal grounds. If accepted, it appears in the Industrial Property Bulletin.
Pass the opposition period and obtain registration. Any person may oppose within 90 days of publication. If no opposition succeeds, the DoI completes registration and issues the certificate.

The DoI is both the registrar and a quasi-judicial industrial-property authority. If an examiner raises an issue, a focused response can be decisive. Our team can help you with clearance, class selection, filing, and DoI correspondence through our trademark registration service.

What documents does an NGO need for trademark name registration?

A domestic NGO normally needs the prescribed application, a label of the wordmark or logo, a notarised Power of Attorney, and supporting ownership records requested for the applicant. DoI practice also commonly requires a board resolution, an industry or registration certificate where applicable, and current tax-clearance documentation.

Document details should match exactly across the application, authorisation papers, and entity records. A different spelling of the NGO name, a changed address, or an unsigned resolution can create avoidable questions. For a wordmark, file the wording exactly as you intend to use it. For a logo, keep a stable version rather than changing colours, symbols, or layout midway.

Foreign NGOs must file directly through a Nepal-based agent or representative because Nepal is not part of the Madrid System. Nepal is, however, connected to the Paris Convention framework, so a priority claim may be relevant in suitable cases. Ask for tailored advice before relying on foreign filing documents; this article is general information, not legal advice.

How long does it take and what affects NGO trademark costs?

A straightforward NGO trademark registration usually takes around 12–14 months from DoI filing to certificate when no opposition arises. The smoothest cases may finish in roughly 6–8 months, but the 90-day Industrial Property Bulletin opposition period is fixed and cannot be shortened under normal procedure.

Plan around the usual 12–14-month DoI process, while treating a 6–8-month result as the favourable exception rather than the standard.

Total cost depends mainly on the number of NICE classes, whether you file a wordmark, logo, or both, the work needed to assess conflicts, and whether examination or opposition requires professional responses. Government charges and professional fees are separate. Use the trademark fee calculator for a current starting estimate, or ask our team for a case-specific figure.

What mistakes can weaken an NGO name before or after filing?

NGOs lose valuable time by assuming entity registration creates trademark rights, filing before searching similar marks, or choosing a class based only on a broad mission statement. Sec. 18C also allows the DoI to cancel a registered mark that is not put into use within one year of registration.

Do not use ® before registration. TM can signal that you claim a brand, but it does not mean the mark is registered. Use ® only after the DoI has issued the registration certificate.

Imagine a hypothetical organisation named “Koshi Care Initiative” that runs mobile health camps and nursing-skills workshops. Filing only in Class 44 may protect its health services but leave its education programme outside that application. If fundraising is central, Class 36 may also need review. The right answer follows what the NGO does under the name, not what sounds broadest.

Renewal deserves the same care as filing. A trademark lasts seven years from registration and may be renewed repeatedly in seven-year terms. Renewal is due within 35 days of expiry, with a limited late period after that. Keep the certificate, owner details, and service list organised, and seek advice quickly if the NGO changes its legal name or governing body.

What are the alternatives if your NGO name cannot register?

An NGO can adopt a more distinctive name, adjust its logo, limit its services to non-conflicting classes, or seek consent where appropriate, but the DoI decides registrability under Sec. 18. A similar registered mark is not automatically harmless because different spelling or a different logo may still confuse the public.

A descriptive name may work as an internal project title, but it is usually a weak long-term brand choice. Add a distinctive coined word, then check it against existing marks before printing grant proposals, signage, uniforms, and social-media material. Also check your domain name separately: domain registration does not itself create Nepal trademark rights.

In short: secure administrative registration for the organisation where required, then protect the public NGO name through the DoI trademark route in the NICE classes that match your real services. File early, keep evidence of use, and plan renewal from the day your certificate arrives.

People also search for

These related Nepal trademark guides explain connected questions about name clearance, entity names, logos, domains, and business-name protection under the DoI system.

Start by searching existing Nepal trademarks, then use our trademark clearance service or contact our team for practical advice on your NGO name, NICE classes, filing documents, or a possible conflict.

#nepal ip law #trademark registration #nice classification #ngo

Frequently asked questions

Start by searching similar names, words, and logos in Nepal’s trademark records. A matching or confusingly similar registered mark can block your NGO’s public brand use. Use IP Sewa’s search and class tools at /tools, then obtain a professional clearance review before filing or printing materials.

Not necessarily. Approval of an NGO’s organisational name and trademark registration are different matters. Trademark rights for a name or logo are registered by the Department of Industry (DoI) under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965. Registration gives stronger protection for the services your NGO provides.

Similar names can create legal and practical problems, especially if both organisations offer related services, fundraising, education, health, or community work. The DoI may refuse a trademark that damages another mark’s goodwill or is already registered. Choose a distinctive name and check similar spellings, translations, and logos early.

Ideally, protect both where they are used as public identifiers. A word mark protects the NGO name itself, while a logo mark protects its visual design. If budget or timing requires one first, a word mark often gives broader protection because it covers the name in different fonts and styles.

The right NICE Classification class depends on the NGO’s actual activities, such as charitable services, education, health, training, advocacy, or fundraising. Nepal requires one trademark application for each class. A name can be registered in more than one class, but each class needs its own application.

The Department of Industry, or DoI, is the government authority that registers trademarks in Nepal. It examines applications under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965, publishes accepted marks in the Industrial Property Bulletin, and handles objections. NGO registration with another authority does not replace DoI trademark registration.

Yes. Nepal follows a first-to-file approach, so filing early is important. If another person files a similar NGO name first in a relevant class, your later application may face refusal or opposition. Do not wait until after a public launch, donor campaign, website release, or nationwide event.

An unopposed NGO name trademark usually takes about 12–14 months from filing to registration in Nepal. In the smoothest cases, it may finish in 6–8 months. After examination, an accepted application is published in the Industrial Property Bulletin, where others have 90 days to oppose it.

Yes. Once the DoI publishes your proposed NGO name or logo in the Industrial Property Bulletin, any person may file an opposition within 90 days from publication. An opponent may claim likely confusion, earlier rights, or harm to goodwill. A careful search and distinctive name reduce this risk.

A registered NGO name or logo trademark lasts for seven years from the date of registration, not from the filing date. It can be renewed repeatedly for further seven-year terms. File renewal within 35 days after expiry; a limited late period may apply. For cost guidance, use /tools or contact IP Sewa at /contact.