Ukrainian certificates last ten years, and the date they run from is not the one most diarising systems pick up. That single detail accounts for most missed renewals we are asked to rescue.

Ten years from the filing date, not the certificate

The term runs from the filing date of the application, not from the date the certificate issued. Between those two events there is usually around two years.

So an application filed in March 2016 with a certificate issued in February 2018 must be renewed by March 2026, not 2028. A diary entry keyed to the certificate date will be two years late.

Renewal is available for unlimited further ten-year terms.

The renewal window

The request and the fee must reach the Office before the end of the current term, and the fee must be paid within the last six months of that term.

In practice this means a six-month window ending on the anniversary of the filing date. We advise against leaving it to the final weeks — over ten years the holder's details, address and even corporate existence often change, and those discrepancies take time to resolve.

The six-month grace period, and what it is not

If the term expires, renewal remains possible for six months afterwards, with the official fee increased by 50 per cent.

After that the certificate lapses permanently. There is no restoration at any price: the law provides none. The sign becomes available and anyone may apply for it.

An important point for advising clients: the grace period is not an extension of protection. The certificate ceases to have effect immediately on expiry; the grace period only allows the renewal to be completed retroactively.

Partial renewal is available

Rarely mentioned and often useful: if the registration covers five classes and the business now operates in two, the renewal can be limited to the classes actually used. The fee is calculated on the renewed classes only.

Across a portfolio that is a material saving. The trade-off is that the classes dropped become available to third parties, so the decision should follow a look at the client's actual and planned use.

What it costs

• official renewal fee: UAH 12,000 for one class;
• each additional class: UAH 1,200;
• renewal within the six-month grace period: UAH 6,000 surcharge;
• our fee for preparing and filing the request: UAH 2,400.

A single-class renewal filed on time therefore costs UAH 14,400 in total. The same renewal filed late costs UAH 20,400 — the price of a missed date.

How we handle renewal dates

We maintain renewal dates for the portfolios we handle and prompt well in advance, so there is time to confirm holder details and take instructions rather than to scramble.

If you are not certain when a Ukrainian registration falls due, send us the certificate number and we will confirm the date from the register.

Working with us

We act as local counsel for foreign IP firms on renewals, recordals of assignments and licences, and prosecution. More on how we work with IP firms.