I. General Overview
Area: About 38,000 square kilometers.
The population is approximately 763,000 (2022). The population growth rate is approximately 0.94% (2022). Bhutanese make up approximately 50% of the total population, and Nepalese make up approximately 35%. Dzongkha, the Bhutanese language, is the official language. Tibetan Buddhism (Kagyu sect) is the state religion, and Nepalese residents practice Hinduism.
Currency name: Ngultrum, abbreviated as NU., which is equivalent to the Indian rupee.
Gross Domestic Product (2022): Nu 227.814 billion.
GDP per capita (2022): US$3,833.
GDP growth rate (2022): 5.21%.

II. Treaty Membership
1. Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Convention)
Accession: 2000

2. Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (Madrid Protocol)
Accession: 2000

3. Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks
Accession: 2000

III. Trademark Application Procedure and Required Documents
1. Trademark Registrable Elements and Types
Elements that can be registered as trademarks in Bhutan include: text, graphics, symbols, slogans, three-dimensional logos, color combinations, etc.
The types of trademarks that can be registered in Bhutan include: trademarks, service marks, collective marks, and certification marks.

2. Filing Routes
1) National filing (direct filing)
2) Madrid International Registration

3. Required Documents
⦁ Applicant's name, address and nationality;
⦁ List of goods and/or services;
⦁ Clear representation of the mark;
⦁ Power of attorney;
⦁ To claim priority, a certified copy of the priority document and its English translation (sworn translation) need to be submitted.

4. Application Procedure and Timeline
Filing: the 12th edition of Nice Classification is adopted; multiple-class applications are possible; the first-to-file principle is followed
Examination: formal examination and substantive examination
Publication/Opposition: the opposition period: 3 months
Registration: It takes about 6-9 months from filing to registration (if smooth).

5. Protection Period and Renewal
The validity period is 10 years from the date of application and can be renewed for 10 years each time before expiration

5. Assignment
Trademark assignment requires a power of attorney from the assignee and a notarized assignment agreement, and the process takes about half a year.

5. Chang of Name/Address
Trademark changes require a power of attorney, a notarized proof of change, and a translation, which takes about half a year.

8. Cancellation
Non-use Cancellation: If a trademark has not been used for three consecutive years, any interested party may file a cancellation request for the non-used trademark.

IV. Trademark application statistics *:
A: Statistics on total trademark applications:
2020:991
2021:804
2022:862
B: Statistics of trademark applications from China:
2020:295
2021:203
2022:206