Somalia’s intellectual property system is taking another concrete step toward full operationalization. A Ministerial Decision dated September 30, 2025, introduced official fees for additional procedures before the authorities.
In force since November 2025, the Decision sets fees for:
- renewals
- assignments/transfers of ownership
- changes of name or address
- oppositions
In parallel, official fees now apply to the registration of patents and industrial designs, signaling efforts to organize IP administration beyond trademarks. Taken together, these measures establish a functioning route for rights holders to secure and maintain protection in Somalia, and interest from multinational and regional brand owners has been steadily increasing as the system gains structure.
Somalia’s TMO is now fully operational in practice. Although trademark procedures were formally reinstated by Ministerial Decree in 2019, it only became possible to file applications before the TMO from 2021 onwards. Applications are now examined, published for opposition, registered, and issued with official certificates.
The introduction of official fees represents the latest milestone in Somalia’s wider IP rebuild. As pricing becomes formalized and procedural clarity improves, brand owners are beginning to incorporate Somalia into their regional filing strategies rather than treating it as a legal vacuum.
Saba IP is actively filing trademarks and coordinating procedural actions before the Somali TMO, with applications successfully maturing to registration. For rights holders evaluating protection in Somalia, our team is available at news@sabaip.com.
