SG Trade Marks Fast is Back: Accelerated Trade Mark Examination Resumes from 1 September 2026
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Businesses looking to secure earlier feedback on their Singapore trade mark applications can once again make use of the SG Trade Marks Fast acceleration programme.
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) suspended the acceptance of new requests under SG Trade Marks Fast from 4 January 2026, while it reviewed its acceleration programmes. On 12 August 2026, IPOS announced that it would resume accepting new requests from 1 September 2026.
Accordingly, applicants filing national Singapore trade mark applications on or after 1 September 2026 may once again request accelerated examination under SG Trade Marks Fast.
What does SG Trade Marks Fast do?
Under the programme, IPOS aims to issue either:
- the first examination report, if objections are raised; or
- a notice that the application has been published for opposition, if there are no objections,
within approximately three to six weeks from the filing date.
By comparison, IPOS presently indicates that an ordinary trade mark application may take around nine months to proceed to registration, assuming that there are no deficiencies, objections or oppositions.
The acceleration therefore gives applicants considerably earlier visibility as to whether their application is likely to encounter examination issues.
Who can use the programme?
The application must be a national trade mark application filed directly with IPOS using Form TM4. Certification marks and collective marks are not eligible. The request for acceleration must also be made at the time the Form TM4 application is filed; an applicant cannot decide to accelerate the application later.
For a multi-class application, the acceleration request applies to all classes in the application.
Importantly, there is no requirement for the specification of goods and services to consist entirely of descriptions taken from IPOS' Classification Database. However, the acceleration fee is higher where the specification is not fully adopted from the pre-approved database.
What does it cost?
The acceleration fees are payable in addition to the ordinary trade mark application fees:
| Specification | Filing fee | Additional SG Trade Marks Fast fee |
|---|---|---|
| All items adopted from IPOS' Classification Database | S$280 per class | S$200 per class |
| Specification not fully adopted from IPOS' Classification Database | S$410 per class | S$250 per class |
Acceleration stops after the first examination stage
SG Trade Marks Fast accelerates the initial examination stage only.
If IPOS raises an objection, the first examination report will be issued on the accelerated timeline, but the acceleration ends at that point. The applicant's subsequent response, and IPOS' review of that response, will proceed in the ordinary queue.
Likewise, where no objections are raised, acceleration ends once the application is published for opposition.
When might accelerated examination be useful?
SG Trade Marks Fast may be particularly useful where timing is commercially significant.
For example, a business preparing for a product or brand launch may wish to know at an earlier stage whether IPOS is likely to object to its chosen mark. Early examination can provide an opportunity to address registrability issues before substantial expenditure is committed to packaging, advertising or other branding materials.
It can also be useful where a Singapore filing forms part of a broader international filing strategy. Although an applicant does not need to wait for its Singapore application to be examined before claiming priority overseas, obtaining early feedback from IPOS may assist with decisions on whether the same mark and specification should be pursued in other jurisdictions.
For applications which proceed without objection, earlier publication can also bring forward the point at which the application may proceed towards registration, subject of course to the opposition period and any opposition which may be filed.
The takeaway
The reopening of SG Trade Marks Fast restores a useful option for businesses for whom the ordinary examination timeline does not fit their commercial timetable.
However, because acceleration must be requested when the application is first filed, applicants should consider at the outset whether early examination would provide a meaningful commercial or strategic benefit. The choice of specification is also relevant, both because it can affect the risk of classification objections and because it determines the applicable acceleration fee.
For more information on SG Trade Marks Fast, see IPOS Trade Marks Circular No. 3/2026.
If you have any questions about SG Trade Marks Fast or would like assistance with filing or accelerating a Singapore trade mark application, please contact us at contact@ghowsllc.com.