SG Trade Marks Fast: Scheme Status and Current Acceleration Options

Use the resumed programme, not the January suspension

The Registry of Trade Marks Circular No. 3/2026 , dated 12 August 2026, states that new acceleration requests resumed on 1 September 2026 for relevant applications filed from that date. Its operative date takes priority over an undated provider article or a saved January suspension notice.

The earlier SG IP FAST pilot ended on 31 December 2024 and was superseded by the programmes introduced in May 2025. Do not use an old form requiring a linked accelerated patent as the filing checklist for today’s trade mark route.

Make the acceleration choice before submitting TM4

IPOS’s current registration instructions identify eligible national applications filed directly through TM4, excluding certification and collective marks. Request acceleration within the application and pay the applicable fee. For multiple classes, the request applies to all classes. IPOS excludes the IPOS Go mobile application from this acceleration request method.

The programme aims to deliver a first examination report or publication notice, as applicable, within three to six weeks. First examination is not final registration. A substantive objection can still require work; publication and any opposition remain separate stages.

Before filing, confirm the applicant’s identity and ownership of the proposed mark. A group should settle whether the operating entity or another entity will own and license it. The IP ownership and company governance model addresses that separate structural decision. Incorporating under the Singapore company formation process establishes an entity; it does not by itself create registered trade mark rights.

Keep an applicant record sheet with the legal name, UEN where applicable, address and representative. These identity checks explain the related entity-record resources below: they help prevent a filing in a trading brand’s name when the intended owner is a different registered company. Confirm whether a proposed joint owner or corporate applicant requires additional authority.

The available choices are the ordinary national application or eligible acceleration selected in the national application at filing. An international Madrid filing has its own procedure; do not assume the national acceleration selection applies automatically to a designation. Ask an IP adviser about territorial coverage if the launch extends beyond Singapore.

Budget the per-class official acceleration charge

The IPOS forms and fees schedule distinguishes classes whose specification items are fully adopted from the Classification Database from those that are not. The figures below are official filing and acceleration charges checked on 1 November 2026, excluding any separately agreed adviser fees.

For an illustration involving two qualifying fully pre-approved classes, 2 × S$480 gives S$960 in these official fees. A mixed application requires the correct category calculation for each class. Confirm the portal’s final payable amount before submission and obtain a separate scope for searches, drafting, objections and opposition work.

No HSJGlobal trade mark service price is represented here. The costs concern an optional acceleration decision rather than a company incorporation package. Ask for any professional-fee tax treatment, exclusions and cancellation terms in writing.

Resolve the issues that faster examination cannot fix

Acceleration can shorten the wait to the first examination outcome, but it cannot make an unsuitable mark distinctive or remove conflicts with earlier rights. Search the proposed name and device and review the goods and services before deciding that speed is the main problem.

Avoid broad wording that does not describe the actual activity merely to secure a preferred fee category. Conversely, do not choose custom language without considering whether a suitable approved description exists. The specification defines the protection sought and should reflect the business rather than a fee-saving exercise.

If the application is already filed without acceleration, IPOS’s stated process does not allow a later acceleration request through the original TM4. Obtain advice on the existing application and commercial timetable before withdrawing, duplicating or re-filing anything. A new filing can create additional costs and date consequences.

Treat the first examination outcome as information for a launch decision. If it identifies an objection, assign the response and its deadline to a named representative. If the application proceeds to publication, keep the opposition stage visible in the project schedule. Packaging and marketing commitments should reflect unresolved rights risks rather than an assumed registration certificate date.

Decide whether acceleration serves the launch timetable

Choose the accelerated route when the application meets the criteria, the correct applicant and specification are settled, and an earlier first examination outcome is valuable. Record the live programme status, chosen classes, fee calculation and expected next event before authorising submission.

Use the ordinary process when speed is not worth the additional charge, or resolve ownership and registrability first when those issues remain open. Keep the application reference and paid acceleration selection, then monitor examination correspondence rather than treating payment as proof of registration.