The short answer
To renew a trademark at the BOIP or the EUIPO, you need surprisingly little: the registration number of the trademark, the name and address of the trademark holder as they appear in the register, and payment of the renewal fee. There is no new application form with an image of the trademark, no description of goods and services that is reassessed, and no proof that you have actually used the trademark over the past ten years.
This last point is precisely the detail where many entrepreneurs stumble, because they think renewal is like the original application. It is not. A renewal is an administrative act: the register checks whether the correct party pays the correct amount on time for the correct trademark, and carries out no further substantive examination. There is therefore no fresh assessment of whether the trademark is still distinctive, whether similar trademarks have since been added, or whether you are using the trademark as registered.
Why people still collect evidence
The confusion often arises from comparison with systems outside the Benelux and the EU. In some countries, such as the United States, a trademark holder must demonstrate during the term and at renewal that the trademark is actually being used in trade, with samples of packaging or screenshots from an online shop. Within the Benelux and European Union trademark system, this requirement does not apply at renewal itself. Use becomes relevant only if a third party challenges the trademark on the grounds of non-use, and that is a separate procedure, separate from renewal.
Anyone who does keep evidence of use does so not for the BOIP or the EUIPO, but for themselves: if a third party ever starts non-use proceedings, it is useful to have invoices, packaging or marketing materials with dates on hand. That is sound record management, not a renewal requirement.
The point that often goes wrong: the trademark holder's details
What must be accurate at renewal is the identity of the trademark holder. If the business has been transferred, merged, changed legal form or relocated in the meantime, that must first be processed in the register before renewal runs smoothly. A renewal in the name of a private company that no longer exists, or at an address that is no longer correct, may raise questions with the office and cause delay at a time when there is little room for manoeuvre.
This is why it is useful to briefly check, well before the renewal date, whether the name, legal form and address in the register still match the current situation of the business. If not, a change of name or transfer must first be handled separately, with the associated documents such as a Chamber of Commerce extract or a transfer deed. Only then is renewal again a matter of paying and confirming.
What this means for your planning
Because so little is required substantively, renewal is often underestimated as an action item. The fees are paid on time, but no one checks whether the trademark holder on paper is still the correct one. For a sole trader converted to a private company, or a business that has relocated without notifying the trademark register, this is a blind spot that only becomes visible when the renewal period is already drawing near.
It is therefore better to see renewal not as a single payment moment, but as two steps: first check that the register details are still correct, and only then pay the fee. Anyone who does not know exactly what the register says about their trademark can look it up directly at the BOIP or the EUIPO, or have it included in ongoing monitoring of the trademark.
For the application itself, different and more extensive documentation requirements apply; these are described in the article on the documents required when filing a trademark application. If you want to know how your own trademark currently stands, a brief check of your trademark name and class provides an initial indication, entirely separate from the question of whether a renewal is already due.
Our platform not only guides you through the application, but also monitors the renewal date of your trademark through our watch service, so it doesn't pass by unnoticed. How we proceed and what information is needed for this is explained on the page about our approach. The costs for a service fee and the watch subscription, separate from the fees you pay directly to the BOIP or EUIPO, can be found clearly listed on our fee overview.
Are you unsure whether your details are still correct
If your business has undergone a name change, relocation or transfer in recent years and you are unsure whether this has been recorded in the trademark register, this can be easily checked before the next renewal comes due. If you have doubts about your specific situation, consult a trademark attorney or contact the BOIP or EUIPO directly; we do not provide legal advice on individual cases.
If you would first like a general understanding of how trademark registration, class selection and monitoring work together in practice, explore the other topics in our knowledge base via frequently asked questions about trademark registration. That way you know exactly what you need to arrange and when, without having to become a lawyer yourself.