El Salvador’s Hague accession takes effect on 7 October 2026: from that date, companies can protect an industrial design in El Salvador through a single international application filed with WIPO, and Salvadoran designers can use the same route abroad. The change matters to manufacturers and brands selling into Central America, but the map is still patchy: only seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean belong to the Hague System, so most of the region still needs national filings.
Key takeaways
- El Salvador deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement on 7 July 2026; it enters into force on 7 October 2026.
- According to WIPO, the Hague System will then cover 100 countries.
- In Latin America and the Caribbean, only Mexico, Brazil, Belize, Jamaica, Suriname, Saint Kitts and Nevis and El Salvador are members.
- Hague has no subsequent designation: an existing international registration cannot simply be extended to El Salvador.
- Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and most of Central America still require national applications.
What did El Salvador notify to WIPO?
Hague Notification No. 155, dated 7 July 2026, records the deposit of El Salvador’s instrument of accession to the Geneva Act (1999), the version of the Hague Agreement used by almost all members, and sets entry into force on 7 October 2026. The notification reproduces no declarations. In its announcement of 8 July 2026, WIPO describes El Salvador as the 77th Contracting Party to the Geneva Act and the 83rd member of the Hague Union, and says details of its national requirements will be added to the Hague Member Profiles.
How does the Hague System work?
The Hague System, administered by WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization), lets an applicant entitled through a member country or organisation, such as Spain or the European Union, file one international application in English, French or Spanish and designate the members where protection is sought. Each designated office then applies its own law and may refuse protection within the period set by the Hague rules.
Official fees are paid in Swiss francs. Under the WIPO schedule of fees in force on 1 July 2026, the basic fee is CHF 397 for one design and CHF 50 for each additional design, plus CHF 17 for each published reproduction and a standard or individual designation fee for each country. El Salvador’s fee level has not yet been published.
Where does the Hague System work in Latin America and the Caribbean?
This is the map on the date of El Salvador’s accession, based on the WIPO Lex list of Hague contracting parties:
| Country | Hague status | Practical route |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | In force since 6 June 2020 | Hague or national |
| Brazil | In force since 1 August 2023 | Hague or national |
| Belize | In force since 12 July 2003 | Hague or national |
| Jamaica | In force since 10 February 2022 | Hague or national |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | In force since 8 October 2024 | Hague or national |
| Suriname | Long-standing member | Hague or national |
| El Salvador | From 7 October 2026 | National until then; Hague afterwards |
| Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and others | Not members | National filing through local counsel |
With Belize, El Salvador will be one of only two Hague members in Central America. In Africa, Hague covers OAPI, the African Intellectual Property Organization, together with Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Ghana and several others, while markets such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are outside it.
What this means for your business
- Map your markets in two groups: countries you can reach through Hague and those that need a national application.
- For El Salvador, decide on timing: an international application filed on or after 7 October 2026 can designate it; before then, only a national filing is possible.
- Plan new designs together: use the six-month Paris Convention priority from your first filing in Spain or at the EUIPO to cover Hague and national countries with the same date.
- Keep one set of consistent views for all offices, since each examines them separately.
Our team for international design protection through the Hague System and national offices can build that map and coordinate both routes.
Where companies get this wrong
- Assuming they can add El Salvador later. Unlike the Madrid System for trademarks, Hague has no subsequent designation. A design already registered internationally needs a new filing, if it is still new.
- Losing novelty. A design marketed long before filing may no longer be protectable in El Salvador or anywhere else.
- Treating Hague as covering Latin America. Most of the region is outside it, and missing the six-month priority window for national filings is a common and expensive error.
- Ignoring local refusals. A Hague refusal is answered before the national office, usually through a local representative.
Frequently asked questions
From when can I designate El Salvador in a Hague application?
From 7 October 2026, when the Geneva Act enters into force for El Salvador under WIPO Notification No. 155. Only international applications filed on or after that date can include it; if you need protection sooner, a national application before the Salvadoran office is the alternative.
Can I extend my existing international design registration to El Salvador?
No. The Hague System does not allow countries to be added to an international registration after filing. You would need a new international or national application, which is only possible if the design is still new, for example within a priority period or applicable grace period.
Which Latin American countries are in the Hague System?
On the date of El Salvador’s accession, the members in Latin America and the Caribbean were Mexico, Brazil, Belize, Jamaica, Suriname and Saint Kitts and Nevis, with El Salvador joining on 7 October 2026. Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and most of Central America require national filings.
Can IP Global Guard handle Hague and national design filings in Latin America?
Yes. We prepare and coordinate the international application before WIPO, directly where our professionals are entitled to act and otherwise through qualified representatives, and coordinate local correspondents for national filings and refusals, so you have one point of contact for the whole region.
How IP Global Guard can help you protect designs in Latin America
El Salvador’s accession simplifies one more market, but a regional launch still combines Hague and national filings with tight priority deadlines. IP Global Guard, the intellectual property services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, coordinates design protection across more than 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America and Africa with one strategy and one billing relationship; see our coverage in Latin America and beyond.
Send us your product designs, your first filing date and the list of countries where you sell or manufacture. We will tell you which route fits each market and coordinate the filings. Contact our design team.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the position on its publication date.
