Which trademark offices are currently accepted for a VMC?

A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) requires your logo to be a registered trademark with an intellectual property office that your certificate authority accepts. Only marks from those accepted offices can be used for a VMC. A VMC helps mailbox providers show a verified logo, which can make spoofed or look-alike email easier to spot. If you do not have a registered trademark, a Common Mark Certificate (CMC) is a separate option. It does not require a trademark, but your logo must have been shown on your own website for at least 12 months, which the certificate authority checks in the Internet Archive.

As of November 2026, certificate authorities accept the following trademark offices for a VMC. The list can change, so confirm the current offices with your certificate authority before you apply.

• United States: USPTO
• Canada: Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
• European Union: EUIPO
• United Kingdom: UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO)
• Germany: Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt (DPMA)
• Japan: Japan Trademark Office
• Spain: Spanish Patent and Trademark Office
• Australia: IP Australia
• India: Intellectual Property India
• South Korea: Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO)
• Brazil: Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI)
• France: French Patent and Trademark Office (INPI)
• Benelux: Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP), covering Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands
• Denmark: Danish Patent and Trademark Office
• Sweden: Swedish Intellectual Property Office
• Switzerland: Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
• New Zealand: Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ)

Note: If your logo is registered with one of these offices, it can typically be used for a VMC, regardless of your business’s home country. The certificate authority still has to validate the mark, and the logo you submit must match the registration. This list can change: offices may be added or removed.

• Jurisdiction: For a standard VMC, the trademark generally needs to be registered with an office on the certificate authority’s current list. A valid registration at an office that is not listed is usually not enough. This does not apply to a CMC, which needs no trademark but does need 12 months of logo use on your website, or to government marks, which follow a separate path.
• Regional Coverage: A regional registration (for example EUIPO or BOIP) covers the countries in that region and can be used for a VMC if that office is on the accepted list. BOIP covers Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
• Trademark Consistency: The logo submitted for VMC must match the registered trademark exactly—any variation can result in rejection.
• Government Marks: Government agencies may use official seals or marks protected by legislation rather than a standard trademark registration. That is a separate validation path, with documentation the certificate authority specifies. It is not the same as being on the trademark-office list above.

• Logo is registered as a trademark with an office the certificate authority currently accepts: See the list above. This doesn’t apply if you are applying for a CMC (which needs 12 months of logo use on your website instead) or using the government-mark path.
• Trademark registration is active and valid: Confirm that your trademark registration is current and in good standing.
• Logo submitted for VMC matches the registered trademark exactly: The logo you submit for your VMC must be identical to the registered trademark.
• Documentation is available for verification by the Certificate Authority: Be prepared to provide trademark registration documents for review by the Certificate Authority.

Find more answers in our VMC and BIMI frequently asked questions section.

To qualify for a VMC, your logo generally must be a registered trademark with an intellectual property office your certificate authority currently accepts. Check the latest list before you apply. If you do not have a registered trademark, ask about a CMC, which needs at least 12 months of logo use on your own website.