Who Can Apply for a New TLD? Eligibility Requirements

## Who Is Eligible to Apply? Not everyone can apply for a new gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain). ICANN's eligibility requirements are designed to ensure that only entities with genuine capacity to operate a stable, secure TLD (Top-Level Domain) registry are admitted to the process. These requirements apply regardless of whether you are applying for a Brand TLD (.brand), a generic string, a community TLD, or a geographic name. The three pillars of eligibility are: **legal entity status**, **financial capacity**, and **technical capability**. An applicant must satisfy all three to progress through evaluation. Before assessing your eligibility, use the TLD Finder tool to verify your desired string is not already delegated. ## Legal Entity Requirements ### You Must Be a Legal Person ICANN requires that applicants be legal persons — entities that have separate legal personality under the law of their jurisdiction. This typically means: - **Corporations** (Inc., Ltd., GmbH, S.A., etc.) - **Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)** in jurisdictions that recognise them as legal persons - **Non-profit organisations** (foundations, associations, charities) incorporated under applicable law - **Government entities** for governmental or IGO (intergovernmental organisation) applications The following are **not** eligible: - Sole traders / sole proprietors operating without a corporate wrapper - General partnerships without separate legal personality - Unincorporated associations - Trusts (in most jurisdictions) - Natural persons applying in their individual capacity **Practical implication**: If you are an individual entrepreneur or a small team, you must form a corporation or LLC before applying. This is also advisable from a liability perspective given the scale of investment involved. ### Disclosure of Affiliated Parties ICANN requires full disclosure of any entity that directly or indirectly controls 15% or more of the applicant, and any entity in which the applicant holds 15% or more. This affiliation mapping is used to identify: - Related applications (two applications by the same corporate family for different strings count as related) - Potential conflicts of interest - Applicants who are disqualified due to the conduct of an affiliated entity ### Disqualification Grounds An applicant may be disqualified if: - It — or an affiliated entity — has had a prior Registry Agreement terminated by ICANN for cause. - It has been found to have provided materially false information in a prior ICANN application. - It — or a key person — has been convicted of a serious criminal offence or is subject to sanctions that would make them unable to enter into a binding contract with ICANN (a California corporation). - It is an entity listed on applicable sanctions lists (OFAC, EU, UN). ## Financial Capacity Requirements ### Minimum Financial Threshold ICANN requires applicants to demonstrate sufficient financial resources to: 1. Fund the full application and evaluation process (including potential objection defences and string contention). 2. Fund at least **three years of registry operations** at the projected scale, without relying on registration revenue. This "three years without registration revenue" standard is demanding. For a lean registry operation, this means having approximately **$750,000 to $1,000,000 in accessible capital** beyond the application fee. ### Evidence Required Applicants must submit: - **Audited financial statements** for the most recent two to three fiscal years (if the entity has existed that long). - **Projected financial statements** for three years of registry operations, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow projections. - **Evidence of capital**: Bank letters confirming available liquidity, investor commitment letters, parent company guarantees, or similar instruments. - **Financial evaluation questionnaire**: Detailed responses to ICANN's financial evaluation criteria, assessed by an independent financial evaluator. ### Start-Up Entities and Newly Incorporated Applicants Entities created specifically for the purpose of applying for a new TLD (Top-Level Domain) — common for first-time applicants — must provide: - Evidence of committed funding (investor agreements, parent company undertakings) - Financial projections from the date of incorporation - Personal financial statements from founders if the entity has no operating history ### Escrow Requirements ICANN also requires that registries maintain a minimum cash reserve equivalent to three months of operating expenses, held in a segregated account. This is an ongoing requirement post-delegation, not just an application-phase requirement. ## Technical Capability Requirements ### Direct vs. Contracted Technical Operations Applicants do not need to be technical experts themselves. ICANN permits — and the majority of applicants use — contracted back-end registry operators that provide the technical infrastructure on behalf of the applicant. If using a contracted back-end operator, the applicant must: - Name the back-end operator in the application. - Provide contractual commitments from the back-end operator confirming they will provide the services described. - Demonstrate that the back-end operator has sufficient technical capacity and relevant experience. ### Technical Evaluation Criteria Whether operating independently or through a contractor, the application must demonstrate: - **DNS infrastructure**: Authoritative name server capacity, geographic distribution (minimum two servers in distinct locations), redundancy. - **DNSSEC signing**: Capability to sign the TLD zone with DNSSEC and maintain the chain of trust. - **RDAP and WHOIS**: Compliant registration data access services per ICANN policy. - **EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol)**: The registry-registrar protocol enabling registrars to register and manage domains. - **SLA commitments**: Uptime targets meeting ICANN's minimum requirements (99.9%+ DNS availability). - **Security and abuse management**: DDoS mitigation, abuse reporting, and takedown procedures. - **Business continuity and disaster recovery**: Documented failover procedures and EBERO designation. ### EBERO (Emergency Back-End Registry Operator) Every Registry Operator must designate an EBERO — an independent entity that can assume control of registry operations if the primary operator fails. ICANN maintains a list of approved EBEROs, and applicants must confirm their EBERO arrangement in the application. ## Eligibility for Specific Application Types ### Community TLD Applicants Must demonstrate that the applied-for string corresponds to a clearly delineated community with an established existence predating the application. Invented communities created for the purpose of claiming community status are rejected. ### Geographic TLD Applicants Must provide documentation of support from the relevant government(s) or public authority. Geographic applications face special scrutiny under ICANN's geographic names policy. See Geographic and Community TLD Applications for details. ### Brand TLD Applicants Must demonstrate trademark ownership or rights in the applied-for string in at least one relevant jurisdiction. The brand TLD string typically must match or closely correspond to an existing registered trademark. ### Underserved Region Applicants ICANN's 2026 round includes specific support for applicants from developing economies and underserved regions. This support may include fee reductions, extended deadlines, and dedicated technical assistance programmes. Eligible applicants typically must be incorporated and operating primarily in a designated developing country, as defined by ICANN's support programme criteria. ## Summary Checklist | Requirement | Status to Check | |-------------|----------------| | Legal entity incorporated | Corporation, LLC, or equivalent | | No disqualifying prior ICANN history | Confirm with ICANN registry | | Audited financials available | Last 2–3 years | | Capital reserve demonstrated | $750K+ accessible | | Back-end registry operator identified | Named and contracted | | EBERO designated | Approved EBERO confirmed | | String not already delegated | Use TLD Finder | | String not confusingly similar | Similarity pre-check done | | Trademark basis (for brand TLDs) | Trademark registration confirmed | For the detailed evaluation criteria against which these requirements are assessed, see Financial and Technical Evaluation Criteria. For strategic advice on whether your organisation should apply at all, see Should Your Company Apply for a Brand TLD?. ## The Underserved Region Support Programme A significant addition to the 2026 round — absent from 2012 — is a dedicated support programme for applicants from developing economies and underserved regions. ICANN recognised that the $185,000+ application fee, combined with the complexity of the process, created structural barriers that prevented participation from much of Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands. The support programme under development for 2026 may include: - **Fee reductions**: Reduced or deferred application fees for qualifying applicants from eligible jurisdictions. - **Technical assistance**: ICANN-funded or ICANN-facilitated access to back-end Registry Operator services at reduced rates. - **Application preparation support**: Direct technical and legal guidance from ICANN staff and contracted consultants. - **Extended response windows**: Additional time for underserved-region applicants to respond to evaluator requests. Eligibility for the programme is typically based on the country of primary incorporation and operation, assessed against the UN's list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and other international development classifications. Applicants who believe they may qualify should review the specific programme criteria in the Applicant Guidebook when published. ## Key Documentation Checklist Before submitting, verify that you have prepared or obtained: | Document | Status | |----------|--------| | Certificate of incorporation (certified copy) | Required | | Audited financial statements (2–3 years) | Required | | Back-end registry operator contract | Required | | EBERO designation letter | Required | | Trademark registration certificate (brand TLDs) | Required | | Government endorsement letter (geographic TLDs) | Required | | Community endorsement letters (community TLDs) | Required if applicable | | Three-year financial projections | Required | | Technical plan (DNS, DNSSEC, EPP, RDAP) | Required | | Security and abuse management plan | Required | Submitting without any required document results in an administrative deficiency notice. Cure periods are short — typically 30 days — and not all deficiencies can be cured after submission. The cost of failing on an eligibility technicality is the entire application fee. Prepare thoroughly before the window opens. A well-prepared applicant — legally incorporated, financially capitalised, with an identified back-end Registry Operator, a clear string strategy, and completed documentation — can navigate the eligibility requirements efficiently. The requirements are demanding but entirely achievable for organisations that plan carefully and engage specialist consultants at least twelve months before the application window opens. Every hour of preparation before submission saves multiple hours of remediation after it.