.eu Domain Name Registration

The .eu extension is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the European Union, and organizations and citizens of EU member states. It is the third largest domain in Europe and the seventh largest internationally.

Who Administers .eu Domain Names?

The top level domain name or TLD of .eu is assigned by EURid, an association consisting of the local ccTLD registry operators of Belgium, Czech Republic, Sweden and Italy. The .eu domain name is approved by ICANN. The .eu TLD was launched in the Internet root zone on May 2, 2005 and since then its usage has been increasing but is still quite limited.

Since the sponsoring organization is the European Commission, the registration is restricted to registrants located within the EU. The names are to be registered directly at second level.

How To Register .eu Domain Names

The registration process of an .eu domain name is similar to that of other domain extensions. They are considered on the basis of “first come, first served” principle. In .eu registration, the trademark owners can submit registrations through a phased registration period or “sunrise period”. During sunrise period, a new top-level domain or second-level domain can be launched by registrants who possess prior rights like trademarks, geographic names and company names. The registration should be accompanied by vital documents proving the claim to ownership of a certain name. Furthermore, the decision is made by PricewaterhouseCoopers Belgium, the validation agent chosen by EURid.

Full registration of .eu started on April 7, 2006. The second-level domain or .europa.eu is reserved for EU institution sites, with most institutions switching from .eu.int to .europa.eu domains. The .eu registration is open to companies as well as to private persons. Companies established abroad but who have a trademark in Europe are also eligible for .eu registration.