The Application Process
On 16 December 2025, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”). Published the final version of the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook (the “Guidebook”). At 440 pages, the Guidebook is a formidable document, setting out in detail the rules, mechanics and expectations for anyone looking to apply to operate a new generic top-level domain (“gTLD”). It illustrates just how carefully ICANN intends to scrutinise applicants and ensure the stability, security and integrity of the Domain Name System (“DNS”) as it embarks on the first major expansion round in over a decade.
In this Law-Now, we break down the essentials of the application process and highlight the practical points prospective applicants should keep front of mind.
When?
The application window opens on 30 April 2026 and will remain open for 105 days until 12 August 2026. ICANN will not entertain late submissions and the application form is lengthy and complex so any persons considering an application should begin preparations as soon as possible.
Who?
Only established legal entities may apply, such as corporations, organisations, and institutions as well as governmental, non-governmental, and inter-governmental entities. Applications from individuals are not allowed, nor can applications be made on behalf of entities that do not yet legally exist (e.g. a pending joint venture company).
Why?
As mentioned in our first Law-Now in this series, the new gTLD program gives applicants the opportunity to carve out their own little piece of the Internet. For brands, this provides a space where the brand owner has complete control over the registration criteria and can use such .brand TLD to create a secure and consistent naming architecture across all commercial activities (e.g. payments.brand, careers.brand etc.).
How much?
The evaluation fee is $227,000 for each string applied for, payable to ICANN. For .brand TLDs there is an additional $500 fee and certain other categories of domain carry additional charges. Notably, there is no bulk discount or preferential rate for existing registry operators.
The fee must be paid within seven days of application window closing (i.e. by 19 August 2026). This is a strict deadline – miss it and your application will be rejected.
How?
All applications must be filed via ICANN’s TLD Application Management System (“TAMS”).
The application form is lengthy, containing over 200 questions split into three different topics:
- Organisation information (e.g. governance structure, ownership, officers, relevant experience, compliance history, etc.)
- Financial information (e.g. audited accounts, funding sources, cost modelling and long‑term sustainability planning); and
- gTLD application information (e.g. mission, policies, security measures, abuse mechanisms and technical architecture)
Answers must be supported by documentation and all applicants must affirm a bona fide intent to operate the gTLD.
Applicants for a .brand TLD should must also provide one or more Trademark Clearinghouse (“TMCH”) Signed Mark Data files to demonstrate that their trade mark has been verified in advance. Obtaining the requisite verification from TMCH can take some time, so applicants who have not engaged with the TMCH in the past would need to do so as a matter of urgency and before submitting their gTLD application. Importantly, in order to pass the .brand TLD eligibility evaluation, the applied-for gTLD string must exactly match the textual elements of a verified registered mark.
What can be registered?
Not every string is eligible. There are a variety of restrictions on what can or cannot be a new gTLD. By way of example:
- String Length: The string applied for must be at least three characters long (e.g. .ABC) to avoid conflict/confusion with existing country-code top level domains (ccTLDs). The maximum length will be 63 characters long (although one imagines that few will test the upper limit - .cmscameronmckennanabarroolswangllp, anyone?).
- Closed Generics: Applicants cannot obtain a generic term (e.g. .chocolate) and then reserve it solely for themselves unless the application is later shown to serve the public interest.
- Blocked and Reserved Names: Certain strings (e.g. .example, .tld, .whois) are unavailable for technical or policy reasons. Others—such as .interpol, .unicef, .olympic and .redcross—are reserved for their corresponding organisations.
- Singular/Plural Conflicts: The delegation of singulars and plurals of the same word in the same language is prohibited (where notified to ICANN). For example, an application for .horses would be refused on the basis that .horse is already delegated as a gTLD.
What about the technical requirements?
To streamline evaluation, ICANN has separated the assessment of string eligibility from the evaluation of technical capability.
Between November 2024 and May 2025[1], organisations had the ability to apply to be an evaluated Registry Service Provider (“RSP”). An RSP is the provider of ‘back-end’ technical infrastructure and services required to operate a registry (e.g. by maintaining the zone file, providing RDAP/Whois data etc.). Well-known RSPs include Identity Digital and Nominet.
All applicants must identify one or more evaluated RSPs that will be used if the applied-for string proceeds to delegation. For .brand applicants, selecting the right provider is a significant strategic decision, and early engagement is strongly advised.
When will applications be published/evaluated?
ICANN intends to publish the full list of applications received on “Reveal Day”, around nine weeks after the close of the application window (i.e. sometime in October 2026).
During a 14-day period following Reveal Day, applicants will have the opportunity (having seen the list) to replace their applied-for string with a replacement string (if specified during the application process). Once this window closes, ICANN will publish an updated list of applied-for strings on “String Confirmation Day”. A prioritisation draw will follow which will determine the order in which applications will be processed by ICANN.
The public will have an opportunity at this stage to comment on any applied-for strings, and these comments will form part of the evaluation process.
There then follows a detailed evaluation process, looking at the strings applied for, as well as evaluating the applicants themselves (e.g. whether an applicant has the financial and operational capacity to sustain the registry long-term). Applicants that successfully complete all of the evaluation stages will be required to execute a Registry Agreement with ICANN, whereupon their gTLD will be delegated into the DNS root zone.
Initial delegations are expected 12–18 months after Reveal Day, though this will depend heavily on the total number of applications.
What if more than one person applies for a particular string or what if I want to object to a string?
Following the close of the application window, ICANN will identify applications for identical strings which will be allocated into “contention sets”.
There will also be scope for parties with the requisite standing to file a formal objection against any specific application.
The rules governing such contention sets and objections are complex and so our intention is to look at this in more detail in a later Law-Now in the Joining the Dots series.
Missed Part 1 of our “Joining the Dots” series? Find it here: Joining the Dots – Part 1: Introduction to the new gTLD program.
[1] New applications to be evaluated as a RSP will also be accepted during the application window for gTLD applications.
