It’s now easier than ever to register a .ie online address

.ie domains
by Naomi Temple
21 Mar 2018

Registering a .ie online address is now easier and faster than ever as ‘liberalisation’ policy change comes into force today (21 March).

Previously, any individual or business registering a .ie online address had to prove that they had a valid claim to the desired name and a real, tangible connection to the island of Ireland.

Our change to the registration process retains the requirement for applicants to prove their connection to Ireland but drops the need to prove a valid claim to a name.

From now on, any individual or business with a provable connection to Ireland will be able to register any available .ie domain name on a first-come, first-served basis.

Benefits of the change

This change will further open up the .ie domain namespace to citizens, clubs, communities and businesses that may have otherwise struggled with the administrative steps required to prove their claim to a particular .ie domain.

“.ie is the only online namespace in the world reserved for Irish citizens, communities and businesses. Liberalisation will completely transform the customer’s .ie domain registration experience, allowing them to get online with an identifiably Irish website and email address in less time and with less hassle,” said David Curtin, Chief Executive of .IE.

“Having the means to connect to and communicate with the wider internet community is essential in today’s digital world, particularly in terms of e-commerce.”

If returning customers (existing .ie domain holders) need to register additional .ie domain names, they can now avail of the FastPass registration process. With FastPass, it is not necessary to re-submit evidence of a connection to Ireland.

FastPass - returning customers don't have to re-submit evidence of a connection to Ireland

The change to .ie domain registration policy was agreed last year following an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation with the general public and .IE’s Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), made up of key stakeholders from Ireland’s internet and business community.

The .IE PAC Working Group carefully considered all comments during the public consultation process, including concerns that domain liberalisation could lead to an increase in ‘cybersquatting’.

In response, Mr Curtin said: “.ie domains are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure that no one registers a domain that is another party’s protected right, we strongly encourage any individual, business, organisation or local community group to register the .ie domains related to them as soon as possible. There is a wide choice of available names.

According to the latest edition of our dot ie Domain Profile Report, which analyses the makeup of the .ie domain database, 2017 was the strongest year on record for new .ie domain registrations—108 were registered every day.

.ie is the preferred online address for Irish citizens and businesses. Though .ie registration has changed, all applicants will still be required to meet .IE’s terms and conditions for registration and prove their connection to Ireland. Consumers can remain confident that a .ie online address is trustworthy and authentically Irish,” said Mr Curtin.

.ie is the preferred online address for businesses

Read: How to register your .ie online address

Naomi Temple is our Marketing Specialist working within our corporate communications team.