ICANN to Accept Applications for New Generic Top-Level Domains Again in 2026

The ICANN has announced the next round for applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). The registry for unique names and addresses on the internet will begin accepting proposals for domain extensions such as .bochum or .cpu, which have not yet been registered, starting at the end of April. However, well-funded applicants will be preferred, as ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) charges fees of up to 227,000 US dollars for each accepted application. Furthermore, auctions may occur in dispute cases concerning specific gTLDs.

Applications for gTLDs were last accepted in the spring of 2012, costing applicants 185,000 dollars at the time. Nevertheless, more than thirteen and a half years ago, ICANN counted almost 2000 applications for new top-level domains. City names in particular were popular as gTLDs. Over a year after the application submission, .berlin and .wien were the first city domains to go online. Meanwhile, .hamburg, .amsterdam, and .stockholm have been added, as well as gTLDs like .bank, .edeka, .game, and .microsoft.

Comprehensive Guide for New gTLDs

ICANN now refers to these use cases for the new round in the gTLD program, as they can serve as examples for new internet addresses. Additionally, the organization provides a guide for applicants. On 440 pages, almost all details regarding this gTLD application round are presented, but so far only via PDF and in English only. An HTML version is expected to follow in January 2026. By the end of February, the guide should also be available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish. A list of all registered top-level domains to date is provided by IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) in text format:

“It is important that applicants for new gTLDs are prepared for the evaluation of the gTLD string they are applying for, as well as for all other required evaluations, including financial and operational capabilities,” explains Kurtis Lindqvist, President and CEO of ICANN, in the organization's press release. “The applicant guide informs them precisely about the requirements and supports them in carrying out the process.”

gTLD Application Fee in the Five- to Six-Figure Range

Among the requirements is a rather high budget for applicants, as the gTLD evaluation fee alone amounts to 227,000 dollars per application. However, this fee can be reduced by 75 to 85 percent for so-called qualified applicants such as non-profit or international organizations, indigenous groups, or small businesses from less developed economies that require financial assistance. This would then result in a fee of only 34,500 to 56,750 dollars per gTLD application.

ICANN will open its application process for new gTLDs on April 30, 2026. Hopefully, it will run more smoothly than the first round in 2012. Initially, the application system for new domains failed, causing the application process for new top-level domains to be prematurely terminated. The internet registry justified its action with a software problem that was discovered after reports of “unusual behavior” of the system. The next attempt, just one month later, encountered a data protection issue, which led to the gTLD application system being temporarily taken offline. This was because the system allowed access to applicant information that was not intended for publication.

(fds)