Domain Names in Italy and the European Union

The Italian national Country Code Top Level Domain (CCTLD) is .it, while the European Union has its own .eu regional TLD.

.IT Registrable Domain Names

In order to be registrable in the .it register, domain names must meet the following requirements:

• minimum 3 characters among the letters “a to z”, the numbers “0 to 9” and the hyphen “-“
• maximum 63 characters for each part of a domain name, maximum 255 characters in total
• cannot begin or end with a hyphen
• first four characters cannot include “xn--“.

.EU Registrable Domain Names

In order to be registrable in the .eu register, domain names must meet the following requirements:

• minimum 2 characters among the letters “a to z”, the numbers “0 to 9” and the hyphen “-”
• maximum 63 characters
• cannot begin or end with a hyphen
• third and fourth characters cannot both be hyphens “-“.

Who May Apply

Any individual, organisation or company based in the European Union or in Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein may apply for a .it or a .eu domain name. .it domain names only can be requested also by individuals, organisations or companies based in the Republic of San Marino, in Switzerland or in the Vatican City.

Where to File the Application

Applications for registration of .it and .eu domain names must be forwarded to the competent register through the authorised registrars.

Examination

For both .it and .eu domain name applications, the competent registrars will carry out an examination concerning only formal requirements, and will not carry out searches for previous trademarks identical or similar to the domain name applied for, nor for identical or similar domain names already registered in other registers.

Duration and Renewal

Both .it and .eu domain name registrations have a one-year duration, and renewal is possible indefinitely.

Right Not Conditioned Upon Use

The owner’s right to a registered .it or .eu domain name is not conditioned upon use.

Assignment

Assignment of .it and .eu domain names may take place at any moment, provided that the assignee meets the necessary requirements (see above Who May Apply).

Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures are available both for .it and .eu domain names. Under Italian law, the application of an ADR procedure does not prevent any party involved from resorting to ordinary judicial proceedings.