.eu is the European Union’s extension and, unlike .com or .net, it is not open to everyone. To register one you need a real link to the Union or to the European Economic Area (EEA). The rules are set by EU law and applied by EURid, the organisation that runs the registry on behalf of the European Commission.
The four cases in which you can register a .eu
A .eu domain can be registered by:
- a citizen of the European Union, wherever they live;
- a person resident in an EU or EEA country, even if they are not a citizen;
- a business established in the EU or EEA;
- an organisation established in the EU or EEA, such as an association or a public body.
The EEA covers the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, so citizens and companies from those three countries can also register a .eu.
EU citizens living outside Europe
Until 2019 the requirement was residence: an Italian living in the United States could not register a .eu in their own name. Since 19 October 2019 that is no longer the case: citizenship of an EU country is enough, wherever you live. During registration the registrant gives their country of citizenship.
Who is not eligible
Unless they have another link with the EU or EEA, the following cannot register a .eu:
- companies based only in Switzerland, the United Kingdom or other non-EU countries;
- non-EU citizens who do not live in the EU or EEA.
A non-EU company can still hold a .eu through its own subsidiary or office established in Europe, which becomes the domain’s registrant.
What happens if you lose eligibility
Eligibility must be maintained for the whole life of the domain, not just on the day you register it. EURid can check it at any time and ask the registrant for documents. If the registrant no longer qualifies, the domain can be suspended and then revoked.
The best-known example is Brexit: from 2021, holders with only a UK link lost their .eu domains. We cover it in detail in our article on Brexit and .eu domains.
How to register your .eu
If you fit one of the cases above, registering a .eu with WeRegister takes a few minutes: create your RoxPay account, search for the name and enter the registrant details. You’ll find every step on the .eu domain registration page and a summary of the rules on the .eu eligibility page.