IDN ccTLD

Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) ccTLDs are encoded domain names assigned to countries or geographic regions that are displayed in an end-user application in their language-native script or alphabet, such as Arabic, or a non-alphabetic writing system, such as Chinese characters. Although the IDN class uses the term code, some of the ccTLDs are full words.

History of IDN Fast Track Process

Successful IDN ccTLD applications as of May 2020 (Image from ICANN.org)

At its Seoul conference in 2009, ICANN approved the IDN ccTLD Fast Track process, which allowed ccTLDs to be written in non-Latin characters. The IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process was launched on 16 November 2009. Eligible countries and territories were able to request their respective IDN ccTLD(s) through the process.

The process entailed three steps:

1. Preparations in country/territory
2. String Evaluation
3. String Delegation

Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were some of the first countries to advance in the application and implementation process.

Internationalized Domain Name

Country code top-level domain