Can a foreigner register a .ie domain?

Section and clause numbers below are the registry's own, from its policy set of December 2023.

Who can hold a .ie domain

Section 2 reserves .ie for those based on the island of Ireland, which includes Northern Ireland, or with a real connection to it. Every registrant gives evidence before registration, and the registry says it authenticates what it receives.

Organisations

A company, partnership, sole trader, charity or school on the island shows any one item from section 3.1.3.1(B): a CRO or business registration number, an Irish or Northern Irish VAT number, a Revenue tax clearance certificate, a charity number, or an Irish, EU or WIPO trade mark number enforceable in Ireland.

An organisation outside the island falls under section 3.1.3.1(E). It must prove its own commercial identity (a certificate of incorporation, a verifiable online company number or a VAT number) and show that it sells goods or services to consumers or businesses on the island. The sales evidence can be:

• sales invoices to customers on the island of Ireland;
• a signed letter from an independent solicitor, accountant, bank manager or auditor confirming current sales, or a serious intention to sell in the immediate future.

Section 2 adds press releases, promotional material, and a screenshot of an online shop that lets customers pick anywhere on the island as the delivery location. Section 2 and Appendix 1 also accept an Irish or EU trade mark from a body outside Ireland, though 3.1.3.1(E) lists only sales evidence, so confirm with your registrar if a trade mark is all you have.

Private individuals

A citizen or resident of the island shows one item from section 3.1.3.1(C): an Irish passport, an Irish or UK driving licence with a Northern Irish address, a bank statement with an address on the island, a college ID, a Public Services Card, or a Revenue letter showing a PPS number. Section 3.1.3.1(E) is explicit about the other case: an individual who is neither resident nor a citizen cannot register a .ie domain. The registrant must be 18 or over (Registrant Terms, clause 1.2).

The numbers that bound it

Side by side

What the policy says about trustees

Nothing directly. The words trustee, proxy and nominee appear in none of the policy, the Registrant Terms or the WHOIS policy, and we found no published guidance from the registry. Several provisions still shape what a trustee can be.

The registrant is the party tested

The registrant is the party granted the right to use the name after showing its own connection and identity (Appendix 1). Under sections 3.1.2.1(iv) and 3.6.2(iv), contact details in the registrant and administrative roles must strictly relate to the registrant and not any third party.

The administrative contact is not a service provider's role

Appendix 1 describes the administrative contact as the party who represents the registrant, rather than the sponsoring registrar or any other service provider. Section 2 recommends the registrant themselves or a trusted staff or family member, because the contact can ask for changes and for deletion (sections 3.3.1 and 3.4.1.3). The administrative-contact-only arrangement used on .sg has no home here. A .ie trustee has to be the registrant, and must then hold a connection of its own.

A wrong record can be terminated

Section 3.1.2.7(ii) lets the registry terminate a registration, after notice, if an accepted request was seriously or fundamentally incorrect. Clause 3(d) of the Registrant Terms covers false, misleading or fraudulent information, and paragraph 2.1.6 of the Dispute Resolution Policy treats misleading information at application as evidence of bad faith.

Transfer, exit and disputes

Section 3.6 governs a change of registrant. The new registrant must show the same connection and identity as for a fresh registration, through the sponsoring registrar, and the validation fee is non-refundable (section 3.6.3). Once validated, the change is instant. If the new registrant cannot show compliance, the transfer cannot happen.

Changing registrar (section 3.5) needs an authorisation code from the current registrar or the registry, and renews the domain by a year. It does not change the registrant. To delete, the administrative contact signs an authorisation (section 3.3). The domain stops resolving that day and is removed 35 days later, and can be restored by paying the renewal within 30 days.

Disputes end in cancellation or transfer, decided by a WIPO panel or under the alternative policy run by Net Neutrals EU. A transfer to the winner happens only if they meet the registration conditions (Dispute Resolution Policy, paragraph 6.1), and a domain in dispute is on hold (clause 3(c)).

How registration works

Section 3.1.2.1(iii) requires every request to come through an accredited registrar, and names are first come, first served (clause 2). An application stays open for 27 days while evidence is checked, and a validated domain goes live at the next zone reload, at every odd hour. Existing registrants skip the evidence step (section 3.1.3.1(A)). At least two name servers with authoritative zones are needed at registration (section 3.1.2.4), and all .ie domains renew automatically for a year through the registrar (section 3.2).

Name format and fadas

Section 3.1.2.2 allows the letters a to z, digits and hyphens (none at the start or end, or in the third and fourth positions), up to 63 characters, as a single label before .ie, so no third-level names such as .com.ie. The fada is permitted on vowels, which clause 2 of the Registrant Terms spells out as á, é, í, ó and ú. Fadas are registered as internationalised names, and not every seller supports them: EuropeID and Intername both say their .ie pages do not.

What the public lookup shows

The WHOIS Services Policy (section 2.1) publishes the domain, status, dates, registrant name, the registrant, administrative and technical contact IDs, the sponsoring registrar with its abuse contact, hosts and DNSSEC status. The registrant name is shown for a legal person and withheld for a natural person unless they consent. Contacts appear as IDs only.

A live lookup of amazon.ie in October 2026 shows the registrant as a company whose name carries the Luxembourg S.à r.l. form, registered through Com Laude, so a company outside Ireland appears by name. Clause 3(f)(x) lets the registry cancel if a legal person withdraws permission to publish. Under a trustee the trustee's name appears, not yours.

If you cannot show a connection: two routes

First check you do not already qualify. If you sell to Irish customers, or will within months, an invoice, a screenshot of your delivery options or a letter from your accountant is enough. If there is truly no connection, there are two routes.

An Irish company qualifies on its CRO number alone. The obstacle is section 137 of the Companies Act 2014, which needs an EEA-resident director, a bond or an economic link, with the fees on our .eu company page. A trustee is faster, but only three services we found sell one for .ie, and you cannot leave unless you qualify yourself. Compare the .ie services, prices and exit terms.

Frequently asked questions

Last updated October 2026. Registry policies change. If you spot something out of date, email info@trusteeindex.com.