ICANN has released the official Applicant Guidebook for the New gTLD 2026 applicant round. The document provides trademarks, cities, communities, and other entities with the rules of the road for submitting applications to run custom top level domain extensions. The window to submit applications will open on 30 April 2026. Brand owners and organizations contemplating an extension like .brand or .city finally have a hard date when planning can evolve into procurement.
Submitting an application to run a custom extension is not the same thing as registering a domain name. An applicant is bidding for real estate in the uppermost level of the Domain Name System and must be capable of running a registry operation. It allows companies to have far greater oversight of domains used for merchandising, marketing campaigns, support resources, and branded customer pathways. With that opportunity comes legal, technical and financial responsibilities not found when purchasing traditional web addresses.
The 2026 Roadmap
ICANN’s applicant guidebook formally announces a 105 day application period. The 2026 round is expected to open no later than 23: 59 UTC on 30 April 2026 and close at 23:59 UTC on 12 August 2026. Late applications will not be accepted, according to ICANN. If the estimated dates hold true, organizations that have been waiting years for another opportunity to apply for a custom gTLD should find the upcoming window significant. The 2012 round resulted in over 1,200 new gTLDs entering the Internet’s namespace.
The
non-refundable base evaluation fee is USD 227,000 per application. The
Applicant Support Program (ASP) is intended to assist eligible applicants who
lack the financial means and internal resources to fully support an application
during the evaluation process. Applicants approved for the program can
apply for between 75 and 85 percent off of the ICANN evaluation fee. In
addition to helping pay for the application, approved clients can access
training, volunteer professional services, and applicant advice. ICANN
recently pushed back the ASP closing date to 19 December 2025. Now ASP is
something smaller entities should discuss as they consider who might fund new
gTLD applications in emerging markets.
RSP Evaluation
It’s never too early to ensure a registry will be operational after an application is approved. The backend infrastructure of a registry is known as a Registry Service Provider (RSP). An RSP provides essential technical services for running a secure and stable registry operation. When planning a custom new gTLD, separate consideration should be given to the provider under the new model. The technical review of the RSP is divorced from the new gTLD application itself. That means an RSP can be put through ICANN’s evaluation process once, even if it intends to support multiple registries. As part of the research into how to apply for a .brand extension in 2026, familiarizing yourself with the ICANN registry service provider evaluation should be step one, not something you wait until the end to figure out.
Ready. Set. Plan.
Starting with the AGB, run your proposed string and planned usage scenario through a mock review. Next, talk to a qualified RSP about DNS, DNSSEC, and day-to-day registry operations. Follow that exercise with a trademark clearance check, followed by checks for potential objections and name overlaps. Don’t forget the finance department should start budgeting for costs above and beyond what ICANN charges. Running a registry is a business commitment and you’ll need reliable operations once your extension is approved.
The Window to Apply Opens in April.
…but you have work to do. Domains are never a controlled digital asset until the owner treats them that way. Your new gTLD should be considered infrastructure as soon as planning begins.
