Getting a domain with a ccTLD that is restricted to residents

Jacob Allred
#web-dev

A ccTLD is a top-level domain that uses a two letter country code. These domains are often reserved for residents and businesses in the country they serve. For example, you can’t get a .br domain unless you live in or have a business in Brazil.

But what if your company is based in the United States and you want to target residents of another country? Or what if you want a vanity domain that uses a restricted ccTLD?

The solution is to use a trustee service. The trustee maintains a legal presence in the ccTLD’s country, and registers the domain on your behalf. Your contract with the trustee maintains your legal rights to the domain even though the whois will show the trustee as the registrant. This allows you to fulfill the requirements of the ccTLD local presence rules.

I use 101domain. There website is awful but they have just about any ccTLD you could possibly want.

The Ring of ccTLDs #2 by Grey Hargreaves used under the CC BY 2.0 license.