The .swiss extension is opening up further, and a domain name with the Swiss community geoTLD can now be registered by all Swiss nationals and residents, subject to new eligibility rules.
Until now, .swiss was reserved for legal entities in Switzerland. The only organizations eligible for domain names with this extension were public bodies, companies, associations and foundations with a head office in Switzerland.
As of April 24, 2024, individuals based in Switzerland and Swiss nationals will be able to register a .swiss domain name, provided that the applicant can demonstrate that he or she is entitled to do so:
- the family name
- one of the first names
- a registered partnership name
- a name received in a religious context
- an established artist’s name or a registered trademark over which the applicant has rights.
In addition, these conditions exclude the use of a generic name (whether in French, German or Italian) on its own. This means that Mr. Boucher, Mrs. Barbieri or Mr. Bäcker can only use their family name in a .swiss domain name if they add another element, such as a first name.
Finally, Swiss nationals based abroad will not be able to use a .swiss domain name for commercial activities from abroad.
Launched in 2015 as a complement to the ccTLD of the Helvetic Confederation (.ch), .swiss gives Swiss companies and organizations the opportunity to present themselves as such – as .ch is open to all – and establishes itself as a quality label likely to be recognizable worldwide. The strictness of the admission procedures is intended to reinforce the relevance of this label for the organizations registering their domain names.
Individuals meeting these criteria and wishing to register a .swiss domain name will be able to submit their application from April 24, 2024. Before this date, only legal entities will be able to register a .swiss domain name.
You can find all the eligibility conditions and the registration procedure on the registry’s website.
