Summary

  • An existing gTLD registry operator applying for allocatable variants must transition to the 2026 Round Base Registry Agreement.
  • The existing gTLD and all of its variant strings will be allocated through one Registry Agreement.

ICANN’s 2026 Applicant Guidebook makes the contract transition part of the existing-gTLD variant path. The registry operator must move to the 2026 Round Base Registry Agreement, and the existing gTLD and all variant strings will be allocated through that single agreement.

This requirement concerns the contractual container for the existing registry family. It does not establish that a particular operator has applied, passed evaluation, signed an agreement or received a delegated variant.

Allocatable variants must be included in one application. Following successful evaluation, the applied-for variants are allocated to the existing gTLD registry operator. After submission, the applicant may withdraw an applied-for variant but cannot add another allocatable variant that was absent from the original application.

BTW recommends treating the agreement transition as an early governance and operating-model decision before committing application resources. That is editorial guidance, not an additional ICANN requirement.

Sources