Summary

  • An application for an allocatable variant cannot precede the application for its primary IDN gTLD.
  • When a primary IDN and its allocatable variants are sought in the same round, they must be submitted through one application.

ICANN’s 2026 Applicant Guidebook permits an applicant to seek a new primary IDN together with one or more allocatable variant strings. It also establishes an ordering rule: an allocatable variant application cannot precede the application for the primary IDN gTLD.

That rule makes the primary application the dependency anchor. A variant cannot be used as an earlier filing that leaves the primary to follow later. If the primary and allocatable variants are sought in the same round, the Guidebook requires them to be submitted through one application.

The rule applies to allocatable variants. A string classified as blocked by the RZ-LGR cannot be applied for, so it is not an alternative route around the ordering requirement.

BTW recommends sequencing internal approvals and submission readiness around the primary application, then confirming that every intended allocatable variant is represented in the same application package. That is editorial operating guidance, not an additional ICANN requirement.

Sources