The priority allocation period for registering .au domain names will soon end, with current registrants of .com.au or .net.au domain names having up to September 20, 2022 to request their .au domain name.
After September 20, 2022, .au domains will be available for somebody register provided you meet the eligibility criteria.
What is .au?
An example of a .au domain name is “pof.au”.
A .au domain name is an opportunity to shorten an existing domain name or register a new one for the first time. Reasons to consider registering a .au domain name are:
- To develop your online presence.
- To simplify your domain name and make it more readable and memorable.
- To facilitate your mobile domain name search.
- To ensure that no one uses your existing domain name with the new .au extension.
What is the Priority Allocation period?
The Priority Allocation period has a duration of 6 months and started on March 24, 2022. During the Priority Allocation period, the corresponding domain name (for example: pof.au) to the one you currently have saved (pof.com.au) has been reserved for you to register. Once the Priority Allocation period ends on September 20, 2022, .au domains will be available for anyone to register. There are two categories of reserved domains:
- Category 1 – for existing domains registered before February 4, 2018
- Category 2 – for existing domains registered after February 4, 2018
For instance: pof.com.au was registered before 2018, so it falls under Category 1. Category 1 domain registrants will be given preference when registering .au domain names over Category 2 domain registrants.
Eligibility criteria
.au domain names are general purpose, which means that any person or organization can register them, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria of the .au license rules. Unlike existing .au domain extensions (.com.au, net.au, etc.) which are subject to strict allocation criteria, the new .au domain extension does not need to match the name, the brand or a service, good, event, activity or premises made available by the applicant. Applicants must meet the same eligibility criteria (i.e. the “Australian presence” requirement), but are otherwise free to register any .au domain name available.
If two or more eligible parties apply to register the same new .au, there will be a conflict. auDA, the body that oversees domain names in Australia, is currently finalizing the details of what the dispute resolution process will be.
How much will it cost to register a .au domain?
Please contact us for pricing, as costs may vary from registrar to registrar.
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