ICANN’s New gTLD Application Window Set to Close, Capping a Landmark Expansion Round

Home / News

ICANN’s New gTLD Application Window Set to Close, Capping a Landmark Expansion Round

By CircleID Reporter
August 11, 2026, 9:38 am PDT Views: 154 Add Comment

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will close its 2026 New gTLD Program tomorrow, ending a nearly four-month application period that opened April 30. Prospective registry operators have until 23:59 UTC on August 12 to file, with the required evaluation fee due a week later, by August 19.

This marks only the second such expansion window in the program’s history, following the original 2012 round that introduced hundreds of new domain endings. Base application costs start at $227,000, though many bids are expected to run higher once specialized evaluation requirements are factored in.

A notable feature of this round is its linguistic reach: ICANN is accepting applications in 27 non-Latin scripts, opening the door to new top-level domains in languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Devanagari, and Thai. The organization has framed the expansion as a step toward making the domain system more accessible to the billions of internet users who don’t rely on Latin-based scripts.

Running alongside the gTLD window is a parallel evaluation process for Registry Service Providers—the technical operators who handle backend functions like DNS resolution, RDAP, and DNSSEC on behalf of registries. That window closes simultaneously, meaning newly approved gTLD operators will draw only from a vetted pool of technical providers.

Industry observers note that applicants have had months to prepare, and a wave of late filings is expected as the deadline approaches. Once submissions close, ICANN moves into an extended evaluation phase, during which applications will be assessed for technical, financial, and operational readiness—with contested strings potentially routed to auction.

NORDVPN DISCOUNT - CircleID x NordVPN
Get NordVPN [74% +3 extra months, from $2.99/month]

By CircleID Reporter — CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.
Visit Page

Filed Under

Comments

The Weekly Wrap

More and more professionals are choosing to publish critical posts on CircleID from all corners of the Internet industry. If you find it hard to keep up daily, consider subscribing to our weekly digest. We will provide you a convenient summary report once a week sent directly to your inbox. It's a quick and easy read.