---
title: "French .FR domain registration requirements"
canonical_url: "https://www.zone.lv/help/kb/fr-domain-registration-requirements/"
post_type: "ht_kb"
published: "2025-07-02T09:02:38+00:00"
modified: "2025-10-16T07:57:03+00:00"
language: "en"
author: "silver"
taxonomies:
  ht_kb_category:
    - name: "French .FR domains"
      url: "https://www.zone.lv/help/kb-categories/fr-domains/"
---

# French .FR domain registration requirements

The registration of a .FR domain name is subject to specific eligibility and validation rules defined by Afnic, the registry managing the .FR extension. Please review the following criteria carefully before registering your .FR domain.

### **Eligibility criteria**

**The registration of a .FR domain name can be requested by:**

**Individuals** who reside in a Member State of the European Union.

 Note: It is the place of residence, not the nationality, that determines eligibility.

**Corporate entities** with their registered or main office located within the European Union.

**Public entities**, such as:

- The State (France or other EU Member States)
- Local authorities
- Their establishments or organizations

A registered trademark, whether in France or in the EU, **is no longer sufficient on its own** to justify eligibility for a .FR domain.

### **Administrative contact requirements**

The **Administrative Contact** for the domain must:

- Be a **legal entity or individual** with a verified residency or establishment in an EU Member State.
- Pass the same eligibility and data verification checks as the registrant.

If the registrant is an **individual**, they **cannot also be listed as the Technical Contact**.

### **Eligibility & reachability verification**

After the domain is registered, Afnic will perform two types of checks:

#### 1. **Eligibility check**

- For **corporate entities**: Verifies legal existence and establishment within the EU.
- For **individuals**: Verifies residential address in the EU.

#### 2. **Reachability check**

- Validates the **accuracy and reliability** of the registrant and administrative contact data, including:
    - **Postal address**
    - **Phone number**
    - **Email address**

 **Important:** Providing accurate and verifiable contact information is essential. Failure to meet these checks may result in the suspension or deletion of your domain.

### **Domain syntax rules**

When registering a .FR domain name, the following technical rules apply:

#### **General rules (Classic domains)**

- Must be at least **2 characters** long.
- May contain letters **a–z**, numbers **0–9**, and **hyphens (-)**.
- Cannot begin or end with a hyphen.
- Cannot contain hyphens in both the **3rd and 4th positions** (e.g. `ab--cd.fr` is invalid).
- Maximum length: **63 characters**.
- Must not consist solely of an active country code (e.g., “fr.fr”).

#### **IDN (Internationalized Domain Names)**

- May include Unicode characters from **Latin**, **Cyrillic**, or **Greek** scripts.
- All characters in the domain (before the .fr) must belong to the **same script**.
- Digits **0–9** and hyphens may be used with all scripts.
- Must not start or end with a hyphen.
- Hyphen in 3rd and 4th position is allowed **only** when preceded by `xn--` (valid IDN encoding).