About .ist domains

About .ist domains

.IST is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) delegated in the DNS root zone. The registry operator responsible for .IST is listed by IANA as Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Anyone can typically register a .IST name through an accredited registrar, subject to the registry’s registration policy and ICANN consensus policies.

.istanbul and .ist are approved top level domains (TLD) for the Internet. It is a community-based sponsored top-level domain by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and subsidiary Medya A.Ş. According to the Medya A.Ş., .istanbul will improve awareness on Istanbul's historical heritage and help economic growth by allowing unlimited and open registration of the names. Along with TLDs such as .cat and .asia, .istanbul and other new TLDs fall into the new category of GeoTLDs.

Who can register .ist domains?

Eligibility is defined by the registry operator and its registrars. Most gTLDs are open to anyone worldwide. Many ccTLDs are also open globally; some require local presence, citizenship, or trademark rights. Always confirm current policy with the registry or your registrar.

Registration restrictions

Character rules below follow common ICANN LDH conventions. Individual registries and registrars may impose extra eligibility, length, or residency rules.

Length

1 – 63 characters (label before .ist)

Can use

Letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and hyphens (not first/last or consecutive in restricted cases)

Cannot use

Special characters (e.g. & # @) in standard LDH labels

IDNs

Varies by registry — check IDN support with the registry or your registrar

Features

Operational features (privacy, parking, protection) are registrar-level, not defined by the IANA root zone record.

Registry information

Sponsor / manager

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

Registration services

http://www.nic.istanbul

WHOIS server

whois.nic.ist

RDAP server

https://rdap.identitydigital.services/rdap/