What is a geographic new gTLD application?

A Geographic New gTLD Application (often shortened to GeoTLD) is an application to ICANN for a new Top-Level Domain that represents a name or term associated with a specific place, such as a city, region, continent, or a distinct sub-national area.

This category is unique because it engages governmental and public policy interests to a much greater degree than other gTLD types.

What Constitutes a Geographic Name?

ICANN's guidelines broadly define a geographic name as one that represents:

• Capital City Names: The capital city of any country or territory listed in the ISO 3166-1 standard.
• City Names: Other major city names, where the applicant explicitly declares intent to use the TLD for purposes associated with that city. (Examples include .nyc, .berlin, .paris).
• Sub-national Regions: Place names listed in the ISO 3166-2 standard (for administrative subdivisions like states or provinces).
• Continents or UN Regions: Names of continents or specific UN macro-geographical regions (e.g., .asia).

The Essential Requirement: Government Support

The core and most critical requirement for a geographic gTLD application is the need for formal support or non-objection from the relevant government or public authority.

• City/Sub-National Names: For a city or region, the applicant must obtain a letter of support or non-objection from the local or national government of that area.
• Contested/Sensitive Names: ICANN will generally avoid the use of country, territory, or place names unless there is explicit agreement from the relevant governments or public authorities.

Without this required documentation of support, the Geographic Names Panel (GNP)—a specialized ICANN body that reviews these applications—will typically deny the application.

Examples of GeoTLDs

Successfully delegated GeoTLDs include:

• .tokyo
• .london
• .barcelona
• .cymru (for Wales)

In some cases, a TLD may qualify as both a Community and a Geographic TLD if it represents a place but is also strongly tied to a distinct, active community (e.g., the Catalan-speaking community and .cat).