While an initial budget of 800,000€ is substantial and likely covers the core ICANN application fee, it is highly unlikely to be enough for the entire process of applying for, launching, and operating a new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) successfully.
The total cost can easily escalate to over €1 million, and sometimes much higher, especially if there are disputes or auctions.
Here is a breakdown of the typical costs:
1. Core ICANN Application Fee 🧾
The mandatory fee you pay directly to ICANN for the application and evaluation process for the upcoming round is significant.
Expected Fee: $227,000 USD (approximately €210,000 - €220,000 as of late 2024/early 2025, but this is subject to currency fluctuations).
What it Covers: This fee covers the cost of processing and evaluating your application by ICANN. It is only the entry ticket.
2. Additional ICANN & Associated Fees ⚖️
This is where the costs begin to increase beyond the baseline.
| Cost Component | Estimated Range (USD) | Notes |
| Conditional Evaluations (e.g., Community Priority, .Brand Status) | $50,000 - $80,000 | Optional fees if you seek special status, such as proving you represent a community or applying for a dedicated brand TLD. |
| Geographic Name Review | $18,000 - $25,000 | Mandatory if your TLD could be considered a geographic name (e.g., .PARIS). |
| Initial Annual Fee | $25,750 USD | A fixed annual fee paid to ICANN, which begins once the gTLD is launched. |
| Contention Resolution | Unpredictable | If another party applies for the same or a confusingly similar string, you enter a "contention set," which can lead to costly private negotiations, arbitration, or auctions that can cost millions (e.g., .app and .web went for tens of millions in the last round). |
3. Operational & Professional Costs 🛠️
These are the non-ICANN costs that consume the majority of the total budget.
Application Preparation & Consultancy: Preparing the complex application requires highly specialized consultants, legal advice, and technical experts. This alone can cost hundreds of thousands of euros.
Registry Backend Services: You need a dedicated technical partner (Registry Service Provider) to handle the DNS, EPP, WHOIS, uptime, and ICANN compliance. This involves:
One-time setup fees.
Ongoing annual fees (often $25,000 - $100,000+ USD depending on service level).
Legal Fees: Legal review is mandatory for the application and contracts. If there are objections or disputes, legal fees can quickly reach tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of euros.
Marketing & Launch: A TLD won't gain users on its own. You need a significant budget for marketing, outreach to registrars, and establishing a presence, which often costs hundreds of thousands of euros per year for a public TLD.
Conclusion
With a budget of 800,000€, you have enough to cover the ICANN application fees, conditional evaluations, and initial consultation.
However, this budget is likely to be insufficient for the total all-in cost which includes legal defense against objections, the technical setup, and the multi-year marketing and operational costs necessary for a successful launch and operation. For an uncontested, simple application, some estimates put the low-end total cost at €300,000–€400,000, but for a public-facing TLD with any contention risk, the true cost is often €500,000 to over €1 million, not including potential auction bids.
Do you have a specific TLD string in mind, or would you like to explore the Applicant Support Program (ASP), which offers fee subsidies for qualifying applicants from developing economies?
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