.al is the country-code domain of Albania. Any person or company in the world can register a name directly under .al, while .com.al, .org.al and .net.al are kept for organisations based in Albania. The rules are set by the national regulator in a regulation that also expects every name to be put to use.
Who runs the .al domain?
The Electronic and Postal Communications Authority, AKEP, manages .al. The IANA root zone database names it as the manager and shows a secure DNSSEC delegation. AKEP registers names itself and through the registrars it accredits, and it publishes its registration pages and forms in Albanian.
The rules are in AKEP’s Regulation No. 02 of 21 February 2008 on the registration and administration of .al domain names, amended several times, most recently in 2018.
Can a foreign company register a .al domain?
Yes, directly under .al. Article 13 of the regulation gives the right to register a .al name to natural persons, public and private legal persons and traders, whether their activity is in Albania or in any other country, as long as they are registered under the law of their own state.
The second levels are different. The same article reserves .com.al, .org.al and .net.al for legal persons and traders with their seat or place of business in Albania. .edu.al is for Albanian education and research institutions, and .gov.al and .mil.al for the state and the armed forces.
A holder may name an administrative contact. If it does, Article 8 requires that contact to be resident in Albania, with an address that can receive documents by post.
What are the rules for a .al name?
A name uses the letters A to Z, the digits 0 to 9 and the hyphen, and cannot exceed 63 characters. Before registering, AKEP asks applicants to check two lists it publishes, of banned names and of reserved names, and the trademark register of Albania’s intellectual property office.
| Rule | .al | .com.al, .org.al, .net.al |
|---|---|---|
| Who can register | persons and companies from any country | organisations based in Albania |
| Administrative contact | optional, resident in Albania if named | optional, resident in Albania if named |
| Characters | A to Z, 0 to 9, hyphen, 63 at most | A to Z, 0 to 9, hyphen, 63 at most |
| Processing time set by AKEP | up to 3 working days | up to 3 working days |
| Put to use | within one year | within one year |
Does a .al domain have to be used?
Yes. Article 7 of the regulation expects each name to be put into use within one year. A website, email on the domain, remote access to systems, a redirect to content of the same holder or a technical use such as DNS all count. The registrar must check this, and report a name left unused to AKEP, which can then release it.
The same article caps the number of .al names one holder can keep: 5 for an individual and 15 for a company, unless AKEP approves more for justified technical or commercial needs. The regulation set this cap, together with the use rule, as a measure for two years from its application, which AKEP may end earlier. For a brand that plans many defensive names under .al, ask your registrar whether AKEP still applies it before you file.
How are .al disputes handled?
Article 27 sends disputes between a holder and another party to the competent Albanian court, or to local or international arbitration and mediation, such as the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. Some cases, such as false data given by a holder, can also go to AKEP’s Governing Board as an administrative appeal. There is no UDRP-style online procedure listed for .al.
What should you do now?
- Register your brand directly under .al: it is the level open to foreign companies.
- Plan how each name will be used within a year, even if only through DNS or a redirect.
- If you need .com.al, check whether your group has an entity based in Albania.
At Domgate a .al domain costs €80 a year. Domgate is a corporate ccTLD registrar for 1,300+ extensions, and its Albania page lists the rules of each Albanian extension for brand owners, law firms and registrars.
