The .RO extension is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Romania. Managed directly by the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest) through the RoTLD registry, it is the premier extension for establishing a digital presence in the Romanian market.
Below are the operational, administrative, and technical rules required to manage .RO domains within the mybox wiki, generalized to strip out platform-specific API parameters.
Table of Contents
Local Presence and Eligibility
RoTLD does not enforce any local presence or local residency requirements.
- Global Accessibility: Any individual or legal entity worldwide can register a .RO domain name.
- Mandatory Identification Data: While a local address is not required, RoTLD strictly mandates accurate identification data based on the registrant’s legal status:
- Private Individuals: Must provide a valid national identification string. For Romanian citizens, this is the 13-digit Personal Numerical Code (CNP). For foreign individuals, a valid Passport or National ID card number is required.
- Companies / Corporate Entities: Must provide their official company registration numbers. For Romanian companies, this is the Fiscal Registration Code (CUI or CIF). For foreign companies, their country’s official business registry or VAT number must be supplied.
Domain Registration and Lifecycle
- Registration Periods: Domains can be registered and renewed for periods ranging from 1 to 10 years.
- Activation: Modern .RO registrations are fully automated and clear in real time, provided all required identification fields are correctly structured.
- IDN Support: Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) are fully supported. The registry natively accepts Romanian diacritic characters (ă, â, î, ș, ț).
Domain Renewal and Expiration
RoTLD enforces a maintenance lifecycle where domains must be renewed before their exact anniversary. If a domain is not renewed by its expiration date, it follows this timeline:
- Grace Period: The domain enters a short grace window directly following expiration, allowing the owner to pay the renewal fee without service interruption.
- Suspension State: If left unpaid after the grace period, RoTLD removes the name servers from the global DNS zone. Associated websites and email services will stop working entirely.
- Pending Delete: After the suspension window closes, the domain enters a final deletion queue. If no renewal payment is received, it is permanently purged from the registry database and returned to the public pool for open registration.
Domain Transfer (Registrar Transfer)
Moving a .RO domain from another provider to mybox requires a secure authorization code generated directly by the registry’s portal rather than the losing provider.
- The Transfer Key: The client must log directly into the official RoTLD registry portal (rotld.ro) under the “Domain Administration” panel to request a Transfer Key (Authorization Code). This key is sent automatically to the official registrant’s email address on file.
- Instant Completion: Once the valid key is provided to our system, the registrar transfer executes instantly.
Domain Trade (Ownership Transfer)
Changing the legal owner of a .RO domain (from one person or company to another) follows a rigid administrative track and cannot be completed via a standard contact update.
- Legacy vs. Modern Domains: Domains originally registered or moved over many years ago may require manual validation. For modern registrations, a trade can be initiated electronically but does not process in real time.
- The Process: The trade must be initiated in our platform, generating a trade token. Following initialization, the current registrant must log into RoTLD’s online portal to confirm the “Right of Use Transfer” and generate an official registry form.
- Documentation: The registry form must be signed, dated, and authorized by the current owner. This form must then be uploaded to a secure registry link along with supporting legal documentation (a copy of a passport/ID for individuals, or an incorporation certificate for companies). This documentation window expires within 10 days of generation.
- Impact on Expiration: A successful ownership transfer resets the domain lifecycle. The registration period starts completely from the beginning, and all previously remaining registration time on the domain is lost.
Domain Deletion
- Automated Deletion: For modern registrations managed under current automation systems, explicit deletions can be processed dynamically.
- Legacy Deletion: For legacy domains registered prior to the automated registry overhauls, an explicit deletion requires generating a formal cancellation document via an online form generator and sending it directly to the registry’s manual fulfillment office.
Technical Specifications
- Domain Name Length: Between 1 and 63 characters.
- DNS Configuration: RoTLD accepts between 2 and 5 name servers per domain. While the registry does not actively block initial setup if nameservers are quiet, they must be fully authoritative for the zone to properly resolve online.
- Contact Modifications: Technical, administrative, and billing contact handle fields can be updated seamlessly. Modifying the primary registrant’s structural entity details requires initiating the formal Trade procedure outlined above.