In August 2023, regulator ICANN announced that it will open the new application round in the second quarter of 2026, “with the goal of April 2026”. The timeline until that moment is the following:

• May 2025: publication of the “Applicant Guidebook” that contains all rules and processes
• Q2/3-2025: “public comment period” for this Applicant Guidebook
• Q4-2025: publication of the board-approved Applicant Guidebook
• April 2026: opening of the application window

Once the application window has opened, the timeline will look as follows:

• April 2026: opening of application window
• July 2026: closing of application window
• Q3-2026: ICANN determines the order in which all applications will be processed
• Q1-2027: signing of the first extension contracts
• Q2-2027: registration of the first domain names

Depending on the order of processing, it may take another few months to years before a specific extension is delegated. No predictions can be made at this time. Read our blog post for more details on the different steps.