New .au Domain Deadline: What It Means and How to Register

It's time to reserve your domain name and protect your Australian business!

Individuals and organisations with existing domain names (for example, .com.au or .net.au) must apply for priority access to register the new '.au' direct domain before 20 September 2022.

how does the '.au' domain name work?

In Australia, websites ending in '.au' signals to others that the website has a connection to Australia. .au Domain Administration Limited (auDA) develops and administers rules for domain names in Australia. Registrant companies or individuals do not own domain names. Instead, they are licensed by auDA.

Existing '.au' namespaces are used for defined purposes and sectors within Australia with stricter registration licencing rules. For instance:

1. com.au and net.au is used only for commercial entities;
2. org.au is used only for charities and not-for-profit organisations;
3. edu.au is used only for registered education institutions;
4. gov.au is used only for Commonwealth, State, Territory and local government bodies;
5. asn.au is used only for incorporated associations, political parties, trade unions, sporting and special interest clubs;
6. id.au is used only for individuals who are citizens or residents.  

States and Territories hold their own namespace, which is available to community groups where their geographic name is registered. For example, <bulimbagroup.qld.au> or <bulimbagroup.nsw.au>.

How Can I Apply For Priority Status?

To apply for priority status, you must firstly hold a licence for the corresponding existing domain name. The eligibility of your existing domain name will be verified by  auDA after they receive the priority application.

auDA's Priority Status Tool for determining priority status for '.au' direct names is as follows:

• Category 1: a domain name created on or before 4 February 2018; or
• Category 2: a domain name created after 4 February 2018.

If two registrants apply for the same domain name, allocation will be determined as follows:

• Category 1 applicants have priority over Category 2 applicants;
• Where there are multiple Category 1 applicants, those applicants must engage in direct negotiations and agree on the allocation. Where no agreement can be reached, the '.au' direct domain name will remain unallocated; and
• Between multiple Category 2 applicants, the '.au' direct domain name is given to the applicant with the earliest created domain name.

What are the direct '.au' domain names available now?

auDA launched the new .au direct domain name on 24 March 2022, allowing registration for direct domain names using only .au.

For example, the '.com.au' domain name is only available to commercial entities with an ABN or ACN. Whereas the new '.au' category of the domain name is available to anyone with an 'Australian presence'.

What Does Australian Presence Mean?

To prove an Australian presence, a potential registrant must show that they are:

• In Australia, such as an Australian citizen or permanent resident, an entity with an ABN, incorporated association, partnership or a company registered in Australia under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth); or
• The owner of or an applicant for an Australian registered trade mark.

What if I don't have an Australian presence?

An Australian trade mark application is the basis for foreign companies to satisfy the Australian presence requirement. Previously, a domain name could be chosen that was closely or substantially connected to the Australian trademark. 

However, when relying upon a trade mark to show an Australian presence, the new domain name now must exactly match the words in the trade mark application or registration. 

For example, the trade mark owner of 'the red apple' could register for: 

• <theredapple.com.au>; or 
• <redapple.com.au>.

However, the owner could not register for: 

• <theapple.com.au>; 
• <trp.com.au>; or 
• <applered.com.au>. 
  

What if i already have an established Australian presence?

If you don't need to rely on a trademark and already have an Australian presence, you will need to match (as opposed to exactly match) the domain name you're applying for. 

The domain name being sought must be: 

• A match for or an acronym of the company name, registered business name or their personal name; 
• A match for the person's Australian trade mark; or 
• A match or synonym of the name of a service, good, event, activity or premises provided by the applicant.

For example, eligible domain names being simply a match for the Australian owner of 'the red apple' would be:

• <theapple.au>; or 
• <red. au>.

An example of an ineligible domain name would be <freshapplered.au>.