.rw

Overview

.rw is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Rwanda. Introduced on 21 October 1996, the domain is intended for entities connected with Rwanda and sees primary use within the country. Registrations are available directly at the second level and via a set of designated second-level zones for specific types of organizations.

History

• Introduced: 21 October 1996.
• Early management: Initially managed and operated under a Swiss company by a Belgian entrepreneur, Frédéric Grégoire.
• Local management efforts: From 2005 RICTA (Rwanda Internet Community and Technology Alliance) pursued local control and policy development for .rw.
• Redelegation: RICTA completed a redelegation process and assumed administration of .rw in 2012.
• Current registry/sponsor: RICTA (Rwanda Internet Community and Technology Alliance).

Usage and Audience

• Intended use: Entities connected with Rwanda.
• Actual use: Primarily used within Rwanda.
• Typical users: Rwandan businesses, government bodies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, network providers and cooperatives.

Registration Rules

• Structure: Registrations are permitted directly at the second level (example: example.rw).
• Registry: Managed by RICTA through accredited and registered registrars; a registry-registrar agreement and policy documents are maintained by RICTA.
• Dispute policy: UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) applies.

Second-level domains and restrictions

RICTA also supports a set of second-level zones intended for specific organization types. Some zones require authorization from designated Rwandan authorities:

• .rw — general-purpose, no specific type required (second-level direct registrations also available)
• .co.rw — commercial and business organizations
• .org.rw — not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations
• .net.rw — network infrastructure providers
• .ac.rw — Rwanda academic institutions; authorization required from the Ministry of Education or Rwanda Education Board
• .gov.rw — Government of Rwanda institutions; authorization required from the Office of the President
• .mil.rw — reserved for Rwanda Defence Forces
• .coop.rw — cooperatives; authorization required from the Rwanda Cooperative Agency
• .ltd.rw — limited companies; authorization required from the Rwanda Development Board

Notable Cases or Examples

• Early management dispute and redelegation: The ccTLD was originally operated by NIC Congo / Interpoint SARL and managed by a Belgian entrepreneur. RICTA and Rwandan authorities pursued redelegation due to concerns about local service and the desire to manage the ccTLD locally. After a multi-year process involving RICTA, RITA/RURA and ICANN/IANA interactions, redelegation to RICTA was granted in 2012.
• Registry documentation: RICTA publishes registry and registrar agreements and policy documents governing .rw registrations (available via the RICTA website).

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       RW

organisation: Rwanda Internet Community and Technology  Alliance (RICTA) Ltd
address:      Kubaho Plaza
address:      KG 544 st,
address:      Kacyiru
address:      Kigali
address:      Rwanda

contact:      administrative
name:         IT Manager
organisation: Rwanda Internet Community and Technology  Alliance (RICTA) Ltd
address:      Kubaho Plaza
address:      KG 544 st
address:      Kacyiru
address:      Kigali City
address:      Rwanda
phone:        +250788424148
e-mail:       rw-adm@ricta.org.rw

contact:      technical
name:         IT Manager
organisation: Rwanda Internet Community and Technology  Alliance (RICTA) Ltd
address:      Kubaho plaza
address:      KG 544 st
address:      Kacyiru
address:      Kigali City
address:      Rwanda
phone:        +250788424148
e-mail:       noc@ricta.org.rw

nserver:      DNSNODE.RICTA.ORG.RW 2a01:3f0:0:306:0:0:0:53 77.72.229.254
nserver:      NS-AFRINIC.RICTA.ORG.RW 196.216.168.28 2001:43f8:120:0:0:0:0:28
nserver:      NS1.GRANSY.RICTA.ORG.RW 185.38.108.108 2a00:fea0:dead:0:0:0:0:beef
nserver:      NS1.RICTA.ORG.RW 196.49.7.188 2001:43f8:151:2504:0:0:0:188
nserver:      NS2.RICTA.ORG.RW 196.49.7.186 2001:43f8:151:2504:0:0:0:186
nserver:      NS3.RICTA.ORG.RW 41.138.85.98
nserver:      PCH.RICTA.ORG.RW 2001:500:14:6091:ad:0:0:1 204.61.216.91
ds-rdata:     39755 8 2 005f7a73f0609a69ca7736158490764e1a8dc0652ab1d0e327941af0fe673111

whois:        whois.ricta.org.rw

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://registry.ricta.org.rw

created:      1996-10-21
changed:      2025-08-26
source:       IANA