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    • .wales

    Generic top-level domainsIDNDNSSEC

    Overview

    .wales is a geographic top-level domain (GeoTLD) for Wales. Proposed alongside .cymru, it provides an English-language domain space for Welsh organisations, businesses and individuals, and complements the Welsh-language .cymru TLD.

    History

    • Proposed by Nominet in 2012 as one of two Welsh GeoTLDs (.wales and .cymru).
    • ICANN granted final approval in June 2014.
    • A Registry Agreement with ICANN was signed on 8 May 2014.
    • Delegated to the DNS root zone on 7 August 2014.
    • Sunrise period: 1 September 2014 to 31 October 2014 (trademark holders prioritized).
    • Official availability began in September 2014; many Welsh institutions began moving sites on 30 September 2014.
    • General availability to all registrants commenced on St David's Day (1 March) 2015.

    Usage and Audience

    • Intended for Wales-related use: government, media, businesses, cultural organisations and the Welsh diaspora.
    • Actual use: adopted by organisations in Wales where content is English-language.
    • Target industries highlighted in the application include leisure, tourism, agriculture and creative industries, with the aim of promoting Welsh branding and trade.

    Registration Rules

    • Registry operator: Nominet (not-for-profit); managing entity associated with the Welsh Government per application details.
    • Operating model: open TLD on a primarily first-come, first-served basis.
    • Eligibility criteria (applicant-specified): registrants must meet one of two checks:
      • provide a validated postal address from a predefined list of Welsh postcodes; or
      • submit an EPP extension field during registration describing an affiliation or connection with Wales (this can include the Welsh diaspora or organisations outside Wales with strong ties to Wales).
    • Sunrise & phased launch: trademark holders had priority during the Sunrise phase before general availability.
    • Restrictions: none listed in the registry infobox; policy and dispute handling follow UDRP; DNSSEC is enabled.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • The applicant (Nominet) proposed .wales to strengthen the Wales brand and increase international recognition.
    • Market research cited in the application reported that 70% of consumers and 59% of businesses believed Wales should have its own domain space; 70% of consumers said they would prefer a .wales TLD to a .com; 40% of businesses said a .wales name could help promote their business in Wales.
    • Nominet committed to operate on a not-for-profit basis with any surplus reinvested in community projects in Wales, positioning the TLD as community-focused and brand-supportive.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • Early and notable adopters and organisations that moved to .wales/.cymru include:
      • Welsh Government / Senedd sites (official moves announced 30 September 2014)
      • Wales Online
      • Daily Post
      • Welsh Rugby Union
      • Millennium Stadium
      • Golwg360
      • Bloc
      • Gwalia
      • Atlantic PLC
      • Orchard
      • Portmeirion
      • Only Men Aloud! (male voice choir)

    Operator

    Nominet UK

    Whois

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

domain:       WALES

organisation: Nominet UK
address:      Minerva House
address:      Edmund Halley Road
address:      Oxford Science Park
address:      Oxford OX4 4DQ
address:      United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         TLD Registry Services Management
organisation: Nominet UK
address:      Minerva House
address:      Edmund Halley Road
address:      Oxford Science Park
address:      Oxford OX4 4DQ
address:      United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
phone:        +44(0)1865 332211
e-mail:       registrymanagement@nominet.uk

contact:      technical
name:         TLD Registry Services Technical
organisation: Nominet UK
address:      Minerva House
address:      Edmund Halley Road
address:      Oxford Science Park
address:      Oxford OX4 4DQ
address:      United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
phone:        +44.1865332211
e-mail:       registrytechnical@nominet.uk

nserver:      DNS1.NIC.WALES 213.248.219.2 2a01:618:403:0:0:0:0:2
nserver:      DNS2.NIC.WALES 103.49.83.2 2401:fd80:403:0:0:0:0:2
nserver:      DNS3.NIC.WALES 213.248.223.2 2a01:618:407:0:0:0:0:2
nserver:      DNS4.NIC.WALES 2401:fd80:407:0:0:0:0:2 43.230.51.2
nserver:      DNSA.NIC.WALES 156.154.100.3 2001:502:ad09:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSB.NIC.WALES 156.154.101.3 2001:502:2eda:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSC.NIC.WALES 156.154.102.3 2610:a1:1009:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSD.NIC.WALES 156.154.103.3 2610:a1:1010:0:0:0:0:3
ds-rdata:     64480 8 2 5a296b3d4cdaaf2bb3b243ec31f31b283782bd5a930f84741aa3dd3ccded6a6c

whois:        

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://ourhomeonline.wales/

created:      2014-07-31
changed:      2025-06-10
source:       IANA

    Registrars