Enter Iraq market with a .IQ Domain

Yes. Article 12.1 of the Terms and Conditions opens second-level .iq to «any applicant» and states that such names are available through all accredited registrars; there is no residency requirement. Article 15 of the Non-Governmental Registration Procedure does add a separate duty for registrants abroad: documents requiring legalisation must be certified at Iraqi embassies or consulates within six months, otherwise the name is deleted.

The answer differs between two paragraphs of the same article. The first says applicants for second-level .iq need not provide any documentary evidence. The last reserves the Commission's eligibility requirements for commercial entities, banks licensed by the Central Bank, telecom and IT companies, natural persons resident in Iraq, and non-profits. Article 9.3.4 also lets a registrar ask for documents at any time, and if they are not supplied within 7 days, every request including renewal is suspended.

The Non-Governmental Registration Procedure gives two concrete figures: registration completes within 24 hours and at most within 72 working hours, and the name becomes active once the DNS update is made. Article 3.1.9 of the Terms and Conditions sets a separate limit on the registrar: absent grounds for refusal, it must register the name within three working days. The application is entirely electronic and the Commission gives final approval in its own registry system.

Article 11 of the Terms and Conditions explicitly applies the rules to all names at the second or third level: each label is at least 2 and at most 63 characters; only letters a-z, digits 0-9 and the hyphen may be used; the name begins and ends with a letter or a digit; it may neither begin nor end with a hyphen; it may not contain hyphens in the third and fourth positions; and it may not include a space.

You get a recovery window, but the Commission's three documents describe its length differently. The Lifecycle Policy sets out a 48-hour suspension on day one, then redemption at the normal price, then redemption with a late fine of half the domain fee, and deletion at 60 days. The Non-Governmental Procedure speaks of a 50-day freeze period. The Terms and Conditions describe a 30-day period at unchanged price. Confirm the exact figure before you order.

Article 13 of the procedure settles the question in one sentence: the domain belongs to its owner, not to the registrar that manages it or through which it was registered, and the owner may move it to another accredited registrar at any time. The gaining registrar submits the request through the registry system, and an incomplete request lapses after three days. A transfer counts as a new registration and extends the name by one year. Start on the domain transfer page.

UDRP does not apply. Article 2.12 of the Terms and Conditions gives anyone who believes their trademark, trade name or other intellectual property right is infringed two routes: a complaint to the registrar and court proceedings. Article 2.11 forbids the registrar from deciding third-party claims on its own. You can look up a registrant record on the whois search page.