Enter the Israel market with a .ORG.IL Domain

ISOC-IL describes org.il as an open second-level domain and states that it carries no constraint as to the identity of the holder or the use made of the name. The zone is intended for non-profit entities, but that is a statement of purpose. The same status applies to .co.il. The genuinely restricted zones are ac.il, gov.il, idf.il, k12.il, muni.il and net.il.

By ISOC-IL's own description org.il is an open zone with no constraint on the identity of the holder, and the rules set no founding document specific to it. The zones that really do ask for credentials are separate: ac.il for academic institutions, gov.il for government, muni.il for local authorities, and net.il for providers registered with the Ministry of Communications. Your registrar's own agreement and identity checks may of course apply on top when you order.

The rules leave the allocation period to the applicant: one, two, three, four or five years. The same options apply on renewal, and the five-year option was introduced in 2020. Renewal applications are accepted during the last three months of the current period. For organisations whose budget is approved annually, a long allocation is a practical relief: it removes a renewal deadline that would otherwise recur every year.

As a matter of rules both are open zones; ISOC-IL states that neither carries a constraint on identity or use. The difference lies in purpose: org.il is intended for non-profit entities, while .co.il is intended for entities operating for profit. The choice is therefore not a technical requirement but a question of what you want the address to say to a visitor. Holding an institutional name in both zones is a common approach.

The rules tie allocation to the order of applications: the earlier valid and complete application recorded in the registry is examined first. There is no reservation and no priority right; if two parties want the same name, what decides it is the moment the application was recorded. If your organisation's name is free, waiting gains you nothing. Check it with domain search and complete the order.

The rules are explicit: the holder may move the management of a name between accredited registrars at any time. The process runs on a transfer authorisation code, generated by the losing registrar at the holder's request. Your website and email keep working as long as you do not change name servers. You can start on the domain transfer page.

ISOC-IL has established the IL-DRP, an expedited alternative mechanism for disputes about the allocation of domain names. The holder irrevocably agrees to submit to that procedure and to the decision made under it, so the matter runs without going to court. If you come across a name likely to be confused with your organisation's, this is your route to object; keeping clear of another body's or brand's name when you choose removes the same risk at the source.