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.ru Domain: Russia ccTLD Guide

Updated October 2026

.ru is the country-code top-level domain for Russia.

Overview

Russian businesses, media and individuals use it as the main national domain, and it is one of the largest country-code extensions in Europe by registrations.

Russian ISPs agreed in December 1993 how .ru would be administered, with operations assigned to RIPN, and .ru was registered in the DNS root on 7 April 1994. The Coordination Center for TLD RU was established in July 2001 and took over administrative responsibilities in 2002. The IANA record named it as manager on 4 January 2006.

In 1999 the coordination group decided to separate registration from registry operation and introduce accredited registrars. RU-CENTER became the first registrar in 2001. The Technical Center of the Internet, established in 2009, is the technical contact listed by IANA.

Second-level names must be 2 to 63 characters, using Latin letters, digits and hyphens, beginning and ending with a letter or digit and with no hyphens in both the third and fourth positions. Registrants must check names for conflicts with trademarks and other protected rights, and obscene or hateful names are barred.

Since 1 September 2026, Federal Law No. 569-FZ has required domain administrators of .ru, .рф and .su to identify themselves through the Gosuslugi portal for registration, renewal, transfer and other key actions. Domains whose holders cannot complete identification stay active until the paid term ends but cannot be renewed or transferred; detailed implementing rules were still in draft in late August 2026.

Who can register

Foreign individuals can complete identification only with a Russian residence permit or work patent, and foreign companies only through an accredited branch or representative office in Russia. Since 1 September 2026, Federal Law No. 569-FZ has required identification through the Gosuslugi system, so confirm current rules with your registrar before applying.

Second-level endings: Also .com.ru, .net.ru, .org.ru, .msk.ru and regional endings.

Before you buy a .ru name

• Check the renewal price as well as the first-year price. Our cost calculator shows what a name really costs over time.
• Make sure you meet the eligibility rules yourself, without relying on a trustee if you can avoid it.
• Search for trademarks and for the same name in .com.
• Say the name out loud: will people type it correctly?

Weighing up a specific .ru name? TLD.is gives an AI appraisal that explains a name's strengths and weaknesses.

Frequently asked questions

What country is .ru?

.ru is the country-code top-level domain for Russia.

Who runs the .ru domain?

The .ru registry is managed by Coordination Center for TLD RU.

Can I register a .ru domain from another country?

Foreign individuals can complete identification only with a Russian residence permit or work patent, and foreign companies only through an accredited branch or representative office in Russia. Since 1 September 2026, Federal Law No. 569-FZ has required identification through the Gosuslugi system, so confirm current rules with your registrar before applying.

Does Google treat .ru as a country domain?

Yes. Google normally treats .ru as a signal that a site targets Russia.

Compare and explore

Compare .ru side by side with other extensions, or browse more in Europe:

Sources checked: en.wikipedia.org · icannwiki.org. Last reviewed October 2026.

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