.gr explained

.gr
Background:	CCF
Introduced:	19 February 1989
Type:	Country code top-level domain
Status:	Active
Registry:	[FORTH-ICS]
Sponsor:	FORTH
Intendeduse:	Entities connected with
Actualuse:	Very popular in Greece
Restrictions:	second-level domains and .com.gr domain names may be registered without restrictions; some restrictions apply on some of the specific subdomains
Structure:	Registrations are taken directly at the second level or at the third level beneath various second-level subdomains
Document:	Rules & regulations
Website:	.gr Registry
Dnssec:	yes

.ελ
Background:	CCF
Introduced:	2015^[1]
Type:	Internationalized country code top-level domain
Status:	Active
Intendeduse:	Entities connected with for content in the Greek alphabet
Actualuse:	Sometimes used in Greece
Restrictions:	Should be used with subdomains in the Greek alphabet
Dnsname:	.xn--qxam

.gr is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Greece. Registrations are processed via accredited registrars and domain names in Greek characters may also be registered.

Second level domains

There are five official second level domains:

• com.gr: for those engaging in commercial activities.
• edu.gr: for educational institutions.
• net.gr: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and network providers.
• org.gr: non-profit organizations.
• gov.gr: exclusively for governmental organizations.

There are some other unofficial second level domains that belong to registrars offering third level domain name registrations.

• mil.gr: Exclusively for military purposes.
• mod.gr: Ministry of Defence
• sch.gr: local education authorities, schools, primary and secondary education, community education.
• co.gr: for commercial use (generally not as widely used as .com.gr).^[2]

Alternative top domain

Greece applied for the internationalized country code top-level domain (IDN ccTLD) .ελ (.ΕΛ in capital letters) for domain names composed of letters of the Greek alphabet. This was turned down by ICANN in April 2011 because it was too visually similar to .EA in Latin letters should ICANN ever implement such a TLD (EA is an exceptionally reserved ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code element for Ceuta & Melilla).^[3]

In 2014, ICANN decided to allow Greece to have the domain .ελ.^[4] The right to this top-level domain was handed over to Greece in October 2015,^[5] and it became operational on the Internet on 10 July 2018.^[6]

For the first three months, domains already held under .gr as they already were in Latin or Greek letters or transcribed into Greek characters could be obtained for .ελ only by the holder of that .gr domain.^[7] Those restrictions ceased to exist in October 2018.

External links

• IANA .gr whois information
• .gr registry website
• Whois for .gr domain names
• co.gr registration policies

Notes and References

1. Web site: Η Ελλάδα κατοχύρωσε την ελληνική κατάληξη .ελ στο ίντερνετ. 20 April 2015.
2. Web site: Inet Hellas . www.inethellas.co.gr.
3. http://domainincite.com/greek-idn-blocked-due-to-non-existent-domain/ Greek IDN blocked due to non-existent domain
4. Web site: ccTLD applicants who have requested the second and final review . 2015-06-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115551/https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/epsrp-reports-2014-10-14-en . 2016-03-04 . dead .
5. https://www.iana.org/reports/2015/greece-report-20151005.html Report on the Delegation of the .ελ (“el”) domain representing Greece in Greek script to ICS-FORTH GR
6. https://www.eett.gr/opencms/opencms/EETT/FAQS/DomainNames/FAQ_kataxoroumenon.html Συχνές Ερωτήσεις για Καταχωρούμενους
7. Web site: .GR Launches .ελ on 10 July . 2018-07-28 . 2018-07-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180728221356/http://www.domainpulse.com/2018/07/06/gr-launches-idn-cctld-on-10-july/ . dead .