Find answers to common questions about AS Number registration, IP resources, and network services.
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As a RIPE NCC member (LIR), we are required to collect the €50 annual ASN maintenance fee mandated by RIPE's new policy. This fee goes directly to RIPE NCC for maintaining the global ASN registry. We pass this cost through transparently with no markup.
Note: Business days follow RIPE NCC schedule (Monday-Friday, 09:00-17:00 CET/CEST, excluding Dutch public holidays). Our support is available Monday-Friday, 09:00-18:00 CET for any questions.
Delays beyond 2 days are rare and typically due to incomplete documentation or verification requirements.
16-bit AS numbers range from 1 to 65,534, while 32-bit AS numbers range from 131,072 to 4,294,967,294. Both function identically in modern networks.
RIPE NCC no longer assigns 16-bit ASNs; they change hands only through transfers between existing holders.
No. RIPE NCC assigns AS numbers from a single 32-bit pool and no longer honors requests for 16-bit numbers; the only way to obtain a 16-bit ASN today is a transfer from an existing holder.
In practice this changes nothing for your network: 16-bit and 32-bit ASNs work identically in modern BGP (RFC 6793).
To register an ASN you need:
A peer is any network you exchange routes with: upstream transit providers, hosting providers with BGP support and Internet Exchange route-servers all count, so most customers already qualify through providers they pay. If you lack in-region infrastructure or a second peer, a Virtua.Cloud VM with BGP provides both.
Active network equipment refers to devices that actively participate in routing and managing network traffic. This includes:
The equipment operates within the RIPE NCC service region, and it does not all have to be live when you apply: signed contracts or orders showing the planned deployment are accepted as supporting documentation. The requirement exists so ASNs go to organizations with genuine networking needs, not speculation or resale.
Multihoming means your AS exchanges routes with at least two other networks. Those peers do not have to be two paid transit contracts: a hosting provider with BGP support, an Internet Exchange route-server or an upstream ISP each count as one peer.
RIPE NCC requires multihoming (or a unique routing policy) to justify an independent ASN, which is why our form asks for two peers.
Required documentation depends on your entity type:
Important: All information provided must be accurate and verifiable. Submitting false or forged documents will result in immediate rejection of your application, possible account suspension, and may be reported to the relevant authorities. Your registration details will be publicly visible in the RIPE WHOIS database. Unlike domain registration, ASN registration does not allow anonymous or proxy registration - your real organization or personal details will be published in the global routing registry.
Yes, we lease IPv4 blocks (from /24) to customers holding an ASN through us. Demand is high and our inventory is currently exhausted, so new requests join a waitlist and are served in order when space frees up.
We do not sell IPv4. If you already hold PI IPv4 space, or are acquiring a block on the transfer market, we can sponsor it as your LIR: contact support@via-registry.com for a quote.
If you need address space today, IPv6 blocks (from /48) are available immediately and are included as an option during ASN registration.
Yes. A sponsorship change stays inside RIPE NCC: your AS number, RIPE objects and maintainer do not change, only the sponsoring LIR does. Under ripe-815 your current LIR does not have to agree: we file the new agreement plus a confirmation you sign about the previous contract.
Price: €130 per year all-in (€80 service fee plus the €50 RIPE NCC fee at cost), no setup fee. We file the same working day once your documents are complete, subject to our onboarding checks and to RIPE NCC approving the End User. Start on the sponsorship change page.
If you need to become a RIPE LIR yourself in the future, we can assist with that process as well.
You still keep full control of your ASN. Day-to-day changes are made in your Via-Registry portal: route and AS-SET objects, contact and abuse details, routing policies. We push every change to the RIPE database for you, usually within minutes.
Prefer to work in the RIPE database directly? Once your ASN is assigned, switch to self-management from the ASN settings page in your portal by entering your own mntner handle. We place the AS number, ORG and contact objects under your maintainer and you edit them yourself with a free RIPE NCC Access account. Only a few fields on the ORG object, such as the legal name, remain editable by RIPE NCC alone.
We handle all of these for you automatically, ensuring your routes are properly authorized and secured from day one.
Yes. Your ASN is completely portable: use it with any hosting provider, data center or ISP that supports BGP, and we provide LOAs for any provider you choose. You are never locked in.
If you host with our partner Virtua.Cloud, BGP sessions are included with your VM at no extra charge and their invoices are accepted directly as supporting documentation for your registration.
Important: Once an ASN is returned to RIPE, you cannot get the same number back. If you might need it again in the future, consider transferring it instead of cancelling.
Your network equipment must be physically located in one of these regions to qualify for ASN registration through RIPE NCC. If your equipment is in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, or Africa, you'll need to work with the respective regional registry (ARIN, APNIC, or AFRINIC).
The main difference is the documentation required: businesses need company registration documents, while individuals need valid government ID. All other requirements (multihoming, active equipment, etc.) remain the same.
We offer IPv6 blocks in four sizes:
Current pricing per size is shown during registration; you can start small and add a larger block later.
Once payment is received, your ASN is instantly renewed for another year. No paperwork or re-verification required - just a simple payment process.
Instead of dealing with RIPE's technical syntax and authentication methods, you use our simple web interface. We translate your requests into proper RIPE database updates automatically.
Each ASN requires its own justification and must meet RIPE requirements independently. We offer:
Contact us if you need 5 or more ASNs - we can discuss enterprise arrangements.
Whether you use AWS, Google Cloud, OVH, Hetzner, or any other provider - your IPs work everywhere. Simply provide us with your provider details and we'll handle the authorization documentation.
Switching to self-managed is free and self-serve; switching back to managed goes through our support team. In both modes the legal-entity fields of the ORG object (such as the organisation name) remain locked by RIPE NCC once the ASN is assigned.
The work behind our services starts as soon as your order arrives: reviewing your documents, preparing the application and handling the exchanges with RIPE NCC. That time cannot be recovered once it has been spent, which is why fees cannot be returned.
This applies to:
RIPE NCC, the regional Internet registry for Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, charges €50 per year for every ASN assigned through a sponsoring LIR. That charge is set by the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026 (RIPE-848) and is billed to us, as your sponsoring LIR.
We pass it through at cost: the €50 on your invoice is exactly what RIPE NCC charges us for your ASN. RIPE NCC members review the charging scheme every year, so the amount follows the scheme in force.
RIPE NCC only works with its member LIRs, so every sponsored ASN needs an LIR doing real work behind it. Your service fee pays for that work:
An ASN looks like just a number, but both the registry and the sponsorship behind it carry yearly costs.
Some registrations require an identity check of the account holder (for organizations, the authorized representative). When it applies, you receive a secure verification link powered by Stripe Identity: you photograph your government-issued ID and take a short selfie, directly from your phone or computer.
There is no video call and nothing to install. The check usually completes within a few minutes.
If privacy is a priority, we recommend registering the ASN under a company name.
Yes. Your organization can be legally established anywhere in the world: what RIPE NCC requires is that the network using the ASN is operated within their service region (Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia), and your supporting documentation must show that.
The simplest way to get an in-region network is a VM with BGP at a provider like Virtua.Cloud; any in-region hosting or transit provider works too.
Usually yes. The two required peers do not have to be two transit contracts: your hosting provider (with BGP support) counts, an Internet Exchange route-server counts, and a second uplink that is still in planning can be documented with a letter or contract.
If you truly have a single network connection, deploying one VM with BGP at Virtua.Cloud adds the missing peers in one step.
Yes. RIPE NCC wants to see a real project: a network with active equipment, IP space to announce and two BGP peers. It does not all have to be live on day one; signed contracts or orders showing the network is planned are accepted as supporting documentation.
If you would rather have something running immediately, a single VM with the BGP option at Virtua.Cloud provides the equipment and peers in minutes, and its invoice is accepted directly. Either way, once your documentation is ready, complete your registration normally.
It depends where you are in the process:
If you already know which entity should hold the ASN, start the registration under that entity.
30 days. The countdown starts when your payment is confirmed, and a warning email goes out after 25 days if the registration is still incomplete.
Registrations not completed within 30 days are closed automatically and, per our Terms of Service, fees are not refunded, though you can start a new registration afterwards. Most customers finish in well under a week.
Already have RIPE objects from a previous provider (an ORG, person or maintainer)? They stay untouched: your sponsorship gets its own fresh set of objects. And if you prefer to run things yourself, you can take over the new objects with your own maintainer once the ASN is assigned.
Individuals and companies alike can pick any label that follows the RIPE format rules: a brand, a project or a network name. It does not have to contain your personal or company name.
The legal-entity fields of the organisation (ORG) object, such as the organisation name and country, are different. They identify the legal holder of the ASN, so RIPE NCC locks them once the ASN is assigned: neither you nor we can edit them directly.
Changing them therefore follows a formal procedure verified by RIPE NCC. To move the ASN to a different legal entity, use Change Legal Entity in your ASN's menu on the dashboard (billed at the administration fee). For a rename of the same entity, contact support@via-registry.com and we arrange the update with RIPE NCC.
Act today: RIPE NCC gives you a short window before deregistration. If RIPE NCC already wrote to you, reply within the four weeks saying you object and are signing with a new sponsoring LIR, and get that contract filed inside the same four weeks. Send us the number or the prefix from the sponsorship change page; we file the same working day once your documents are complete, subject to our onboarding checks and to RIPE NCC approving the End User.
RIPE NCC sets the windows in ripe-815: 10 working days from the day RIPE NCC is told the previous contract ended, then an email to your registered contacts with 10 more working days, then the deregistration email of ripe-858: four weeks in which a new sponsoring LIR contract must be in place, or the resource is deregistered. RIPE NCC may skip the three-month wind-down that can follow when the resource was not announced, so an unused ASN or prefix is on the short clock. Treat the first email as the deadline; the full table is on the sponsorship change page.
The account must belong to the entity or person recorded as holder in the RIPE Database; we check that before filing.
Nothing is needed from your previous LIR.
They stay yours: a sponsorship change only updates the sponsoring-org: attribute at RIPE NCC, never your aut-num or inet(6)num, organisation object, route objects or maintainer. If the previous LIR held your maintainer password, recovery is RIPE NCC's maintainer access recovery procedure, run by you; we spot the problem during our checks and point you to it. Details on the sponsorship change page.
Yes, for provider independent (PI) assignments registered at RIPE NCC in your name. We become the sponsoring LIR; the assignment stays yours, with your maintainer and your RPKI setup.
Recurring cost: €135 per year per assignment (€60 service fee plus the €75 RIPE NCC fee at cost). The setup fee for an existing assignment is quoted per case: send us the prefix from the sponsorship change page and we send a quote with a payment link, valid 14 days. Prices exclude VAT, which may apply based on your location. Fees are non-refundable.
Individuals: yes, when the resource is registered at RIPE NCC in your own name. You verify your identity online with a government ID and sign the agreement and the End User confirmation in your account.
Organisations outside the RIPE NCC service region: the resource stays a RIPE-region resource and needs a RIPE-region sponsoring LIR; RIPE NCC approves the End User. Send us the resource and where the network runs; we check the public RIPE data before quoting. We do not give legal advice on residency or on which registry applies.
RIPE NCC approves every End User itself and our fees are non-refundable. If RIPE NCC deregisters the resource while your file is open, the amount you paid becomes credit on your Via-Registry account, usable on any of our services; any other refusal, such as a holder that does not match the account, converts nothing. Before filing, our automated review checks the file against RIPE NCC's requirements; a human looks at edge cases.
Our support team is here to help you with any questions about AS Number registration, IP resources, or network services.
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