How to Register an ASN in 2026: Step-by-Step Process and Requirements

ISPs, hosting providers, enterprises with multi-homed connectivity, content delivery networks, and a growing number of individuals running their own networks all use an ASN of their own to run independent routing policies on the global Internet. Getting one means applying through a Regional Internet Registry, either directly as a member or, in the RIPE region, through a sponsoring LIR: an existing RIPE NCC member that files and maintains the application for you. Sponsorship costs €130 per year all-in (as of September 2026, RIPE NCC fee included) and requires no RIPE NCC membership and no company.

You need a multihoming plan (connectivity from two or more providers), your contact details (company registration for organizations, an identity document for individuals), and a description of the networks you intend to announce.

Which Path Fits You?

Almost every reader lands in one of three situations:

Yes, individuals qualify. In the RIPE region a natural person can hold a globally unique ASN through a sponsoring LIR: no company, no RIPE NCC membership. A passport or national ID card replaces company paperwork and is verified online. If that is you, our private ASN guide covers the individual path in detail, and the rest of this guide applies to you just the same. For scale, the RIPE NCC issued 2,734 ASNs in the twelve months to 24 September 2026 (State of RIPE ASNs 2026).

On the sponsored path, our ASN registration service prepares and submits the application for you (with us the first year is €130, an €80 administration fee plus the €50 RIPE NCC fee, and each renewal is €130), so most of the steps below are handled on your behalf. The walkthrough still shows every step so you know what happens behind the scenes.

What is an Autonomous System Number?

An Autonomous System Number (ASN) is a globally unique identifier assigned to an autonomous system (AS) for use in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing. An autonomous system represents a collection of IP networks and routers under the control of a single organization that presents a common routing policy to the Internet. The basics are in What is an ASN (Autonomous System Number)? Understanding BGP Routing.

ASNs are defined in RFC 4271 and RFC 6793. Originally, ASNs were 16-bit numbers (ranging from 1 to 65,535), but due to depletion concerns, the system expanded to 32-bit ASNs, providing over 4.2 billion possible numbers (0 to 4,294,967,295).

Public vs Private ASNs

Similar to IP address space, ASNs are divided into public and private ranges:

• Public ASNs: Globally unique numbers assigned by RIRs, required for Internet routing
• Private ASNs: Reserved for internal use only, not announced on the public Internet
  • 16-bit range: 64,512 to 65,534
  • 32-bit range: 4,200,000,000 to 4,294,967,294

As specified in RFC 6996, private ASNs should never appear in the public Internet routing table.

Why Do You Need an ASN?

Organizations typically need an ASN in the following scenarios. Worked examples are in ASN use cases and real-world examples.

Multi-homing Configuration

The most common justification for an ASN is multihoming: BGP sessions with two or more providers at the same time. Multihoming keeps you reachable when one provider fails and lets you choose which link carries which traffic, instead of leaving that choice to a single upstream.

Unique Routing Policy

Even without multi-homing, organizations may need an ASN if they have:

• Complex traffic engineering requirements
• Need to implement specific routing policies
• Peering relationships with other autonomous systems
• Content delivery or caching infrastructure requiring BGP routing

Regional Internet Registry (RIR) Overview

ASNs are allocated and managed by five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), each serving specific geographic regions:

RIPE NCC (Europe, Middle East, Central Asia)

RIPE NCC serves Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia.

ARIN (North America)

American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) serves the United States, Canada, and portions of the Caribbean.

APNIC (Asia-Pacific)

Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) covers the Asia-Pacific region, including National Internet Registries (NIRs) in countries like Japan, South Korea, and China.

LACNIC (Latin America and Caribbean)

Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre (LACNIC) serves Latin America and parts of the Caribbean.

AFRINIC (Africa)

African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) provides registry services for the African continent.

The RIR you work with depends on your organization's physical location and where your network infrastructure operates. This guide covers requirements and processes for all five RIRs.

ASN Registration Requirements by RIR

Per-registry detail is in ASN Registration Requirements by RIR.

At a glance:

RIPE NCC Requirements

To obtain an ASN from RIPE NCC, you must:

Technical Requirements:

• Show that the network will be multihomed (ripe-679); the LIR Portal form asks for at least two peering partners, each with its ASN and a contact e-mail
• Name the prefixes you will announce and the routing policy you will apply
• Have at least one prefix (a block of IP addresses) to announce; an IPv6 /48 is enough, and sponsored applicants can obtain one together with the ASN rather than beforehand

Organizational Requirements:

• Be a RIPE NCC member (Local Internet Registry, LIR) or work through a sponsoring LIR
• Companies and individuals (natural persons) both qualify; individuals verify their identity with a passport or ID card instead of providing company registration documents
• Maintain valid contact information in the RIPE Database
• Sign the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement (for direct members)
• Pass the RIPE NCC due diligence: an identity document for natural persons, registration papers for legal persons, and a check of every signing party against EU and Dutch sanctions lists (ripe-863)
• Sponsored End Users sign an agreement with their sponsoring LIR that carries the ripe-637 clauses: no sub-assignment, an annual fee, and return of the resources if the holder becomes unreachable or stops paying

Policy context (September 2026): The ASN policy, ripe-679, still says: "A network must be multihomed in order to qualify for an AS Number." Proposal 2025-01, which set out to revisit those criteria, was withdrawn on 6 July 2026. Its successor, proposal 2026-01, would drop the justification for the first ASN of a holder that already has address space from the RIPE NCC. Its Discussion Phase closed on 5 August 2026 and it is in drafting, so it is not policy. On fees, the RIPE NCC has billed €50 per ASN per year since its 2025 charging scheme (ripe-828); the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026 (ripe-848) keeps it on top of the per-LIR fee.

ARIN Requirements

ARIN's requirements for a first ASN are the lightest of the five registries:

Organizational Requirements:

• Be an active business entity legally formed in the ARIN service region (individuals qualify when they meet the legal requirements of the jurisdiction where they do business)
• Have an ARIN Online account with valid Point of Contact (POC) records
• Have a valid Organization Identifier (Org ID)

ARIN's policy manual (NRPM section 5) says: "Any organization may be issued a single Autonomous System Number (ASN) upon request." No multihoming test applies to the first ASN. Additional ASNs need proof of a unique routing policy or another technical justification.

Fees: ARIN's Board approved a 5% increase for 2027, so the 3X-Small fee moves from $275 to $288.75 (ARIN announcement, 12 May 2026).

APNIC Requirements

APNIC follows RFC 1930 guidelines (APNIC-127, section 10) and requires:

Eligibility Criteria:

• Network is currently multihomed, OR
• Need to interconnect with other autonomous systems, OR
• Can demonstrate you will meet these criteria within a reasonably short time after receiving an ASN

Application Options:

• Apply directly to APNIC as a member or non-member
• Apply through your National Internet Registry (NIR) if applicable

Documentation Requirements:

• Detailed routing policy specification
• ASNs with which you will interconnect
• IP addresses that will be announced through the requested ASN
• Technical justification following RFC 1930 guidelines

APNIC ASN fees: Each APNIC account holder receives the first two ASNs at no extra charge; additional ASNs carry a one-time allocation fee of AUD 500 and an annual fee of AUD 100 each. See the APNIC Member Fee Schedule for the current values.

LACNIC Requirements

LACNIC's ASN allocation policy requires:

Technical Requirements:

• Require interconnection with other independent autonomous systems at time of application, OR
• Plan to establish such interconnection within six months

Documentation Requirements:

• Detailed routing policy
• ASNs with which the organization will interconnect
• IP addresses to be announced through the requested ASN
• Technical justification demonstrating need for globally unique ASN

Policy Flexibility: LACNIC does not strictly require multi-homing, accepting plans for future interconnection within six months as valid justification. Source: LACNIC Policy Manual

AFRINIC Requirements

AFRINIC's requirements are defined in their Consolidated Policy Manual:

Eligibility Criteria:

• Be an AFRINIC resource member, AND
• Interconnect (including peering) with more than one AS, OR
• Show a unique routing policy, OR
• Demonstrate technical need for globally unique ASN

Future Planning: Organizations may qualify if they demonstrate they will meet criteria within six months of receiving the ASN.

Resource Philosophy: AFRINIC emphasizes that ASNs are public resources distributed based on demonstrated need. Assignment does not confer ownership; organizations are custodians without the right to sell or transfer ASNs except in cases of mergers, acquisitions, or business reorganization.

Fees: an ASN-only End User pays US$400 for the assignment plus US$50 per year; the first invoice, US$550, covers the assignment and three years (AFRINIC fees).

Context: a board elected in September 2025 runs AFRINIC alongside a court-appointed receiver, still in place in August 2026 while litigation continues; a new CEO takes office on 1 January 2027 (RIR policies compared has the detail).

Step-by-Step ASN Registration Process

The ASN registration process varies slightly by RIR, but follows a general pattern.

Step 1: Determine Your RIR

Your RIR is determined by your organization's geographic location and where you operate your network infrastructure. Use these guidelines:

• Headquartered in Europe/Middle East/Central Asia: RIPE NCC
• Headquartered in United States/Canada: ARIN
• Headquartered in Asia-Pacific: APNIC (or your country's NIR)
• Headquartered in Latin America: LACNIC
• Headquartered in Africa: AFRINIC

If your organization operates in multiple regions, your primary RIR is typically where your headquarters and main operations are located.

Step 2: Establish RIR Membership or Sponsorship

Direct Membership Option:

Most RIRs allow direct membership, giving you full control over your resources:

• RIPE NCC: Become a Local Internet Registry (LIR) member (€1,800 annual fee in 2026, plus a one-time €1,000 sign-up fee)
• ARIN: No membership fee; one Registration Services Plan fee per organization ($275 per year in 2026 for up to 3 ASNs and nothing else)
• APNIC: Member or non-member registration available (fees vary by resource holdings)
• LACNIC: Membership required for resource requests
• AFRINIC: Resource member status required

Sponsoring LIR Option:

If you don't want to become a direct RIR member, you can work through a sponsoring LIR (the RIPE NCC calls ASNs and PI blocks held this way independent resources; the contract terms come from ripe-637):

• Sponsoring LIR handles the registration on your behalf
• You pay the LIR a yearly fee. Sponsors price differently, and some add the €50 RIPE NCC fee at checkout, so compare all-in totals
• LIR maintains the assignment in the RIR database
• You remain the holder of the ASN; it returns to the RIPE NCC only if you become unreachable or stop paying

Many organizations choose sponsorship to avoid the administrative overhead and higher costs of direct RIR membership, especially if they only need one ASN and small IP allocations. Individuals take this path by default, since membership makes no sense for a single ASN. Our running ASN sponsorship price comparison shows what different sponsoring LIRs charge.

Step 3: Gather Required Documentation

Before starting your application, compile the following information. Applying through a sponsoring LIR? The LIR collects what is needed through its own forms, so treat this list as background rather than homework.

Technical Documentation:

1. Routing Policy Documentation
   • Description of your routing strategy
   • Traffic engineering plans
   • BGP community usage
   • Route filtering policies
2. Multi-homing Information (if applicable)
   • Names and ASNs of upstream providers
   • Contact information (email addresses) for upstream provider NOC
   • Letter of intent or service agreement from each provider
   • IP addresses of BGP peering sessions
3. IP Address Resources
   • Any current IP allocations, or the space you will request alongside the ASN
   • Plans for announcing these prefixes
   • Assignment documentation from your RIR

Organizational Documentation:

1. Business Registration (organizations only; individuals instead complete an online identity verification with a valid passport or national ID card)
   • Proof of legal entity formation
   • Business registration number
   • Operating jurisdiction
2. Contact Information
   • Administrative contact details
   • Technical contact details
   • Abuse contact (required by most RIRs)
   • Organization address and phone
3. Network Infrastructure Details
   • Description of your network
   • Geographic scope
   • Services provided
   • Number of customers (if applicable)

Step 4: Prepare Your Justification

The justification is the part of the application the registry evaluates; the rest is paperwork. Our guide How to Prepare Your ASN Justification goes into detail.

Strong Justification Examples:

Example 1: Multi-homed ISP

Our organization operates a regional ISP providing Internet connectivity to
enterprise customers. We currently maintain transit agreements with [ISP A]
(AS64500) and [ISP B] (AS64501) for redundancy and load balancing. We hold
IPv4 allocation 198.51.100.0/24 and IPv6 allocation 2001:db8::/48, which
we will announce via BGP to both upstream providers. An ASN is required to
implement our multi-homing strategy for service continuity.

Example 2: Unique Routing Policy

Our content delivery network operates cache servers in 15 locations across
Europe. We require an ASN to implement anycast routing and optimize content
delivery based on geographic proximity. Our routing policy includes selective
prefix announcements to different peers based on geographic location and
traffic engineering requirements that cannot be achieved through provider-
assigned addressing.

Example 3: Enterprise Multi-homing

Our organization requires highly available Internet connectivity for business-
critical applications. We have established service agreements with [ISP A]
(AS64500) and [ISP B] (AS64501) to provide redundant Internet access. We hold
Provider Independent IPv4 space 203.0.113.0/24 which we need to announce to
both providers with equal preference. An ASN is necessary to implement BGP
multi-homing for automatic failover.

Weak Justifications to Avoid:

• "We want to learn BGP" (use private ASNs, or practise on dn42)
• "Future plans" without concrete timeline or agreements
• "We might need multi-homing someday" (apply when ready)
• Single-homed networks without unique routing policy justification

Step 5: Submit Your Application

Each RIR has a specific application process:

Through a sponsoring LIR (RIPE region): you skip the LIR Portal steps below. The LIR submits the request on your behalf; with us that means a guided online form, electronic signature of the sponsorship agreement, and the identity verification described above.

RIPE NCC:

1. Log into the RIPE NCC LIR Portal
2. Open the ASN request form
3. Complete the online form with technical justification
4. Provide upstream provider ASNs and contact details
5. Submit for evaluation

ARIN:

1. Log into ARIN Online
2. Open the ASN request form
3. Complete the request form including routing policy or multi-homing details
4. Submit for evaluation
5. If approved, receive invoice and Registration Services Agreement (if applicable)
6. Return signed RSA and payment

APNIC:

1. Log into MyAPNIC
2. Open the resource request form
3. Select ASN request type
4. Complete application with detailed routing policy
5. Submit for evaluation

LACNIC:

1. Access the LACNIC resource request system
2. Complete the ASN request form
3. Provide detailed interconnection information
4. Submit supporting documentation

AFRINIC:

1. Log into the AFRINIC Member Portal
2. Submit ASN request with justification
3. Provide technical documentation

Step 6: RIR Evaluation and Follow-up

After submission, RIRs evaluate your request:

Evaluation Process:

• Technical review of justification
• Verification of upstream provider information (for multi-homing)
• Validation of IP address holdings
• Completeness check of documentation

Possible Outcomes:

1. Approved: ASN assigned, invoice issued (if applicable)
2. Additional Information Required: Hostmaster contacts you for clarification
3. Rejected: Application denied with explanation of deficiencies

Common Reasons for Additional Information Requests:

• Unclear routing policy justification
• Unable to verify upstream provider information
• Insufficient IP address resources
• Missing organizational documentation

Answer quickly: the request does not move while the registry waits for your reply.

Step 7: Payment and Finalization

Once approved:

RIPE NCC:

• If you are an LIR, the ASN is billed with your annual contribution plus €50 per ASN per year (2026 charging scheme, ripe-848); from 2027 the first ASN of an LIR account is included in the €1,894 annual fee
• Through a sponsoring LIR you pay the LIR's all-in price instead (€130 per year with us, which already includes the €50 RIPE NCC fee)
• ASN becomes active immediately after approval

ARIN:

• Registration Services Plan invoice ($275 in 2026 if the ASN is your only resource)
• Sign and return RSA if required
• ASN becomes active after payment receipt

APNIC:

• Invoice for allocation fee (AUD 500) if exceeding free ASN allocation
• Annual fee (AUD 100) for additional ASNs
• Sign-up fee (AUD 500) for new members

LACNIC:

• US$1,000 one-time ASN fee, no annual fee for the ASN itself (US$500 for a first-time Nano or Micro ISP)
• Membership fees depend on your IPv4 and IPv6 holdings

AFRINIC:

• US$400 assignment fee plus US$50 per year; the first invoice, US$550, covers the assignment and three years

Step 8: Configure Your Routing

After receiving your ASN, you can begin BGP configuration:

Configuration Steps:

1. Create Route Objects in IRR databases (RIPE, RADb, etc.); see Route Objects Explained. RIPE Database updates no longer accept MD5 passwords (removed 4 March 2026): use RIPE NCC Access single sign-on, an API key, OAuth 2.0 or OIDC, or PGP and X.509 (release notes).
2. Register BGP peering sessions with upstream providers
3. Configure BGP on your routers with your new ASN
4. Implement route filtering policies
5. Set up monitoring for BGP sessions and route propagation
6. Test failover scenarios before going into production

Coordination with Upstream Providers:

• Provide your ASN to upstream providers in advance
• Coordinate BGP session turn-up timing
• Configure initial prefix announcements
• Test reachability before announcing widely

Once your prefixes are announced, the ASN lookup tool shows which prefixes and neighbours the routing table sees for your ASN.

ASN Registration Costs

Understanding the full cost of ASN registration helps with budget planning; the full comparison is in the ASN Registration Cost Breakdown.

Initial Registration Costs

RIPE NCC:

• LIR membership: €1,000 sign-up fee + €1,800 first-year contribution + €50 per ASN assignment (RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026, ripe-848)
• Through a sponsoring LIR: €130 for the first year with us (€80 administration fee plus the €50 RIPE NCC fee at cost)

ARIN:

• No ASN issuance fee since 1 January 2024
• $275 Registration Services Plan fee (3X-Small, 2026) on the first invoice

APNIC:

• Sign-up fee: AUD 500 (for new members)
• Allocation fee: AUD 500 (for ASNs beyond free allocation)

LACNIC:

• US$1,000 one-time ASN fee (LACNIC ASN fees)
• US$500 for Nano and Micro ISPs requesting their first ASN

AFRINIC:

• US$400 one-time assignment fee for an ASN-only End User
• First invoice US$550 (assignment plus three years of the US$50 yearly fee)

Annual Maintenance Costs

RIPE NCC:

• LIR: €1,800 per year in 2026 (ripe-848); €1,894 per LIR account with the first ASN included, €50 per additional ASN, from 2027 (ripe-867, adopted at the May 2026 General Meeting)
• Plus €50 per ASN assignment per year in 2026 (a fee that dates from the 2025 scheme, ripe-828)
• Through a sponsoring LIR: €130 per year with us, RIPE NCC fee included

ARIN:

• One Registration Services Plan fee per organization, set by your largest resource category: 1 to 3 ASNs alone is 3X-Small, $275 per year on the 2026 fee schedule, $288.75 from 2027
• Holding IPv4 or IPv6 space can move you to a higher category

APNIC:

• First two ASNs: Free
• Additional ASNs: AUD 100 per year each
• Plus annual membership fees based on resource holdings

LACNIC:

• No annual fee for the ASN itself
• Membership fees depend on your IPv4 and IPv6 holdings

AFRINIC:

• US$50 per year for an ASN-only End User

Hidden Costs to Consider

Beyond RIR fees, budget for:

1. Transit: BGP sessions with at least two providers that accept your announcements; the price depends on whether you buy dedicated transit or a server that comes with a BGP session
2. Hardware or software: a router, or a BGP daemon such as BIRD, FRRouting or OpenBGPD, able to hold the routes you take
3. Staff Training: BGP and routing protocol expertise
4. Monitoring Tools: BGP monitoring and alerting systems
5. Peering Facility Costs: If establishing peering relationships (colocation, cross-connects)

Common ASN Registration Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Upstream Provider Verification Fails

Symptoms: RIR cannot verify your upstream provider information or providers don't respond to verification requests.

Cause: Incorrect contact information, provider NOC not aware of your request, or provider doesn't support BGP for your service tier.

Solution:

• Coordinate with your upstream providers BEFORE submitting ASN request
• Tell your providers they may receive verification emails from the RIR
• Provide accurate NOC email addresses (not sales contacts)
• Confirm your service agreement includes BGP support
• Consider upgrading service tier if current plan doesn't support BGP

Issue 2: Insufficient IP Address Justification

Symptoms: RIR asks which prefixes you will announce, or your application lists none.

Cause: The application does not name any IP space to originate from the new ASN.

Solution:

• Request IP space and ASN together; a single IPv6 /48 is enough to support the announcement plan
• Document existing Provider Aggregatable (PA) space if your provider supports BGP announcements of it
• Sponsored applicants can take a /48 sub-assignment from the sponsoring LIR at the same time as the ASN

Issue 3: Weak Technical Justification

Symptoms: RIR rejects application or requests additional technical details about routing policy.

Cause: Vague or insufficient explanation of why you need an ASN.

Solution:

• Provide specific technical details about multi-homing configuration
• Document unique routing requirements that require an ASN
• Include concrete examples of routing policies you'll implement
• Reference specific BGP features you'll use (communities, AS-PATH prepending, etc.)
• Avoid generic statements; be specific about your network architecture

Issue 4: Single-homing Without Unique Policy

Symptoms: Application rejected because you only have one upstream provider.

Cause: Most RIRs require multi-homing or demonstration of unique routing policy.

Solution:

• Establish a second upstream provider relationship before applying
• Document a genuinely unique routing policy if single-homed
• Consider if you actually need an ASN (many single-homed networks don't)
• Use provider-assigned resources if only single-homed

Issue 5: Organizational Documentation Issues

Symptoms: RIR cannot verify your organization's legal status or contact information.

Cause: Incomplete registration, outdated contact information, or inability to verify business entity.

Solution:

• Check that all POC records are complete and current
• Update organization details in RIR database before requesting ASN
• Provide business registration documents if requested
• Verify email addresses work and are monitored regularly

Best Practices for ASN Management

Maintain Accurate Registry Data

• Update contact information immediately when changes occur
• Respond to RIR validation requests promptly
• Keep the abuse-c mailbox read; the RIPE NCC validates abuse contacts (ripe-705)
• Document changes to routing policy in registry databases

The RIPE NCC also contacts holders of ASNs that are not announced. An ASN not put into use within three months of that contact is returned, and no reply within one month starts a three-month deregistration (AS Number clean-up).

BGP Security Basics

1. RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure)
   • Create a ROA for every prefix you originate (how to create RPKI ROAs in the RIPE Database); on 1 August 2026, 68.6% of IPv4 and 77.3% of IPv6 prefix-origin pairs were RPKI-valid (NIST RPKI Monitor)
   • Drop RPKI-invalid routes on your sessions (route origin validation)
   • Publish an ASPA object listing your upstream providers; the RIPE NCC's hosted RPKI dashboard has offered ASPA since December 2025 while the IETF specifications are still drafts (ASPA explained)
   • ROAs stop another network from originating your prefixes; they do not validate the AS path
2. IRR (Internet Routing Registry) Objects
   • Create and maintain route objects
   • Register aut-num objects with routing policy
   • Keep routing policy documentation current
3. BGP Filtering
   • Implement strict prefix filtering on customer and peer sessions
   • Use BGP communities for traffic engineering
   • Filter private ASNs, bogon prefixes, and invalid routes
4. Monitoring and Alerting
   • Monitor BGP session status continuously
   • Set up alerts for route flapping or session failures
   • Use BGP looking glass services to verify global visibility
   • Monitor route propagation across multiple vantage points

Plan for Growth

• Design scalable routing architecture from the start
• Document your network topology and routing policies
• Consider future peering relationships when designing AS policies
• Reserve budget for additional transit or peering as network grows

Establish Peering Relationships

Once you have an ASN and established routing:

1. Identify potential peering partners at Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
2. Join IXPs in strategic locations
3. Register with PeeringDB to facilitate peering coordination
4. Develop a peering policy (open, selective, or restrictive)
5. Document technical requirements for peering partners

Using Via-Registry Services for ASN Registration

We are a RIPE NCC member LIR (Virtua Systems SAS, France) and sponsor ASNs in the RIPE region only. For €130 per year we check your file, submit the request to the RIPE NCC and maintain the records as your sponsoring LIR. Once the ASN is assigned, the dashboard lets you manage route objects, RPKI ROAs and LOAs, publish the ASPA of your ASN, create the as-set your provider asks for, and edit your as-name, abuse contact and contact e-mail. New orders can prepay the second year at the order step: €234 for two years, with year 2 at 20% off and the RIPE NCC fee still at cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I register an ASN as an individual?

Yes. In the RIPE region a natural person can hold a globally unique ASN through a sponsoring LIR. You do not need a company or a RIPE NCC membership; you verify your identity online with a passport or ID card, describe your multihoming plan, and the sponsoring LIR handles the submission. With us it costs €130 for the first year (€80 administration fee plus the €50 RIPE NCC fee) and €130 per year after that. Your name and postal address appear in the RIPE Database, as for any holder; there is no WHOIS privacy, and we never publish phone numbers. The private ASN guide linked above walks through the individual path.

How long does ASN registration take?

On our sponsored path, your ASN is typically live in 1 to 2 business days once your file is complete, RIPE NCC processing included. The RIPE NCC publishes no official turnaround, so a request that needs more documents or a clarification takes longer. RIPE NCC staff work Monday to Friday outside Dutch public holidays. A request stops moving whenever the registry asks a question, so a file that names both peers and the prefix up front goes through fastest.

Can I transfer my ASN to another organization?

In the RIPE region, yes. The transfer policy (ripe-807) covers ASNs. Only 16-bit ASNs carry the 24-month holding period after a transfer, 32-bit ASNs have none, and the RIPE NCC charges nothing for a transfer. Between registries, ASNs move between the RIPE NCC and ARIN or APNIC; LACNIC accepts IPv4 only, and AFRINIC has no inter-RIR policy in force. Keeping your ASN and only moving it to another sponsor is a different procedure (ripe-815), filed by the new sponsoring LIR: see how to change your sponsoring LIR.

Do I need my own IP addresses to get an ASN?

Not always, but usually:

• RIPE NCC: You need at least one prefix to announce (an IPv6 /48 is enough), but you can obtain it together with the ASN rather than beforehand
• ARIN: Doesn't explicitly require IP addresses but ASN isn't useful without them
• APNIC: Requires IP addresses you intend to announce
• LACNIC: Requires documentation of IP addresses for announcement
• AFRINIC: Typically requires IP allocation

Practical reality: an ASN is useless without a prefix to announce. In the RIPE region the RIPE NCC no longer assigns new provider-independent IPv4 space to End Users (ripe-826, IXPs excepted), so most new ASNs start with IPv6. Our order form offers three choices: no block, a leased PA /48 from our allocation (€40 per year, returned to the pool if you end the lease), or your own IPv6 PI /48 assigned to you by the RIPE NCC (€435 the first year, then €135 per year), which we file before the ASN request.

Can I use a private ASN instead?

Private ASNs (64512 to 65534 and 4200000000 to 4294967294) are suitable for:

• Testing and lab environments
• BGP configurations that don't reach the Internet
• Internal MPLS or VPN routing

Private ASNs should NEVER be used for:

• Internet routing (will be filtered by most ISPs)
• Multi-homing to the Internet
• Any configuration where your ASN appears in public routing tables

If you need to route on the public Internet, you need a public ASN assigned by an RIR.

What happens if my ASN registration is rejected?

If your ASN application is rejected:

1. Review the rejection reason carefully
2. Address the specific deficiencies identified by the RIR
3. Gather additional documentation if needed
4. Resubmit the application once issues are resolved

Common rejection reasons include:

• Insufficient technical justification
• Cannot verify upstream providers
• Missing organizational documentation
• Not meeting minimum requirements for multi-homing

The rejection names what is missing; answer that point and resubmit.

Can I register an ASN in multiple RIRs?

No. ASNs are globally unique and assigned by only one RIR. However:

• Your network may operate in multiple regions while using a single ASN
• Inter-RIR transfers may be possible if your organization relocates
• Some organizations hold multiple ASNs from different RIRs for separate business units

If you operate a global network, you typically register your ASN with the RIR in your headquarters region and use that ASN worldwide. Your ASN works globally regardless of which RIR assigned it.

Summary

In the RIPE region, an ASN takes a multihoming plan, an identity or company document and a list of the prefixes you will announce. Through a sponsoring LIR it costs €130 per year and needs no RIPE NCC membership. Direct membership makes sense once you need allocations of your own: €1,000 to join and €1,800 per year in 2026, €1,894 with one ASN included from 2027 (ripe-867).