ASN Registration Requirements by RIR (2026): Complete Comparison Guide

What do you need to register an ASN? It depends on the registry. The RIPE NCC requires a multihomed network (ripe-679). ARIN issues a first ASN to any organization on request (NRPM 5), with no routing test. APNIC accepts a multihomed network or a need to interconnect with other ASes, LACNIC a need to interconnect now or within six months, and AFRINIC interconnection with more than one AS or a unique routing policy. Every registry also wants an identifiable holder with address space to announce; in the RIPE region the holder can be an individual applying through a sponsoring LIR.

RIPE NCC, ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC and AFRINIC are covered one by one below, then side by side. Registering as an individual with no company? In the RIPE region a natural person can hold an ASN through a sponsoring LIR; our private ASN guide covers that path.

Overview of Regional Internet Registries

The five RIRs manage IP address space and ASN allocation for different geographic regions:

Founding years from the NRO. For the full policy and fee comparison beyond ASNs, see RIR policies compared.

Each RIR sets its own eligibility rule. ARIN requires an entity legally formed in its region, and LACNIC one legally established in its region. The RIPE NCC says that "organisations providing services outside the RIPE NCC service region are advised to contact the RIR responsible for their country" (service region).

RIPE NCC ASN Requirements

RIPE NCC serves Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia with a community-driven policy development process.

Eligibility Criteria

To obtain an ASN from RIPE NCC, organizations must:

Organizational Requirements:

• Be a RIPE NCC member (LIR) OR work through a sponsoring LIR
• Be an identifiable legal entity or individual; natural persons qualify through a sponsoring LIR with an identity document instead of company paperwork. The legal seat can be outside the RIPE region as long as the network runs inside it: we ask out-of-region applicants for an in-region colocation, transit or BGP contract or invoice in the applicant's name
• Maintain up-to-date contact information in the RIPE Database
• Direct members sign the Standard Service Agreement (ripe-812); sponsored End Users sign a contract with their sponsoring LIR that meets ripe-637

Technical Requirements:

• Be multihomed: "A network must be multihomed in order to qualify for an AS Number" (ripe-679). The request form asks for at least two peering partners
• Have at least one prefix to announce (an IPv6 /48 is enough, and it can be obtained together with the ASN)
• Provide a routing policy, which ripe-679 says should be defined in RPSL
• Provide the ASN and contact e-mail of each peer

Policy status (September 2026)

The rule in force is ripe-679 (14 March 2017): "A network must be multihomed in order to qualify for an AS Number." Proposal 2025-01, which would have relaxed it, was withdrawn on 6 July 2026. Its successor, proposal 2026-01 "Simplify assignment of first ASN", would drop the justification for the first ASN of a holder of IP space issued directly by the RIPE NCC; additional ASNs would keep the multihoming test. Its Discussion Phase ended on 5 August 2026 and the authors are drafting a new version, so it is not policy. Confirm the state on the RIPE AS Numbers page before applying.

Documentation Requirements

Required documentation for RIPE ASN requests:

1. Peers: ASN and contact e-mail of at least two peering partners, plus contracts or invoices from your providers.
2. Address space: the prefix you will announce; an IPv6 /48 is enough and can be ordered together with the ASN.
3. Routing policy: in RPSL.
4. Holder identity: a government ID for individuals, a recent registration document for organizations. The RIPE NCC checks signing parties against EU and Dutch sanctions lists (ripe-863).
5. Contacts: technical and administrative contacts and a mandatory abuse contact (ripe-705).

How to write the multihoming part is covered in how to prepare your ASN justification.

Processing Time and Fees

Processing time: through our sponsorship, 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 for ASN requests, so a request that needs more documents or a clarification takes longer. RIPE NCC staff work Monday to Friday, not on Dutch public holidays.

Fees:

• LIR sign-up fee: €1,000 per new LIR account
• LIR annual contribution: €1,800 per LIR account under the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026 (ripe-848)
• Per-ASN fee: €50 per ASN assignment per year (introduced by the 2025 scheme, unchanged in ripe-848)
• 2027: €1,894 per LIR account with the first ASN included, €50 per additional ASN (ripe-867, adopted May 2026). For a sponsored ASN the RIPE NCC fee stays €50 per year when the LIR already holds an ASN.
• Through a sponsoring LIR: €130 per year with us (as of September 2026), our €80 fee plus the €50 RIPE NCC fee at cost. Other sponsoring LIRs' prices are compared in our ASN sponsorship price comparison; check whether a quote includes the €50 RIPE NCC fee.

Special Considerations

Sponsoring LIR option: organizations and individuals that do not want to become members can hold their ASN through a sponsoring LIR, at €130 per year with us instead of €1,000 to join and €1,850 per year as a member with one ASN in 2026. Already hold a RIPE ASN and your LIR is closing or dropping you? Change your sponsoring LIR keeps the number.

Peer details: the request lists each peer's ASN and contact e-mail, so tell your providers the request is coming.

IPv6-only requests: an IPv6 /48 (PI, or PA from your sponsoring LIR) is enough prefix for a RIPE ASN request.

ARIN ASN Requirements

ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers) serves the United States, Canada and parts of the Caribbean; it issues a first ASN on request.

Eligibility Criteria

Organizational Requirements:

• Be a business, nonprofit corporation or government entity legally formed in the ARIN region; individuals qualify if they meet the legal requirements of the jurisdiction where they conduct business (request guide)
• Operate within the ARIN service region
• Have an ARIN Online account
• Have valid Point of Contact (POC) records
• Have a valid Organization Identifier (Org ID)

Technical Requirements:

None for the first ASN. NRPM 5: "Any organization may be issued a single Autonomous System Number (ASN) upon request." Additional ASNs need proof of a unique routing policy or other technical justification; organizations under the Multiple Discrete Networks policy may get one ASN per discrete network (NRPM, version 2025.1).

Documentation Requirements

An ARIN Online account linked to an Admin or Tech POC with authority over a valid Org ID is the only prerequisite for a first ASN. For additional ASNs, a written justification of the unique routing policy or the technical need. No transit contracts, invoices or network diagrams are requested for a first ASN.

Processing Time and Fees

Fees:

• Annual fee: $275 per year for an organization with one to three ASNs (3X-Small category of the 2026 ARIN Fee Schedule), $288.75 from 2027 (+5%, announced 12 May 2026)
• The Registration Services Plan fee covers ASNs, IPv4 and IPv6 together, billed on the largest of the three categories
• No ASN issuance fee since 1 January 2024 (the $550 fee was removed); a new Org ID pays a one-time $50 Organization Create fee before evaluation
• No membership requirement

Special Considerations

No sponsoring LIR system: Unlike RIPE, ARIN doesn't have a formal sponsoring LIR program. Organizations must interact directly with ARIN.

Registration Services Agreement (RSA): New organizations may need to sign an RSA, which is a straightforward online process.

No justification for a first ASN: this suits anycast or single-homed designs that other registries would turn down.

APNIC ASN Requirements

APNIC (Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre) serves the Asia-Pacific region.

Eligibility Criteria

APNIC evaluates ASN requests against RFC 1930 (APNIC-127 section 10.1):

Organizational Requirements:

• Be an APNIC member, non-member, or NIR member
• Have a valid legal entity in the APNIC service region
• Maintain current contact information in APNIC databases

Technical Requirements:

• Network is currently multihomed, or has the need to interconnect with other ASes
• Or will meet that criterion on receiving the ASN or shortly after

Application channels:

• Direct application to APNIC (members and non-members)
• Through National Internet Registry (NIR) in countries like Japan, China, South Korea
• Through your upstream: an APNIC account holder can request an ASN for a customer (APNIC-127 section 10.4), but the customer returns the ASN if it stops taking connectivity from that holder

Documentation Requirements

APNIC asks for a routing policy and an interconnection plan:

Required documentation:

1. Routing Policy Specification
   • Detailed description of routing strategy
   • Traffic engineering approach
   • Peering policy overview
2. Interconnection Information
   • ASNs with which you will interconnect
   • Nature of interconnection relationships (transit, peering, etc.)
   • Expected timeline for establishing connections
3. IP Address Documentation
   • IP addresses that will be announced through the requested ASN
   • Prefix assignment documentation
   • Route announcement plans
4. Technical Justification
   • Explanation following RFC 1930 guidelines
   • Demonstration of multi-homing or interconnection need
   • Technical capability assessment
5. Organizational Documentation
   • Business registration documents
   • Contact information for administrative and technical staff
   • Organization address and legal details

Processing Time and Fees

Fees (2026):

• First two ASNs: no ASN fee. Since 1 January 2025 the third and later ASNs cost AUD 500 once plus AUD 100 per year each
• Membership: AUD 500 sign-up, then an annual fee computed from address holdings (AUD 500 for an Associate member without chargeable resources; base fee AUD 1,295 in 2026, AUD 1,356 in 2027)
• Source: APNIC Member Fee Schedule

Special Considerations

National Internet Registries (NIRs): seven economies have an NIR that handles local requests: APJII (Indonesia), CNNIC (China), IRINN (India), JPNIC (Japan), KISA (South Korea), TWNIC (Taiwan) and VNNIC (Vietnam) (APNIC NIR page). Organizations in those economies usually apply through their NIR.

Resource-based fee structure: APNIC's fees scale with the amount of resources held, which can become expensive for organizations with large resource holdings.

LACNIC ASN Requirements

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

Eligibility Criteria

LACNIC's ASN rule is section 3 of its Policy Manual (v2.21):

Organizational Requirements:

• Be legally established in the LACNIC region and sign the Registration Services Agreement before assignment
• Maintain current contact information

Technical Requirements:

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

LACNIC may revoke an ASN that is still unused six months after assignment.

Documentation Requirements

Required documentation:

1. Interconnection Details
   • ASNs with which the organization will interconnect
   • Nature of relationships (transit providers, peers, etc.)
   • Timeline for establishing connections (if not yet active)
2. Routing Policy
   • Detailed routing policy description
   • Traffic engineering requirements
   • Route filtering approach
3. IP Address Information
   • IP addresses to be announced through the requested ASN
   • Prefix assignment documentation
   • Route announcement strategy
4. Technical Justification
   • Demonstration of need for globally unique ASN
   • Explanation of routing requirements
   • Technical capability assessment
5. Organizational Documentation
   • Business registration certificate
   • Legal representative information
   • Administrative and technical contacts

Processing Time and Fees

Fees:

• ASN initial assignment: US$1,000, no annual fee for the ASN itself (LACNIC ASN fees, 2026)
• US$500 for a Nano or Micro ISP's first ASN; the 50% first-ASN discount for IPv6 Small ISPs runs to the end of 2026
• The fee is paid and the Registration Services Agreement signed before the ASN is assigned

Special Considerations

Six-month planning window: LACNIC's policy allowing ASN requests for planned interconnections within six months is more flexible than some RIRs that require immediate multi-homing.

Interconnection, not multihoming: LACNIC asks for a need to interconnect with other independent ASes and a routing policy naming the peer ASNs and prefixes; the word multihoming does not appear.

Transfer restrictions: LACNIC policies prohibit non-authorized sale or transfer of ASNs but allow transfers resulting from mergers, acquisitions, business reorganization, or relocation.

AFRINIC ASN Requirements

AFRINIC (African Network Information Centre) serves Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

Eligibility Criteria

AFRINIC's ASN rule is section 7.2 of its Consolidated Policy Manual:

Organizational Requirements:

• Be an AFRINIC resource member
• Have legal entity registration in African region
• Maintain current contact information in AFRINIC database

Technical Requirements (must meet one):

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

Six-month window: an applicant may qualify if it will meet the criterion within six months of receiving the ASN. Multihoming has not been required since 29 May 2020 (policy AFPUB-2019-ASN-001).

Documentation Requirements

Required documentation:

1. Technical Justification
   • Description of interconnection needs
   • Unique routing policy explanation (if applicable)
   • Multi-homing configuration details
2. Network Infrastructure
   • Network topology overview
   • Geographic scope
   • Services provided
3. Routing Information
   • Peering relationships (existing or planned)
   • ASNs of interconnection partners
   • Routing policy documentation
4. IP Address Resources
   • Current IP address holdings
   • Plans for prefix announcements
   • Assignment documentation
5. Organizational Documentation
   • Business registration certificate
   • Contact information
   • Legal representative details

Processing Time and Fees

Fees:

• ASN-only End User: US$400 assignment fee plus US$50 per year; the first invoice (US$550) covers the assignment and three years (AFRINIC fees, schedule "as of 2008 unless otherwise amended")

Special Considerations

Transfers: a transfer policy covering IPv4 and ASNs was ratified in 2026 but is not yet in the Consolidated Policy Manual, and ARIN and the RIPE NCC still refuse inter-RIR transfers with AFRINIC.

Governance: AFRINIC elected a new board in September 2025, but a court-appointed receiver was still in place in August 2026 and litigation is ongoing. A new CEO starts on 1 January 2027.

Comparative Analysis of Requirements

Multi-homing Requirements

ARIN sets the lowest bar: a first ASN is issued on request.

Documentation Burden

ARIN asks for no justification on a first ASN; the other four want a routing policy and the ASNs you will interconnect with.

Cost Comparison

Lowest entry cost for one ASN: ARIN ($275 per year plus $50 once) and AFRINIC (US$400 plus US$50 per year). LACNIC charges US$1,000 once and nothing yearly for the ASN. Direct RIPE NCC membership is the most expensive route (€1,800 per year plus €50 per ASN under ripe-848; the per-ASN fee dates from the 2025 scheme); a sponsoring LIR brings a RIPE-region ASN to €130 per year.

For detailed cost analysis, see our ASN Registration Cost Breakdown (2026).

Common Requirements Across All RIRs

What the five share:

Universal Technical Requirements

1. An identifiable holder: the ASN is registered to a named organization or, in the RIPE region, a person.
2. Address space to announce: your own assignment or space from your provider; an ASN with nothing behind it is returned (the RIPE NCC contacts holders of unannounced ASNs and returns the number if it is not used within three months, AS number clean-up; LACNIC may revoke an ASN unused after six months).
3. A routing plan for the first ASN everywhere except ARIN: multihoming at the RIPE NCC, interconnection at APNIC, LACNIC and AFRINIC.

Universal Organizational Requirements

1. Identifiable applicant: A registered business, organization, or government entity; the RIPE region also accepts individuals through a sponsoring LIR, and ARIN accepts individuals who meet the legal requirements of their jurisdiction
2. Geographic eligibility: you apply to the RIR whose rule you meet; for a RIPE-region sponsorship that means a network with a presence in the region, wherever the company is registered
3. Contact information: Current, accurate contact details required
4. Ongoing maintenance: Annual fees or membership renewals necessary

Universal Policy Principles

1. Registration, not property: an ASN is assigned on need and stays with you while the contract and the policies are respected.
2. Transfers: ASNs can be transferred within RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC and between those three; LACNIC ASNs move only through mergers and acquisitions, and nothing crosses to or from AFRINIC.
3. Revocation: every RIR can deregister an ASN for policy violations or non-payment.

Choosing the Right Approach

When to Apply Directly to Your RIR

Consider direct RIR membership if:

• You need multiple ASNs or large IP allocations
• You need IPv4 or IPv6 allocations of your own (RIPE NCC membership: €1,000 sign-up and €1,800 per year in 2026; IPv4 only through the waiting list, one /24 per LIR ever)
• You have administrative capacity to manage RIR relationships
• Your organization plans significant network growth
• You need to request resources frequently

When to Use a Sponsoring LIR

Consider sponsoring LIR if:

• You need one ASN and at most a PI or leased /48
• You want to minimize administrative burden
• Cost reduction is important
• You don't have RIR expertise in-house

We sponsor ASNs in the RIPE region: the number is registered to you, we handle the RIPE NCC side.

Preparing for Application Success

General Preparation Steps

Regardless of which RIR you're working with:

1. Verify geographic eligibility - Confirm your organization is in the correct RIR region
2. Assess technical readiness - Check that your routers and peers are ready for BGP
3. Secure upstream agreements - Establish relationships with ISPs before applying
4. Document your network - Prepare routing policy and technical documentation
5. Gather organizational documents - Compile business registration and contact information (individuals: a valid passport or ID card)
6. Plan IP addressing - Obtain necessary IP allocations before or concurrent with ASN request
7. Budget appropriately - Account for both initial and ongoing costs
8. Check your future peers - Look up their prefixes and neighbors with the ASN lookup tool

RIR-Specific Preparation

For RIPE:

• Decide between LIR membership and sponsoring LIR
• Tell your upstream providers that the request lists their contact e-mail
• Prepare the multihoming justification: two peers with ASNs and contact e-mails
• Line up the prefix you will announce (a /48 can be requested together with the ASN)

For ARIN:

• Create ARIN Online account
• Establish Org ID and POC records
• For a first ASN no justification; for more, describe the unique routing policy

For APNIC:

• Determine if you should apply through NIR (if applicable)
• Prepare the routing policy documentation
• Document interconnection plans thoroughly
• Budget for initial setup fees

For LACNIC:

• Sign the Registration Services Agreement
• Prepare six-month interconnection timeline (if not yet implemented)
• Document your routing policy and the peer ASNs
• Gather complete organizational documentation

For AFRINIC:

• Become an AFRINIC resource member
• Document interconnection with more than one AS, or the unique routing policy or technical need (CPM 7.2)

Using Via-Registry Services

We are a RIPE NCC member LIR and sponsor ASNs for organizations and individuals in the RIPE region. An ASN costs €130 per year (as of September 2026): our €80 fee plus the €50 RIPE NCC fee, passed through at cost. The fee covers reviewing your file, filing with the RIPE NCC and maintaining the registration; route objects, ROAs and LOAs are managed from your dashboard. You can prepay the second year at order for €234 in total, 20% off year 2.

Details and the order form are on the ASN registration page. We do not file requests with ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC or AFRINIC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a company to register an ASN?

In the RIPE region, no: a natural person can hold an ASN through a sponsoring LIR, verifying their identity with a passport or ID card instead of company paperwork. ARIN accepts individuals who meet the legal requirements of the jurisdiction where they do business in its region; APNIC, LACNIC and AFRINIC expect an organization registered in their region. Our private ASN guide walks through the individual path.

Can I choose which RIR to apply to?

Not freely. ARIN and LACNIC require a legal presence in their region, and the RIPE NCC sends organizations that provide services outside its region to their own RIR. A company with networks in more than one region can qualify in more than one.

What if my organization operates in multiple RIR regions?

Apply where you have the legal presence and the network the registry asks for. The ASN works worldwide whichever RIR issued it.

Which RIR has the easiest ASN requirements?

ARIN: a first ASN is issued on request with no multihoming or routing-policy test (NRPM 5). You still need an organization legally formed in its region, or to be an individual meeting that jurisdiction's legal requirements.

Do all RIRs accept IPv6-only ASN requests?

In the RIPE region, yes: an IPv6 /48 is enough prefix for an ASN request, and you can order one with the ASN. ARIN needs no prefix justification for a first ASN.

Can I transfer my ASN to a different RIR if I relocate?

Only between three registries. RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC exchange ASNs in both directions; LACNIC accepts only IPv4 across RIRs, and no resource can move to or from AFRINIC. The steps are in our inter-RIR transfer process guide.

How often do RIR policies change?

There is no fixed cadence. Recent ASN examples: AFRINIC dropped multihoming in May 2020, APNIC began charging from the third ASN in January 2025, and the RIPE NCC's proposal 2026-01 is being redrafted after its August 2026 discussion phase. Check the registry's policy page on the day you apply.

Summary

ARIN is the only registry that issues a first ASN without a routing justification; the RIPE NCC still requires multihoming under ripe-679, and APNIC, LACNIC and AFRINIC ask for an interconnection plan. Yearly cost for one ASN runs from no yearly fee for the ASN itself at LACNIC (after the US$1,000 assignment fee) to €1,850 for a RIPE NCC member with one ASN in 2026. In the RIPE region a sponsoring LIR brings that to €130 per year and accepts individuals. The RIPE NCC registered 2,734 new ASNs in the twelve months to 24 September 2026, all of them 32-bit; the numbers are in our State of RIPE ASNs 2026 report.

Next Steps

• How to Register an ASN in 2026: Step-by-Step Process and Requirements
• ASN Registration Cost Breakdown (2026): Complete Fee Analysis Across All RIRs
• ASN Use Cases and Real-World Examples: When You Need an Autonomous System Number
• What is an ASN (Autonomous System Number)? Understanding BGP Routing