Inter-RIR Transfer Eligibility by Region (2026)

Who is eligible for an inter-RIR transfer? The source must be the registered holder of the resource, free of any dispute over it, and past its RIR's transfer restriction: at the RIPE NCC, IPv4 and 16-bit ASNs cannot move for 24 months after receipt (ripe-807), and ARIN refuses a source that received IPv4 from ARIN in the previous 12 months. The recipient must pass the destination RIR's test: a plan to use 50% of the space within five years at the RIPE NCC, or within 24 months at ARIN for anything larger than a /24. Only the RIPE NCC, ARIN, APNIC and LACNIC exchange resources, LACNIC for IPv4 only, and AFRINIC takes part in none (September 2026).

Which RIRs allow inter-RIR transfers?

Four registries exchange resources under reciprocal policies. What can move depends on the pair (sources: the RIPE NCC inter-RIR page, ARIN's transfers page, APNIC-127 and LACNIC's Policy Manual, all read in September 2026):

ARIN excludes IPv6 from inter-RIR transfers, and APNIC recognizes IPv6 transfers only as the result of a merger or acquisition (APNIC-127 section 13). LACNIC moves ASNs only through mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations (Policy Manual section 3.3), so across regions it is IPv4 only. Legacy IPv4 and legacy ASNs are included on the RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC pairs, legacy IPv4 on the LACNIC pairs.

For the steps themselves, see How Inter-RIR Transfers Work. For the wider policy differences between registries, see the RIR Policies Comparison Guide.

RIPE NCC Eligibility Requirements

The RIPE Network Coordination Centre serves Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia. The policy is section 3 of the RIPE transfer policy, ripe-807; the RIPE NCC's procedure is ripe-769, and the step-by-step requirements are on the RIPE NCC Inter-RIR Transfers page. Transfers are free of charge at the RIPE NCC.

Eligibility as Source (Transferring Out)

Basic requirements:

• Must be a RIPE NCC member (LIR), a non-member holding the resource through a sponsoring LIR, or a legacy resource holder without a contract with the RIPE NCC
• Must be the registered holder of the resources, with no dispute over them
• All RIPE NCC invoices paid: the annual contribution for every LIR account must be settled before a transfer (RIPE NCC Billing Procedure 2026)
• Passes RIPE NCC due diligence (ripe-863): registration papers for a legal person or an identity check for a natural person, and screening of every signing party against EU and Dutch sanctions lists

Hold period requirements:

• IPv4 (allocations, PI and space received by transfer) and 16-bit ASNs: 24 months from the date the holder received them, including receipt through a merger or acquisition (ripe-807 section 2.2.1)
• 32-bit ASNs and IPv6: no transfer restriction
• Locked resources: a resource under a Voluntary Transfer Lock (ripe-806) cannot be transferred until the lock ends. Locks run 6, 12 or 24 months and cannot be cancelled once applied

Resource eligibility:

• Minimum transfer size: /24 (256 IPv4 addresses)
• Resources are excluded when RIPE policies mandate their return to the RIPE NCC or when the 24-month restriction or a transfer lock applies (ripe-807 section 3.1)
• Legacy resources can leave the region without a contract with the RIPE NCC; the holder signs the legacy confirmation letter instead of the standard one

Procedure:

• The outbound request is the RIPE NCC's template, sent to inter-rir@ripe.net; a natural person's identity is checked through iDenfy before the transfer is processed

Eligibility as Recipient (Receiving Resources)

Organizational requirements:

• At least one active network element in the RIPE NCC service region (the RIPE NCC sets no office, legal-entity or customer condition)
• A contractual relationship with the RIPE NCC before the request is evaluated: RIPE NCC membership for allocations, membership or a sponsoring LIR for ASNs and ASSIGNED PI; not needed for resources that keep LEGACY status
• Registration papers for a legal person, or an identity check through iDenfy for a natural person; sanctions screening of every signing party (ripe-863)
• A confirmation letter signed by a director authorized to act for the receiving party

Needs assessment (when the source RIR requires it):

• When the source RIR requires the receiving region to apply needs-based policies, as ARIN does, the recipient gives the RIPE NCC a plan for the use of at least 50% of the transferred resources within five years (ripe-807 section 3.2)
• No other justification is required; the active-element rule above still applies

Documentation required:

• Recent registration papers from the national authority, or an identity document for a natural person
• The confirmation letter signed by an authorized director
• The five-year 50% plan for transfers from ARIN

RIPE-Specific Policies

No needs assessment for some transfers: The 50% plan is only asked for when the source RIR requires the receiving region to apply needs-based policies, as ARIN does (ripe-807 section 3.2). The active-element requirement applies to every inbound transfer.

Legacy resources: Legacy resources can leave the RIPE region without a contract with the RIPE NCC. Inbound legacy IPv4 and ASNs can keep LEGACY status without a contract, but RPKI then needs one. With a contract (RIPE NCC or, for ASNs and IPv4 ASSIGNED PI, a sponsoring LIR) the status can be converted.

Post-transfer obligations:

• Keep the RIPE NCC membership or the sponsoring LIR contract in force; under ripe-637 a sponsored resource returns to the RIPE NCC by default if the annual fee goes unpaid or the holder becomes unreachable
• Keep the RIPE Database objects current; the receiving party creates its own route and domain objects after the transfer
• IPv4 received by transfer cannot be transferred again for 24 months from receipt (ripe-807 section 2.2.1). If you want to stay in the region and only change sponsor later, that is a sponsoring LIR change, not a transfer (see change your sponsoring LIR)

ARIN Eligibility Requirements

The American Registry for Internet Numbers serves North America (United States, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean). ARIN's inter-RIR rules are NRPM section 8.4, with the recipient conditions in 8.5; the practical checklist is on the ARIN Transfers page. The RIPE-to-ARIN direction is walked through in RIPE to ARIN Transfer Step-by-Step, the reverse in ARIN to RIPE Transfer Requirements.

Eligibility as Source (Transferring Out)

Basic requirements:

• Must be the current rights holder of the IPv4 addresses or ASN as recognized by ARIN
• Resources must not be involved in any dispute over their status
• Must be current with all ARIN fees

12-month rule on the source:

• ARIN refuses a source entity that received a transfer, allocation or assignment of IPv4 addresses from ARIN in the 12 months before the transfer request is approved, unless the source or the recipient owns or controls the other (NRPM 8.4)
• This is a rule on the organization, not a lock on the block: a block received five years ago cannot leave if the same organization took a /24 from ARIN last year

Post-transfer restrictions:

• 36-month waitlist restriction: After transferring resources out, the source entity cannot apply for IPv4 address space under ARIN's waitlist (Section 4.1.8) for 36 months

Officer attestation:

• Must provide signed and notarized Officer Acknowledgement Letter
• Officer must have legal authority to bind the organization
• Attestation confirms understanding of transfer terms and restrictions

Resource eligibility:

• Minimum transfer size: /24 (NRPM 8.5.3)
• Space from ARIN's reserved pools (NRPM 4.4 micro-allocations and 4.10 IPv6-transition space) cannot be transferred, and space received from the ARIN waitlist is locked for 60 months (NRPM 4.1.8)

Eligibility as Recipient (Receiving Resources)

Organizational requirements:

• Must be an active business entity legally formed within the ARIN service region, or an individual meeting the legal requirements of the jurisdiction where they do business (ARIN request guide)
• Must sign the ARIN Registration Services Agreement (NRPM 8.5.1)
• Must hold an ARIN Online account linked to a valid Org ID

Needs assessment:

• An organization without an IPv4 allocation from ARIN qualifies for an initial block of ARIN's minimum transfer size, a /24, with no projection (NRPM 8.5.4)
• A larger block needs documentation showing use of at least 50% of the requested block within 24 months (NRPM 8.5.5)
• An organization that already holds ARIN space must show efficient use of at least 50% of its cumulative IPv4 holdings (8.5.6), or 80% under the alternative criteria of 8.5.7, which allow up to a /16 equivalent per six months

Pre-approval option:

• ARIN can pre-approve a recipient before a source is found, on 24 months of projected need
• The approval stays valid for two years, and an 8.3 or 8.4 transfer filed inside that window is not re-verified (ARIN pre-approval)

Documentation required:

• Organizational documentation (articles of incorporation, etc.)
• Detailed network plan showing infrastructure
• Utilization justification with timeline
• Current IP address usage (if applicable)
• Signed RSA and officer attestation

ARIN-Specific Policies

Compatibility requirement: When ARIN is the source, it may ask the receiving RIR to certify that it validated the recipient against needs-based criteria compatible with ARIN's; NRPM 8.4 only allows transfers with RIRs that share "reciprocal, compatible needs-based policies".

Fee structure:

• On ARIN's 2026 fee schedule an ARIN source pays a $500 transfer request fee; an ARIN recipient pays a Recipient Transfer Processing fee of $187.50 for a /24 ($375 for a /22). Fees are non-refundable (ARIN fee schedule)
• The recipient then pays ARIN's Registration Services Plan yearly: $275 for a /24 or smaller in 2026 (3X-Small), $288.75 from 2027

APNIC Eligibility Requirements

The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre serves the Asia-Pacific region. APNIC's current rules are described on the APNIC inter-RIR transfer page. Eligible counterpart RIRs are RIPE NCC, ARIN and LACNIC. The policy text is APNIC-127, sections 11 to 13. APNIC charges 20% of the annual fee for the resources moved, paid by the APNIC source on an outbound inter-RIR transfer (APNIC fee schedule).

Eligibility as Source (Transferring Out)

Basic requirements:

• Must be current APNIC account holder (except for certain historical resources)
• Resources must be under APNIC's management
• Authentic holder must match source organization without disputes
• Must be current with APNIC obligations

Hold period requirements:

• Standard resources: No specific hold period for most resources
• 103/8 pool resources: 5-year minimum hold period from original delegation date
• Resources from 103/8 cannot be transferred for 5 years after allocation

Account requirements:

• Active APNIC account or membership
• Current contact information
• No outstanding fees or obligations
• Proper authorization for transfer

Historical resources: Historical resources not held under a current APNIC account can be transferred once the recipient shows it is the legitimate holder (APNIC-127 11.3.1).

Eligibility as Recipient (Receiving Resources)

Organizational requirements:

• Must be an APNIC account holder, directly or through a National Internet Registry
• Subject to all current APNIC policies from the time of transfer

Needs assessment:

• A recipient with no IPv4 must show a detailed plan for the use of the transferred space within 24 months (APNIC-127 11.1.3)
• A recipient that already holds IPv4 must show the same 24-month plan, its past usage rate and evidence of compliance with APNIC policies on earlier delegations
• An APNIC recipient of an ASN must meet APNIC's ASN assignment criteria: multihomed, or needing to interconnect with other ASes (APNIC-127 12.2.3)

Documentation required:

• Organization registration documents
• The 24-month plan and, for existing holders, usage data
• Authorization from the legal representatives

APNIC-Specific Policies

NIR involvement: In economies with National Internet Registries (NIRs) like Japan (JPNIC), China (CNNIC), Korea (KRNIC), etc., transfers may need to go through the NIR.

Minimum size:

• /24 for IPv4 transfers (consistent with other RIRs)

ASN transfers: APNIC will recognize inter-RIR ASN transfers only when the counterpart RIR has an inter-RIR ASN transfer policy. As of September 2026 that means the RIPE NCC and ARIN; LACNIC does not transfer ASNs across regions.

LACNIC Eligibility Requirements

The Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry serves Latin America and the Caribbean. LACNIC's inter-RIR policy (LAC-2019-01, Policy Manual section 2.3.2.18) has been in force since July 2020, announced operational on 17 August 2020. See LACNIC: Inter-regional IPv4 transfers and the LACNIC Policy Manual. LACNIC charges an administrative fee on inter-RIR transfers: US$1,000 for blocks from a /24 up to anything smaller than a /19, US$1,500 for a /19 and larger, with a non-refundable US$200 down payment by the receiving organization.

Eligibility as Source (Transferring Out)

Basic requirements:

• Must be current LACNIC member in good standing
• Resources must be registered under the source organization
• Must be current with all contractual obligations to LACNIC
• No outstanding disputes regarding the resources

Hold period requirements:

• 3-year hold period for LACNIC-allocated resources before they can be transferred
• Clock starts from original allocation date

Re-transfer restrictions:

• 1-year re-transfer bar: After receiving resources via transfer, cannot transfer them out for 1 year
• Applies to both intra-RIR and inter-RIR transfers
• The source cannot receive IPv4 from LACNIC for one year after transferring out

Member obligations:

• Must maintain active LACNIC membership
• Current with all membership fees
• Proper resource registration and maintenance
• Updated contact information

Eligibility as Recipient (Receiving Resources)

Organizational requirements:

• Must have operational presence in LACNIC service region
• Legal entity registered in Latin America or Caribbean
• Active LACNIC membership required
• Demonstrated business operations in region

Needs assessment:

• Must justify the space under LACNIC's current initial or additional allocation rules before receiving it (Policy Manual 2.3.2.18.2)
• Utilization plan and network documentation supporting that justification

Documentation required:

• Company registration from Latin American or Caribbean nation
• Network infrastructure documentation
• Needs justification with detailed technical plans
• Proof of LACNIC membership
• Authorization from legal representatives

LACNIC-Specific Policies

Legacy resources: When legacy IPv4 prefixes are transferred into the LACNIC region, they lose their legacy status and become subject to standard LACNIC policies and fees (Policy Manual 2.3.2.18.10).

Minimum transfer size:

• /24 for IPv4 addresses (consistent with other RIRs)

Policy compatibility: LACNIC exchanges IPv4 with the RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC. Its ASNs move only through mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations (Policy Manual section 3.3), and no transfers exist with AFRINIC.

AFRINIC Status

The African Network Information Centre serves the African continent but does not take part in inter-RIR transfers (September 2026).

Current Situation

No inter-RIR policy:

• AFRINIC does not have an inter-RIR transfer policy in effect
• No resources can be transferred to or from the AFRINIC region
• Only intra-RIR transfers within Africa are permitted

A ratified policy, not yet in force: AFRINIC's board ratified the AFRINIC Number Resources Transfer Policy (2020-GEN-006), covering IPv4 and ASNs and allowing inter-RIR transfers "provided that reciprocal transfer policies are in place" (AFRINIC communique of 18 February 2026). It is not in the Consolidated Policy Manual, which is still version 1.6 of November 2020. As of September 2026 ARIN lists AFRINIC as "Not Approved for Transfers" and the RIPE NCC says no resources of any kind can move to or from the region. AFRINIC's governance is not settled: the board elected in September 2025 works under a court-appointed receiver who was still in place in August 2026, and the CEO designate only starts on 1 January 2027.

Impact on global transfers: The four participating RIRs refuse transfers with AFRINIC until a reciprocal policy is in force; no start date has been announced.

Intra-RIR only: Organizations in Africa can transfer resources within the AFRINIC region per Section 5.7 of the Consolidated Policy Manual, but cannot participate in the global inter-RIR transfer market.

Comparative Eligibility Matrix

Durations for each registry's processing are on the inter-RIR transfer timeline page; this matrix covers only the rules.

Hold Periods

Needs Assessment Timeframes

Minimum Transfer Sizes

All participating RIRs use the same minimum:

• IPv4: /24 (256 addresses)
• ASN: one ASN per request, on the RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC pairs only

Post-Transfer Restrictions

Common Eligibility Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Insufficient Hold Period

Problem: Attempting to transfer resources before the required hold period has elapsed.

Solution:

• Verify exact allocation/transfer date from RIR records
• Calculate hold period from the correct starting date
• Wait until hold period requirement is met
• Check for a Voluntary Transfer Lock on RIPE NCC resources and for the ARIN 12-month source rule, which is on the organization, not the block

Issue 2: Inadequate Regional Presence

Problem: Cannot demonstrate sufficient operational presence in destination RIR region.

Solution:

• Deploy network equipment in the region: the RIPE NCC needs at least one active element there
• Register the legal entity in the region where the registry requires it (ARIN, LACNIC)

Issue 3: Weak Needs Justification

Problem: Destination RIR rejects needs assessment as insufficient.

Solution:

• Provide detailed, realistic utilization plans
• Include network diagrams and infrastructure documentation
• Reference specific use cases and customer requirements
• Show current utilization of existing resources if applicable
• Consider requesting smaller resource amounts

Issue 4: Documentation Problems

Problem: Required documents are missing, incomplete, or improperly formatted.

Solution:

• Use official RIR templates and checklists
• Use the exact same company name on every document
• Obtain proper authorization levels for signatures
• Get notarization where required (ARIN transfers)

Issue 5: Legacy Resource Complications

Problem: Legacy resources have different or additional requirements.

Solution:

• At the RIPE NCC, legacy space leaves without a contract and can arrive keeping LEGACY status; a contract is needed only for RPKI
• At LACNIC, legacy prefixes transferred in lose legacy status (Policy Manual 2.3.2.18.10)
• Have the legacy confirmation letter signed by an authorized director

The rejections we see most are catalogued in Common Inter-RIR Transfer Rejections.

Checking eligibility before you sign

1. Verify Eligibility Before Committing

Pre-transfer checklist:

• Confirm resources meet hold period requirements
• Verify you can demonstrate adequate regional presence
• Assess your ability to provide needs justification
• Confirm the resource type can move on that pair (no ASN with LACNIC, no IPv6 through ARIN, nothing with AFRINIC)
• Check for a Voluntary Transfer Lock and for unpaid registry invoices

2. Prepare the needs justification

What the registries read:

• The 24-month plan ARIN and APNIC read, or the five-year 50% plan the RIPE NCC reads for transfers from ARIN
• Current utilization of the space you already hold (ARIN 8.5.6, APNIC 11.1.3)
• Network diagram and deployment timeline behind the numbers

Via-Registry Eligibility Support

We handle transfers between RIRs on quote. Our service covers the policy compliance check at both registries before anything is signed, coordination with the two RIRs, preparation of the documents, and monitoring until the registries update. The routes we list are RIPE NCC and ARIN, APNIC and ARIN, and RIPE NCC and APNIC, with other routes on request.

If the resource lands in the RIPE region and you do not want RIPE NCC membership, we can be its sponsoring LIR. The RIPE NCC wants that contract in place before it evaluates the inbound request (legacy resources excepted), so the End User agreement is signed with us first and the sponsorship runs from the transfer. An ASN costs €130 per year (as of September 2026, €80 service fee plus the €50 RIPE NCC fee at cost). An inbound IPv4 block registered as ASSIGNED PI costs €135 per year (€60 plus the €75 RIPE NCC fee), setup fee on quote. Fees are non-refundable.

Frequently asked questions

Can IPv6 be transferred between RIRs? Not through ARIN: its inter-RIR transfers may not include IPv6 addresses. APNIC recognizes IPv6 transfers only after a merger or acquisition. The RIPE NCC's inter-RIR table lists IPv4 and ASNs. In practice IPv6 is obtained in the destination region, where a PI /48 costs €75 per year in RIPE NCC fees (ripe-848).

Can an ASN be transferred to or from LACNIC? No. LACNIC's Policy Manual (section 3.3) moves ASNs only through mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, and ARIN's table says LACNIC "accepts IPv4 addresses only". The RIPE NCC and ARIN, the RIPE NCC and APNIC, and ARIN and APNIC exchange ASNs.

Does the RIPE NCC charge for an inter-RIR transfer? No, transfers are free of charge at the RIPE NCC. The other side of the transfer may charge: ARIN $500 to the source plus a recipient processing fee ($187.50 for a /24 in 2026), APNIC 20% of the annual fee for the resources, LACNIC US$1,000 or US$1,500 depending on size.

Can a 32-bit ASN leave the RIPE region right after it was assigned? Yes. The 24-month restriction in ripe-807 covers scarce resources, IPv4 and 16-bit ASNs, so a 32-bit ASN has no waiting period at the RIPE NCC. The receiving RIR still applies its own conditions, such as APNIC's ASN assignment criteria.

Summary

Eligibility is decided at both ends: the source RIR checks the holder and its restriction, the destination RIR checks the recipient and its plan. The restrictions to check first are the RIPE NCC's 24 months on IPv4 and 16-bit ASNs, LACNIC's three years on space it allocated, APNIC's five years on 103/8 and ARIN's 12-month rule on the source organization. A pair that cannot exchange the resource type (an ASN with LACNIC, IPv6 through ARIN, anything with AFRINIC) ends the question before any paperwork. Once both ends clear, the filing steps are in the process guide linked near the top of this page, or send us the block and the two regions for a quote.