Transfer Timeline and Approval Process

An inter-RIR transfer has no single published duration. The RIPE NCC completes most transfers inside its own region within one or two business days, and says that transfers between RIRs take longer because both registries check their policies and synchronize their records. ARIN says the time to conclude an inter-RIR (NRPM 8.4) transfer can vary, and commits to one step only: the resources move within two business days once it holds the signed RSA and all fees. APNIC and LACNIC publish no processing time.

The weeks in a real transfer go to the checks around those steps: the source's waiting periods and fee status, the recipient's needs justification, identity and sanctions checks, and the agreements and fees that gate each registry. Most of them can be cleared before the request is filed.

Each registry's own transfer page is the reference: RIPE NCC inter-RIR transfers, ARIN transfers (NRPM 8.3 and 8.4), APNIC inter-RIR transfers and LACNIC inter-regional IPv4 transfers. The sequence of steps is in how inter-RIR transfers work, step by step; this page covers the time each step takes.

How long does an inter-RIR transfer take?

Transfers run between the RIPE NCC, ARIN, APNIC and LACNIC. IPv4 moves between all four; ASNs move only between the RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC, because LACNIC takes IPv4 only. ARIN does not transfer IPv6 to or from other registries. AFRINIC has no inter-RIR transfer in force, so no timeline applies there. The full matrix is in Inter-RIR Transfer Eligibility by Region (2026).

Two registries publish a clock, and each covers one step. Nothing below is a figure for the whole transfer.

No RIR publishes a processing time for the whole move. The paperwork on both sides decides it.

Detailed Timeline Breakdown by Phase

Six phases, in order. The registries publish a clock for two of the steps; everything else depends on the parties.

Phase 1: Pre-Transfer Preparation

Accounts and contracts:

• ARIN: an ARIN Online account linked to a Point of Contact with authority over the Org ID
• RIPE NCC: membership for an allocation, or a contract with a sponsoring LIR for ASSIGNED PI and ASNs; legacy resources need neither to be received
• APNIC: an APNIC account for the recipient
• LACNIC: LACNIC membership for the recipient

ARIN pre-approval (optional): it fixes the size ARIN will accept before you sign a purchase agreement.

Documentation:

• Company registration papers for legal persons; an ID document for natural persons (the RIPE NCC has it verified by iDenfy)
• A signed and notarized Officer Acknowledgement Letter from the ARIN source
• The needs justification the destination registry asks for (Phase 4 lists the four)
• The purchase or transfer agreement, reviewed before signing

Check the source's waiting periods before anything is signed. A period that has not expired cannot be shortened.

Phase 2: Source RIR Processing

Request submission:

• RIPE NCC: the transferring party sends the inter-RIR transfer template to inter-rir@ripe.net. The RIPE NCC then asks for the due-diligence documents and checks every signing party against EU and Dutch sanctions lists (ripe-863). The annual contribution for every LIR account must be paid before a transfer (Billing Procedure 2026)
• ARIN: the request is filed in ARIN Online. The non-refundable source transfer request fee ($500 on the 2026 fee schedule) is paid before evaluation begins, and outstanding annual fees are settled first
• APNIC: the source emails the transfer template to admin@apnic.net and receives a ticket reference. The APNIC source pays a transfer fee of 20% of the annual fee for the resources
• LACNIC: IPv4 only

What source RIRs verify:

• Registered holder status
• Waiting periods expired (table above)
• Annual fees paid
• Documentation completeness
• No disputes or liens
• Proper authorization

Phase 3: Inter-RIR Coordination

The request is checked against the policies of both regions, and the two registries synchronize their records so the resource is registered once, in the receiving registry. This is why the RIPE NCC says transfers between RIRs take longer than transfers inside its region.

What RIRs coordinate:

• Transfer details and documentation
• Policy compatibility confirmation
• Needs assessment requirements
• Timing for execution
• Database update procedures

Nothing here is in the applicant's hands. Complete documents on both sides are the only lever.

Phase 4: Destination RIR Processing

Needs assessment, by registry:

• ARIN: a recipient without allocations qualifies for an initial /24. A larger block needs documentation that 50% of it will be used within 24 months (NRPM 8.5), unless a valid pre-approval covers it. The recipient transfer processing fee ($187.50 for a /24 on the 2026 fee schedule) is paid upon approval, before the resources are registered
• RIPE NCC: a plan to use at least 50% of the space within five years (ripe-807 3.2), and at least one active network element in the RIPE NCC service region. The block is registered as ALLOCATED PA (RIPE NCC members only), ASSIGNED PI (members, or non-members through a sponsoring LIR) or keeps its LEGACY status
• APNIC: a detailed plan to use the space within 24 months
• LACNIC: justification under its current allocation rules, plus an administrative fee with a non-refundable down payment from the receiving organization (amounts on LACNIC's page)

What destination RIRs evaluate:

• Regional presence verification
• Needs justification adequacy
• Documentation completeness
• Policy compliance
• Organization legitimacy
• Technical capability

Phase 5: Final Approval and Execution

Bilateral approval: both registries confirm the request meets their policies and agree the moment of the registry update.

Administrative completion:

• ARIN: signed RSA (due within 90 days of approval) and all remaining fees; the resources are transferred within two business days of ARIN receiving both
• RIPE NCC: both parties are notified once the transfer has been registered
• APNIC and LACNIC: no published figure for this step

Transfer execution: database updates, WHOIS synchronization, routing database updates and confirmation notices.

Phase 6: Post-Transfer Actions

Routing updates:

• BGP configuration changes
• RPKI: ROAs from the old registry do not follow the block. In the RIPE region a contract with the RIPE NCC or a sponsoring LIR is needed before RPKI can be used; new ROAs are then created and checked with the RPKI checker
• Global propagation verification

Escrow release and administrative finalization: buyer verification, fund release and invoicing.

Not counted in transfer timeline but important for complete planning.

Approval Process Deep Dive

The stages below are the checks each registry runs. ARIN publishes two clocks (a pre-approval answered within two business days; execution within two business days of the signed RSA and fees); no other stage at any registry carries a published figure.

ARIN Approval Process

Pre-approval option: the justification goes in before you find resources, and the approved amount covers several transfers.

Standard approval stages:

1. Account verification: ARIN Online account, organizational details, RSA status
2. Source verification: registered holder; the source has not received IPv4 from ARIN in the previous 12 months
3. Recipient needs assessment: 24-month justification, infrastructure documentation, regional presence
4. Policy compliance: source RIR certification, reciprocal policy compatibility, the /24 minimum
5. Final authorization: approval and execution scheduling

The ARIN-side sequence for an outbound RIPE block is in RIPE to ARIN Transfer Step-by-Step.

RIPE Approval Process

No pre-approval available. The needs assessment runs during the transfer request.

Approval stages:

1. LIR verification: LIR membership or sponsoring LIR, account status, current obligations
2. Source verification (for outbound): registered holder; the 24-month restriction (IPv4 and 16-bit ASNs only, ripe-807 2.2.1) and any Voluntary Transfer Lock (ripe-806); disputes or liens
3. Regional presence verification (for inbound): an active network element in the RIPE region, business registration, and the registration status the block will get (ALLOCATED PA, ASSIGNED PI or LEGACY)
4. Needs assessment (for inbound from needs-based RIR): the plan to use at least 50% within five years (ripe-807 3.2)
5. Documentation review: company registration papers, authorization; identity of natural persons verified by iDenfy; sanctions screening of every signing party (ripe-863)
6. Final approval: internal approval and execution scheduling

The procedure is ripe-769; the policy is ripe-807. Inbound requirements in detail: ARIN to RIPE Transfer Requirements.

APNIC Approval Process

Approval stages:

1. Account verification: APNIC account or membership, organizational details, obligations status
2. Source verification: registered holder; the five-year restriction on 103/8 space
3. Recipient needs assessment: 24-month utilization plan, infrastructure documentation, past delegation compliance
4. Documentation review: organization registration, authorization letters, network documentation
5. Final approval: internal processing

LACNIC Approval Process

IPv4 only, with the RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC:

1. Membership verification: active LACNIC membership, fee payment
2. Source verification: registered holder; the one-year lock on transferred space and the three-year lock on space LACNIC allocated (Policy Manual 2.3.2.18)
3. Needs assessment: justification under LACNIC's allocation rules, utilization plans
4. Document review: company registration, authorization, supporting documents
5. Final approval: management approval

Factors That Impact Timeline

Factors That Accelerate Transfers

An ARIN pre-approval removes the needs review from the filing. Complete documents on both sides remove the question rounds, which is where most of the calendar goes.

A single legal entity with a clear signing authority passes the due-diligence checks in one pass. At ARIN, pay each fee the day it is invoiced: evaluation waits for the processing fee, execution for the RSA and the rest.

Factors That Delay Transfers

Registry gates that stop the clock until cleared:

• Any registry: a waiting period or lock from the Phase 1 table still running
• RIPE NCC: an unpaid annual contribution on any LIR account; an ID check or sanctions screening not passed (ripe-863); no active network element in the region for an inbound block
• ARIN: unpaid processing or annual fees; no signed RSA within 90 days
• LACNIC: any ASN, since LACNIC takes IPv4 only

Documentation and justification: incomplete papers, an unclear signing authority, or a needs justification below the registry's test (Phase 4) each add a round of questions.

Organizational complexity: several legal entities, a parent-subsidiary chain or a recent name change need their own papers. The RIPE NCC requires a member's name change to be filed before the transfer (ripe-831 2.0).

The rejections that end a request rather than delay it are in Common Inter-RIR Transfer Rejections.

Timeline Optimization Strategies

Strategy 1: Use Pre-Approval

At ARIN, file the pre-approval before you shop for a block. Apply for the full 24-month need you can document, and renew before the two years run out if the need remains.

Strategy 2: Prepare Complete Documentation Early

Create documentation package:

• Company registration (recent)
• Network diagrams
• Utilization plans
• Authorization letters
• Regional presence proof

Everything goes in with the first request, which means fewer question rounds.

Strategy 3: Use Sponsoring LIR

A sponsoring LIR can receive and hold ASSIGNED PI, ASNs and legacy resources for a non-member, so the recipient does not need RIPE NCC membership for those. An allocation (ALLOCATED PA) can only be held by a RIPE NCC member. The End User signs the contract required by ripe-637.

Strategy 4: Work with Experienced Brokers

A broker or listing service finds the block and runs the escrow; the registry filing is separate work.

Strategy 5: Check the Pair Before You Sign

LACNIC moves IPv4 only, ARIN excludes IPv6, AFRINIC takes no part. An ASN can only move between the RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC. A purchase agreement for a pair that policy does not allow is the one delay nothing fixes.

Strategy 6: Plan Around RIR Schedules

Registry staff work business days, and the RIPE NCC does not work on Dutch public holidays. ARIN's windows are published: 90 days to sign the RSA after approval, 90 days before an unanswered pre-approval ticket closes.

The RIPE NCC bills per-resource fees on the resources held on 31 December (€75 per independent assignment in 2026, ripe-848). If the registry update lands in January, agree with the counterparty who carries the charge.

Strategy 7: Prepare Strong Needs Justification

Detailed infrastructure documentation, specific use cases and realistic growth projections backed by business evidence reduce the clarification rounds.

Strategy 8: Maintain Proactive Communication

Answer registry questions completely and, where you can, the same business day. ARIN closes a pre-approval ticket after 90 days without a reply.

Working with us on a transfer

We handle inter-RIR transfers on quote. We prepare the source and recipient paperwork, file with both registries and follow each ticket until the registry update is done.

When the block lands in the RIPE region and its holder is not a RIPE NCC member, the RIPE NCC registers it as ASSIGNED PI through a sponsoring LIR. We can be that LIR. Sponsoring an existing IPv4 PI block costs €135 per year per assignment (as of September 2026), setup on quote.

Summary

Two figures exist, each for one step: one or two business days for a RIPE NCC transfer inside its region (inter-RIR transfers take longer), and two business days at ARIN once the signed RSA and all fees are in. The rest depends on the recipient's justification and the checks each registry runs.

Check the source's waiting periods and fee status before you sign a purchase agreement. Those are the delays nobody can fix later.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a RIPE NCC to ARIN transfer take?

Neither registry publishes a figure for the whole move. ARIN answers a pre-approval within two business days and executes within two business days of the signed RSA and fees. The time in between goes to the RIPE NCC's due diligence on the source and ARIN's needs review of the recipient.

Does an ARIN pre-approval shorten the transfer?

It removes the needs review from the filing. ARIN reviews the pre-approval on a documented 24-month need and does not re-verify it for the 8.3 or 8.4 transfer that follows. The approval is valid for two years.

Why does the RIPE NCC say inter-RIR transfers take longer than transfers inside its region?

Both regions' policies are checked, and the two registries synchronize their records before the receiving one registers the resource. The RIPE NCC gives no figure for that step.

Do ASNs move between regions as fast as IPv4?

ASNs move only between the RIPE NCC, ARIN and APNIC; LACNIC takes IPv4 only. At the RIPE NCC the 24-month restriction applies to IPv4 and 16-bit ASNs, not to 32-bit ASNs. A 32-bit ASN therefore has no source-side waiting period there.