Documentation Needed for PI Requests

An IPv6 PI /48 from the RIPE NCC needs four things: proof of who you are (a valid ID for a natural person, a recent extract from the national company register for a company), an End User Assignment Agreement signed with your sponsoring LIR, a short description of how you will use the block, and organisation, maintainer and contact objects in the RIPE Database. Before it registers anything, the RIPE NCC checks the signing parties against the EU and Dutch sanctions lists (ripe-863). IPv6 PI needs no multihoming proof.

New provider independent IPv4 space is no longer assigned (ripe-826, IXPs excepted), so an IPv4 block reaches you by transfer, with a shorter list of papers covered below.

For the definition and the rules behind PI space, see Understanding Provider Independent (PI) Resources.

Overview: Document Categories

PI resource requests require three main categories of documentation:

1. Legal verification documents: Prove your organization's legal existence and authority
2. Technical justification: Demonstrate your need for PI resources and how you'll use them
3. RIPE Database objects: Establish your presence in the RIPE registry system

The specific documents needed vary based on:

• Whether you are requesting an IPv6 PI assignment or receiving an IPv4 block by transfer
• Your organization type (company, individual, non-profit, etc.)
• Assignment size (standard /48 or larger)
• Whether you go through a sponsoring LIR or hold the resources directly as a RIPE NCC member

Legal Verification Documents

The RIPE NCC's due diligence rules are in ripe-863 (20 July 2026, which replaced ripe-791). They set what a natural person and a legal person must show. They also add a sanctions screen: every signing party and every authorised representative is checked against the EU and Dutch sanctions lists before registration, and again whenever the administration of the resource changes (section 3.1).

For Organizations

Required document: a recent extract from your national company register, or the equivalent document proving registration with the national authorities (ripe-863 section 1.1.2). A certificate of incorporation is accepted where it is the register's own document.

What the RIPE NCC verifies:

• The legal name on the extract matches the name on the agreement
• The company is registered and still active
• The person signing gives their name and position; the RIPE NCC may ask for proof that this person is authorised to sign

How recent: ripe-863 says "recent" and sets no age. Order a fresh extract when you start the request; an old one invites a follow-up question.

The document by its local name:

• France: extrait Kbis (greffe du tribunal de commerce or INPI)
• Germany: aktueller Handelsregisterauszug (Amtsgericht or handelsregister.de)
• Netherlands: uittreksel Handelsregister (Kamer van Koophandel)
• United Kingdom: Companies House company details print or certificate of good standing (a certificate of incorporation is also accepted)
• Ireland: CRO company printout

For Individuals

Natural persons can hold PI. The RIPE NCC asks for a valid identification document, an ID card or a passport (ripe-863 section 1.1.1). Where a country issues no official ID card, it accepts other documents such as a photo driving licence. Your name and postal address are published in the RIPE Database; a phone number is not required.

After your sponsoring LIR files the request, the RIPE NCC runs its own identity check through a third-party service, iDenfy. You receive a link by e-mail and photograph your document. This comes on top of the identity check your sponsoring LIR runs before filing.

Associations, universities and public bodies

The rule is the same as for companies: a recent document from the authority that registers or establishes the entity, plus the name and position of the person who signs (ripe-863 section 1.1.2). No tax-exempt status, accreditation or charter is asked for. An entity with no legal personality of its own (a partnership or a sole trader in most countries) cannot sign. Its owners sign as natural persons, "trading as" the business name (section 1.1.3).

Contractual Documents

End User Assignment Agreement

PI needs one contract: the End User Assignment Agreement between you and your sponsoring LIR, or a direct contract with the RIPE NCC if you are a member. ripe-637 lists the six clauses it must contain: the LIR keeps your registration data current, your data is published in the RIPE Database, no sub-assignment to other organisations, an annual fee, return of the resource if you cannot be reached or stop paying, and RIPE policies apply as amended over time.

The RIPE NCC publishes a model text, the Independent Assignment Request and Maintenance Agreement. Each LIR may use its own wording as long as those clauses are in it. Your LIR gives you the agreement to sign; the RIPE NCC does not hand one out during the request. Temporary assignments for events and research use a separate agreement under ripe-801.

The signatory must be someone who can bind the organisation. The RIPE NCC may ask for proof of that authority (ripe-863 section 1.1.2).

The RIPE NCC charges the sponsoring LIR €75 per independent assignment per year under the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026 (ripe-848), and €75 again under the 2027 scheme (ripe-867). What the LIR charges on top is its own fee.

Technical Justification Documents

For an IPv6 PI assignment the RIPE NCC's policy, ripe-738, asks for little. The assignment is a /48 at minimum (section 7.1), and anything larger must be justified by address usage or by distinct routing requirements (section 5.4.2). The policy asks for no multihoming proof either: section 7 asks for a contract that meets ripe-637, not for a second upstream. Multihoming is an ASN rule (ripe-679), so it only comes up if you request an ASN alongside the block. What the request form does ask is why you need PI rather than address space from your provider, and a usage plan.

Network Topology Diagrams

A diagram shows the RIPE NCC the shape of the network the block will serve.

What to include:

• Physical and logical network layout
• Site locations (if multiple)
• Router and network equipment placement
• Connections to ISPs
• Internal network segmentation
• Main infrastructure components

Level of detail:

• High-level overview for standard /48 requests
• Detailed architecture for larger assignments
• Indicate subnet allocation zones

Example elements:

[Internet]
    |
    +--- ISP 1 --- [Border Router 1]
    |                     |
    +--- ISP 2 --- [Border Router 2]
                          |
                  [Core Network]
                          |
        +-----------------+-----------------+
        |                 |                 |
    [HQ Site]        [Data Center]    [Regional Office]

Infrastructure Description

Purpose: Written explanation of your network and infrastructure

What to document:

Current infrastructure:

• Number of sites/locations
• Network equipment inventory
• Server and service infrastructure
• Employee count and network users
• Current IP addressing (if applicable)

Network architecture:

• Routing protocols in use
• Upstream connections (one provider or several)
• Redundancy and failover setup
• Network segmentation strategy
• Security zones and DMZs

Service offerings (if applicable):

• Hosting services
• SaaS platforms
• Public WiFi infrastructure
• Customer connectivity services

Example infrastructure description:

"Our organization operates a multi-site network spanning 3 locations: headquarters in Amsterdam (200 employees), data center in Frankfurt (hosting infrastructure for SaaS platform), and regional office in London (50 employees). We connect to two providers and want address space that stays with us when either contract ends. The network uses BGP routing with our ASN [number] to announce our address space through both providers. Our data center hosts 150 physical servers and 500 virtual machines supporting our SaaS application serving 200 business customers."

Usage Plan

Asked for on every request: our order form and the RIPE NCC's request form both ask how the space will be used, row by row. For a /48 the plan is short; a request for more than a /48 rests on it (ripe-738 section 5.4.2).

Format:

This plan uses about 1,020 of the 65,536 /64s in a /48, which is normal: the /48 is the unit, not a target to fill. Use the IPv6 subnet calculator to size the rows. Proposal 2024-01 would allow /44, /40 and /36 PI on nibble boundaries with a 24-month plan above a /48. Its Review Phase closed on 23 September 2026 and it is not policy.

What to specify:

• Subnet purpose and function
• Size of each subnet or subnet group
• Number of subnets needed
• When each row goes into use

Growth Projections

Growth figures matter only when you ask for more than a /48, where ripe-738 section 5.4.2 wants the address usage that justifies the size. Give the sites, the subnets per site and the dates you expect them; a narrative is fine, a table is easier to check.

Usage Documentation

Purpose: Demonstrate legitimate use of PI resources

What to document:

Intended use:

• How addresses will be utilized
• Services hosted on the network
• Infrastructure supported
• User base served

Compliance with policy:

• The block is for your own infrastructure; ripe-738 section 7 forbids sub-assigning it to other organisations
• Single addresses on your own links do not count as sub-assignment: visitor WiFi, a hosted third-party server, a point-to-point link (ripe-738 section 2.6)
• Say which of your services the addresses serve

For specific use cases:

SaaS platforms:

• Application architecture
• Customer count and growth
• Service endpoints
• Infrastructure scale

Hosting providers:

• Facility details
• Customer infrastructure (colocation model)
• Which addresses stay on your own equipment (addressing customer networks from PI is sub-assignment)

Multi-site enterprises:

• Site inventory
• Network per site
• Central services
• Inter-site connectivity

RIPE Database Objects

Before or during your PI request, establish presence in the RIPE Database.

Organisation Object

Purpose: Represents your legal entity in the RIPE Database

Required fields:

• Organisation name (legal name)
• Organisation type (typically "OTHER" for end users)
• Address (legal address)
• Contact email
• Abuse contact information

Format example:

organisation: ORG-EA123-RIPE
org-name:     Example Corporation
org-type:     OTHER
address:      Example Street 123
address:      1234 AB Amsterdam
address:      Netherlands
e-mail:       admin@example.com
abuse-c:      EA123-RIPE
mnt-ref:      EXAMPLE-MNT
mnt-by:       EXAMPLE-MNT
source:       RIPE

Who creates it: your sponsoring LIR, from your register extract. The name must be the legal name exactly as registered: on an organisation that holds resources only the RIPE NCC can change org-name: afterwards. Since 4 March 2026 the RIPE NCC also records the verified registration number in a reg-nr: attribute on the organisation objects it co-maintains.

Maintainer Object (mntner)

Purpose: Controls access to and modification of your RIPE Database objects

Required fields:

• Maintainer name (unique identifier)
• Description
• Authentication credentials
• Email contacts

Authentication methods:

• RIPE NCC Access account (auth: SSO), the usual choice
• PGP key (auth: PGPKEY-...)
• X.509 certificate (auth: X509-...)

MD5 passwords stopped working on 4 March 2026 (RIPE Database release 1.121).

Maintainer credentials control your resources. Keep them with the people who run the network, not with a contractor.

Format example:

mntner:      EXAMPLE-MNT
descr:       Example Corporation maintainer
admin-c:     EA123-RIPE
upd-to:      noc@example.com
auth:        SSO noc@example.com
mnt-by:      EXAMPLE-MNT
source:      RIPE

Person/Role Objects (NIC Handles)

Purpose: Contact information for administrative and technical roles

Required roles:

• Administrative contact (admin-c)
• Technical contact (tech-c)
• Abuse contact (for organizations)

Mandatory per contact object: name, e-mail address, NIC handle and maintainer. Address and phone are optional since April 2026 (release 1.122) and anything you add is public. Use a role object rather than a person for the admin and tech contacts: it survives staff changes.

Format example:

role:        Example Corporation NOC
address:     Example Street 123
address:     1234 AB Amsterdam
address:     Netherlands
e-mail:      noc@example.com
abuse-mailbox: abuse@example.com
nic-hdl:     EA123-RIPE
mnt-by:      EXAMPLE-MNT
source:      RIPE

Best practices:

• Keep the e-mail addresses monitored: the RIPE NCC and other operators write to them
• Name a second person who can authenticate as the maintainer

Creating Database Objects

Methods:

• Through your sponsoring LIR, which creates the objects from your papers (the usual path)
• Webupdates at apps.db.ripe.net with your RIPE NCC Access account
• The RIPE Database REST API with an API key or an OAuth token
• E-mail to auto-dbm@ripe.net, signed with PGP or X.509 (passwords no longer work)

Timing: Create before submitting PI request, or your sponsoring LIR will create during application

Documentation for Different Request Types

Requirements vary based on what you're requesting.

Standard IPv6 PI /48 Request

Minimal documentation:

• Legal verification (company registration or ID)
• End User Assignment Agreement (signed)
• Basic network description (one or two paragraphs)
• Intended use statement and usage plan
• RIPE Database objects (org, mntner, person/role)

Optional but helpful:

• Network diagram (simple high-level)
• Infrastructure overview

A standard /48 needs no justification beyond your use case and the usage plan.

Larger IPv6 PI Assignment Request

Documentation required:

• Legal verification
• End User Assignment Agreement
• Detailed network topology diagrams
• Infrastructure description
• Usage plan (detailed)
• Growth projections (with timelines)
• A justification of the size by address usage or distinct routing requirements (ripe-738 section 5.4.2)
• RIPE Database objects

The RIPE NCC has to see why a /48 does not fit; the usage plan carries that argument.

Multiple IPv6 PI Assignment Request

Documentation emphasizing separation:

• Standard legal and contractual documents
• Network topology showing distinct infrastructures
• Routing documentation explaining different policies
• Organizational or geographic separation justification
• Infrastructure descriptions for each requested assignment

Separate assignments are granted for distinct routing requirements (ripe-738 section 5.4.2). Explain why one larger block would not route the same way.

IPv4 PI Transfer Documentation

The RIPE NCC no longer assigns new provider independent IPv4 space (ripe-826, IXPs excepted), so a block reaches you through a transfer under ripe-807. An existing IPv4 PI block you receive this way can be sponsored under our LIR like any other independent resource. The papers:

• The RIPE Transfer Agreement, signed by both parties
• An End User Assignment Agreement between you and your sponsoring LIR (or RIPE NCC membership)
• Your identity or registration document, as above

There is no needs test for a transfer inside the RIPE region. The block cannot be transferred again for 24 months after you receive it. The RIPE NCC charges nothing for the transfer and completes most of them within one or two business days. What an existing holder can and cannot do with these blocks today is in IPv4 PI Eligibility Requirements.

Document Preparation Best Practices

Accuracy and Consistency

Requirements:

• Organization name identical across all documents
• Addresses consistent
• Contact information accurate
• No discrepancies between documents
• The legal name is the one thing you cannot fix later without the RIPE NCC: check the extract before you sign

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Legal name on registration different from application
• Outdated company information
• Inconsistent address formats
• Mismatched contact details

Completeness

Before submission checklist:

• All required documents included
• The agreement signed by someone who can bind the organisation
• Legal verification documents recent and valid
• Technical justification addresses all requirements
• Network diagrams clear and labeled
• RIPE Database objects created or arranged

Incomplete applications result in:

• Requests for additional information
• Processing delays
• Potential rejection
• Restart of evaluation process

Working with Your Sponsoring LIR

What our IPv6 PI order asks for

Our order collects the same file, step by step. You verify your identity with Stripe Identity; an organisation can send that check to its director's phone through a link valid for seven days. You upload your registration document, which the form names in your country's own terms (extrait Kbis, Handelsregisterauszug, uittreksel Handelsregister) and tells you how recent it must be. You sign one agreement online, and the same agreement covers an ASN if you order one later.

The justification step asks for your use case (own infrastructure, a hosted platform, public WiFi, an exchange point, point-to-point links or research) and a short description of the deployment. It also asks why you need PI rather than PA (PI vs PA Resources: Key Differences) and for the usage plan by purpose, subnet size and timeframe. We create the organisation and contact objects in the RIPE Database and file the request through the LIR Portal. The RIPE NCC's Resource Request API was switched off on 6 January 2025, so every PI request goes through a member's portal account.

Document Retention and Updates

Keep Records

Maintain copies of:

• All application documents
• Approval correspondence
• Signed agreements
• Technical justifications
• Network diagrams

Why retain documentation:

• Future audits may require original justification
• Transfer processes reference original applications
• Historical record for organization
• Evidence of policy compliance

Keep them for as long as you hold the resource.

Update When Changes Occur

Trigger updates when:

• Network architecture changes
• Organization legal status changes
• Contact information changes
• Infrastructure expands beyond original justification
• Ownership or control changes

A change of legal name goes through your sponsoring LIR, which files new registration papers with the RIPE NCC (ripe-815 section 1). If your LIR ends the contract or closes, the RIPE NCC gives you 10 working days, then 10 more after its own notice, before deregistration starts under ripe-858. Use that window to change your sponsoring LIR: only sponsoring-org: changes, the block and its objects stay.

What to update:

• RIPE Database objects
• Notify sponsoring LIR
• Update internal documentation
• Revise network diagrams

Current papers make the RIPE NCC's registry checks and your next request shorter.

Common Documentation Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Sole Trader or Company?

Problem: the business has a trade name but no legal personality of its own.

Solution: an entity that is not legally distinct from its owner cannot sign the agreement (ripe-863 section 1.1.3). The owner applies as a natural person with an ID document and may add the business name as "trading as". An incorporated company applies with its register extract.

Issue 2: Insufficient Technical Justification

Problem: the RIPE NCC asks how a request larger than a /48 will use the space

Solution:

• Provide more detailed breakdown of subnet allocation
• Add specific use cases for different subnet groups
• Tie every row of the usage plan to a site, a service or a routing requirement (ripe-738 section 5.4.2)
• Explain growth projections with concrete plans

Issue 3: Network Diagram Too Simple or Too Complex

Problem: Diagram doesn't convey needed information clearly

Solution:

• Create multiple diagrams at different detail levels
• High-level overview showing main components
• Detailed diagrams for specific areas if needed
• Label all components clearly

Summary: Documentation Checklist

Every PI Request Needs:

• Legal verification:
  • Company register extract (organizations)
  • ID document (individuals), checked again by the RIPE NCC through iDenfy after filing
• Contractual documents:
  • End User Assignment Agreement, signed
• Technical justification:
  • Use case and why PI rather than PA
  • Usage plan (purpose, subnet size, timeframe)
  • Infrastructure overview
• RIPE Database objects:
  • Organisation object
  • Maintainer (mntner)
  • Person/role contacts

Additional for Larger Assignments:

• Detailed network topology diagrams
• Usage plan sized past a /48 (ripe-738 section 5.4.2)
• Growth projections with timelines
• Why a /48 does not fit

Additional for Transfers:

• RIPE Transfer Agreement signed by both parties
• End User Assignment Agreement with your sponsoring LIR
• 24-month lock on the received IPv4 block

Frequently Asked Questions

How recent do legal documents need to be?

ripe-863 asks for a "recent" extract and sets no age limit. Order a fresh one when you start the request; our order form tells you, per country, what it accepts.

Can I start the application before having all documents ready?

You can open the file and gather as you go. Nothing is filed with the RIPE NCC until the agreement is signed and the papers are in. A request filed with gaps comes back as questions and waits for the answers.

What if my organization's legal name is very long or complex?

Use the legal name exactly as the register prints it. That is the name the RIPE NCC puts in org-name:, and only the RIPE NCC can change it afterwards on a resource-holding organisation. Trade names can go in descr: or remarks:.

Do I need to provide financial statements or business plans?

No. ripe-863 asks for identity or registration papers and ripe-738 for a usage plan. Financial statements are on neither list.

How detailed should network diagrams be?

Sufficient to understand your infrastructure and address space needs. For standard /48, high-level diagrams suffice. A request above a /48 needs the usage plan behind the picture (ripe-738 section 5.4.2).

Can an individual get IPv6 PI?

Yes. The RIPE NCC verifies a natural person's ID card or passport (ripe-863 section 1.1.1), and your name and postal address are published in the RIPE Database. There is no company requirement for PI.

What if I make a mistake in submitted documents?

Contact your sponsoring LIR immediately. Minor errors can usually be corrected. A wrong legal name is the costly one: it takes a RIPE NCC correction, so check it before signing.

Do I need an ASN before requesting IPv6 PI?

No. ripe-738 section 7 sets no ASN condition for the assignment. To announce the block on the Internet you need an ASN, your own or your provider's. The request for an ASN is where multihoming becomes a requirement (ripe-679).

Next Steps

If you want the block registered in your organisation's name, our IPv6 PI /48 costs €300 setup plus €135 per year, €435 the first year (as of September 2026), with the €75 RIPE NCC fee passed through at cost. The order collects the documents on this page in the same order, and we file the request once the file is complete. The RIPE NCC publishes no processing time for PI requests. Fees are non-refundable.

Already holding PI space with another LIR? The sponsoring LIR change described under Document Retention and Updates moves it to ours, block and objects unchanged. For a document the register in your country does not issue, contact us.

Related resources:

• IPv6 PI Allocation Sizes Explained
• RIPE PI Resource Application Process