An IPv6 PI assignment in the RIPE region is requested for you by a sponsoring LIR: the RIPE NCC does not take PI requests from End Users directly. The LIR files the request in the LIR Portal with your registration papers or ID, a signed agreement and an addressing plan for the /48. The RIPE NCC checks it against the IPv6 policy (ripe-738) and the EU sanctions list, then registers an ASSIGNED PI inet6num to your organization.
The RIPE NCC charges the LIR €75 per PI assignment per year (ripe-848) and publishes no processing time. The RIPE NCC no longer assigns IPv4 Provider Independent space at all: ripe-826 keeps it for Internet Exchange Points only.
For the background on what PI is and who holds it, see Understanding Provider Independent (PI) Resources.
Process Overview
The RIPE PI application process involves seven main steps:
- Find a sponsoring LIR - Partner with a RIPE NCC member organization
- Determine requirements - Identify exactly what resources you need
- Prepare documentation - Gather legal, technical, and contractual documents
- Create RIPE Database objects - Establish your registry presence
- Submit application - Sponsoring LIR files the request in the LIR Portal
- RIPE NCC review - Evaluation of policy compliance and documentation
- Assignment and activation - Receive resources and configure routing
The RIPE NCC publishes no processing time for IPv6 PI requests. The review pauses whenever the RIPE NCC asks a question, so a complete file and quick answers are the only things that shorten it.
Step 1: Find a Sponsoring LIR
Most organizations obtain PI resources through a sponsoring LIR rather than as RIPE NCC members themselves.
What is a Sponsoring LIR?
A sponsoring LIR is a RIPE NCC member organization (Local Internet Registry) that submits PI resource requests on behalf of end-user organizations. They act as intermediary between you and RIPE NCC.
Membership is the alternative, at €1,000 to join and €1,800 per year in 2026 (ripe-848). Through a sponsoring LIR you pay the LIR's fee plus the RIPE NCC's €75 per assignment, and the LIR handles the filing and the RIPE Database work.
Sponsoring LIR Responsibilities
Your sponsoring LIR handles:
Application process:
- Documentation review and preparation
- Request submission through the LIR Portal
- Communication with RIPE NCC
- Follow-up on questions or clarifications
- Status tracking and updates
RIPE Database management:
- Creating organization and maintainer objects
- Establishing person/role contacts
- Configuring object relationships
- Maintaining accurate registry data
Ongoing services:
- Collecting the €75 RIPE NCC fee with its own fee and paying the RIPE NCC
- Resource management support
- Database maintenance assistance
- Policy compliance guidance
Selecting a Sponsoring LIR
Three questions settle the choice. What the LIR charges in total, and whether the RIPE NCC's €75 is passed through at cost or marked up. Whether you get your own maintainer on the block and your own RPKI CA, which is what makes the assignment portable in practice. And who does the filing: some LIRs review your file before submission, others forward whatever you upload.
Via-Registry as Sponsoring LIR
Via-Registry is the brand of Virtua Systems SAS, a RIPE NCC member LIR in France. An IPv6 PI /48 through us costs €300 setup plus €135 for the first year, so €435 upfront, then €135 per year (as of September 2026). The €135 is our €60 service fee plus the RIPE NCC's €75, passed through at cost.
The order runs online: an identity check through Stripe Identity, your company registration document under its local name, one agreement signed online, then your reason for PI rather than PA space and your addressing plan. We review the file and submit it to the RIPE NCC. Once the block is assigned you add your own maintainer from the dashboard, which unlocks your own RPKI CA.
Alternative: Direct RIPE NCC Membership
You can become a RIPE NCC member yourself and file the request from your own LIR account. The sign-up fee is €1,000 and the annual fee €1,800 per LIR account under the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026 (ripe-848); from 2027 it is €1,894 with one ASN included (ripe-867, adopted at the May 2026 General Meeting). The €75 per PI assignment applies to members too. Membership makes sense when you also want allocations of your own to assign to customers; LIR vs PI: Which is Right for You? compares both routes.
Step 2: Determine Your Requirements
Before starting the application, clearly define what you need.
IPv6 PI Assignment Size
The minimum IPv6 PI assignment is a /48, which holds 65,536 /64 subnets (ripe-738 section 7.1). Anything larger must be justified under section 5.4.2, by address usage or by different routing requirements, and the RIPE NCC asks for the numbers behind it. Proposal 2024-01 would move PI to nibble sizes (/48, /44, /40, /36); its Review Phase closed on 23 September 2026 and it is not policy. IPv6 PI Allocation Sizes Explained covers the sizing, and the IPv6 subnet calculator splits the /48 into subnets.
IPv4 Provider Independent Space
The RIPE NCC no longer assigns IPv4 Provider Independent space (ripe-826). An existing block changes holder by transfer under ripe-807: both parties sign a RIPE Transfer Agreement, and the receiver needs a sponsoring LIR contract or its own membership. The received space cannot be transferred again for 24 months. The RIPE NCC processes transfers free of charge, and once both files are complete, "in most cases, a transfer is completed within one or two business days" (RIPE NCC transfers). Eligibility and the market route are in IPv4 PI Eligibility Requirements. If you already hold an IPv4 PI block and your LIR is closing or dropping you, we can sponsor it: change your sponsoring LIR.
ASN Requirements
IPv6 PI has no multi-homing requirement: ripe-738 section 7 contains no such clause. Multi-homing matters only if you also request an AS Number, because ripe-679 requires it for ASNs. You need your own ASN to announce the /48 yourself; without one, an upstream announces it for you from its ASN, and your ROA names that ASN. If you need both, our ASN registration order offers the PI /48 as an option: we file the PI request first and the ASN request follows once the PI application is filed.
Step 3: Prepare Documentation
The RIPE NCC reviews a complete file in one pass; a missing paper means a question and a pause.
Required Documents Checklist
Legal persons: a recent registration document from the national authority, under the exact legal name that will go on the organisation object; ripe-863 asks for "a recent extract" and sets no fixed age. Natural persons: a copy of a passport or ID card, which the RIPE NCC has verified by iDenfy (ripe-863, how to request an IPv6 PI assignment).
A signed agreement with your sponsoring LIR: the RIPE NCC's model is the Independent Assignment Request and Maintenance Agreement, and any contract that carries the six clauses of ripe-637 is accepted.
A short reason for PI rather than PA space (the request form asks for it; the arguments are in PI vs PA Resources: Key Differences) and an addressing plan for the /48: which subnets, for what, over what period. No network diagram is required. The full document list is in Documentation Needed for PI Requests.
Working with Your Sponsoring LIR
Documentation review process:
- Submit draft documents to sponsoring LIR
- LIR reviews for completeness and compliance
- LIR provides feedback and suggests improvements
- You revise based on feedback
- LIR confirms readiness for submission
A file the LIR has already checked gets fewer questions from the RIPE NCC, and every question is a pause.
Step 4: Create RIPE Database Objects
Before or during application submission, establish your presence in the RIPE Database.
Required Database Objects
Organisation object:
- Represents your legal entity
- Contains the full legal name from your registration document, the address and contacts
- Type typically "OTHER" for end users
Maintainer (mntner): controls who can change your objects and, later, the inet6num. MD5 passwords stopped working on maintainers on 4 March 2026, so yours authenticates through RIPE NCC Access (SSO), an API key, OAuth 2.0 or OIDC, or a PGP or X.509 key.
Person/role objects:
- Administrative contact (admin-c)
- Technical contact (tech-c)
- Abuse contact
- Contains contact details
Object Creation Methods
Through sponsoring LIR (recommended):
- LIR creates objects on your behalf
- Sets the object relationships correctly
Yourself: with a RIPE NCC Access account you create the objects in the RIPE Database web interface and give the handles to your LIR.
Object Relationships
Object relationships that the RIPE NCC expects:
[Organisation Object]
|
+--- maintained by ---> [Maintainer]
|
+--- admin-c ---------> [Person/Role]
|
+--- tech-c ----------> [Person/Role]Timing Considerations
Ideal timing: Create objects before application submission
During application: Sponsoring LIR typically creates objects as part of submission process
Post-approval: Objects must exist before assignment can be registered
Step 5: Submit Application
Your sponsoring LIR submits the formal application to RIPE NCC.
Submission Portal
The sponsoring LIR files the request in the LIR Portal (my.ripe.net) through the "Request IPv6" form, choosing a PI assignment, and attaches your agreement and papers. End Users have no access to this form; that is why a member has to file for you.
Application Form Components
Organization information:
- Legal entity details
- Contact information
- Organization database object reference
Resource request:
- Assignment size requested
- Justification for size
- Intended use description
- Technical requirements
Supporting documentation:
- Uploaded files attached
- Document types specified
- All required materials included
Contractual acknowledgment:
- Policy compliance confirmation
- Fee acceptance
- Terms and conditions agreement
Application Reference Number
The RIPE NCC opens a ticket and confirms receipt to your LIR. There is no status portal for End Users: your LIR relays the questions and keeps you informed.
Step 6: RIPE NCC Review and Evaluation
The RIPE NCC evaluates the request against ripe-738 and ripe-637. Under ripe-863 it verifies the legal person or the natural person behind the request, and it checks every signing party and authorized representative against the Dutch and EU sanctions lists before registering anything. It publishes no processing time for PI requests.
Evaluation Process
Initial review:
- Completeness check
- Required documents present
- Basic information verification
- Database object validation
Policy compliance evaluation:
- Eligibility assessment
- Technical justification review
- Size appropriateness evaluation
- Legal verification confirmation
Additional information requests (if needed):
- RIPE NCC may request clarifications
- Missing documents identification
- Technical questions
- Policy compliance concerns
Final decision:
- Approval and assignment
- Rejection with explanation
- Request for modifications
Common Evaluation Questions
Technical justification:
- "Can you provide more detail on your subnet requirements?"
- "Why is a /48 insufficient for your infrastructure?"
Legal verification:
- "Can you provide more recent company registration?"
- "Please confirm the authorized signatory"
- "Additional proof of legal entity required"
Policy compliance:
- "Please confirm addresses will be used for own infrastructure only"
- "Clarify the relationship between your organization and [mentioned entity]"
- "Explain how this complies with [specific policy provision]"
Responding to Questions
Answer every question in one reply, with the document it asks for; a partial answer means a second round. Your LIR receives the RIPE NCC's questions, relays them to you and submits your answers.
Step 7: Assignment and Activation
Upon approval, you receive your PI resources and can begin using them.
Assignment Notification
Approval email from RIPE NCC containing:
- Assigned prefix (a /48 from the RIPE NCC's designated PI block)
- Assignment date
- Ticket closure
- Next steps information
RIPE Database registration:
- inet6num object created
- Your organization object linked
- Maintainer assigned
- Status: ASSIGNED PI
- sponsoring-org: set to your LIR, changed by the RIPE NCC only
Database Object Configuration
Verify database entries:
- Check inet6num object accuracy
- Confirm organization linkage
- Validate maintainer relationship
- Review contact information
Reverse DNS: create a domain object for your ip6.arpa zone in the RIPE Database, naming your authoritative name servers.
Route object: create a route6 object with your origin ASN, so that upstreams filtering on the IRR accept the prefix (Route Objects Explained). A route6 object is an IRR record; it is not RPKI.
RPKI Configuration
PI space is certified in your own CA, never in your sponsoring LIR's. The RIPE NCC offers PI End Users a hosted or delegated CA, requested directly or through the sponsoring LIR depending on who maintains your organisation object. It needs the signed End User assignment agreement and a RIPE NCC Access account authorized to maintain that object; if you do not meet both, your sponsoring LIR asks the RIPE NCC for the certificate (RPKI for PI End Users). Then create a ROA for the /48 with your origin ASN and keep maxLength at the length you announce (RFC 9319). How to Create RPKI ROAs in the RIPE Database covers the clicks, and the RPKI checker confirms the result. About three quarters of IPv6 announcements (77.3%) were RPKI-valid on 1 August 2026 (NIST RPKI Monitor).
ISP Coordination
Prepare for routing:
Contact your ISPs:
- Notify of new PI prefix
- Provide prefix and ASN details
- Request BGP session configuration
- Coordinate announcement timing
BGP configuration:
- Configure border routers
- Establish BGP sessions
- Announce prefix to upstream providers
- Implement routing policies
Testing:
- Verify BGP session establishment
- Confirm prefix announcement
- Test routing from multiple locations
- Monitor global routing visibility
Verification
Check that the prefix is visible from outside your own upstreams with RIPEstat and a public looking glass, that the ROA validates in the RPKI checker, and that reverse DNS resolves from a resolver you do not run.
Common Application Issues and Solutions
Issue 1: Incomplete Documentation
Problem: Application missing required documents
Prevention:
- Use the document list in Step 3
- Review with sponsoring LIR
- Prepare everything before submission
Solution:
- Provide missing documents quickly
Issue 2: Legal Name Mismatch
Problem: Application name doesn't match company registration
Prevention:
- Use the exact legal name from the registration document on the organisation object and the agreement
- Verify spelling and format
- Check across all documents
Solution:
- Provide clarification letter
- Submit corrected documentation
- Explain any legitimate variations
Issue 3: Insufficient Technical Justification
Problem: RIPE NCC questions need for larger assignment or multiple assignments
Prevention:
- Provide detailed, specific justification upfront
- Include concrete numbers and plans
- Document clear technical requirements
Solution:
- Expand technical documentation
- Provide infrastructure inventory
- Explain architecture in more detail
Issue 4: Database Object Issues
Problem: Organisation or maintainer objects have problems
Prevention:
- Create objects carefully
- Use sponsoring LIR expertise
- Verify before application submission
Solution:
- Correct object issues quickly
- Update as directed by RIPE NCC
- Confirm fixes with LIR
Post-Assignment Responsibilities
After receiving your PI assignment, ongoing obligations begin.
Annual Maintenance
The RIPE NCC bills your sponsoring LIR €75 per PI assignment per year, based on the resources registered on 31 December (ripe-848); ripe-867 keeps €75 for 2027. You pay your LIR, which adds its own fee (€60 at Via-Registry, €135 in total). Ending a sponsorship before 31 December and signing with another LIR after 1 January for the same block does not skip the fee. The block stays yours as long as the sponsorship contract and the RIPE policies are respected: the address space is used by your own organization, and addresses handed to visitors, hosted servers or point-to-point links on your own network are allowed, while a sub-assignment of a prefix to another organization is not (ripe-738 section 2.6).
Changing Sponsoring LIR
The /48 is registered to your organization, not to the LIR; only the sponsoring-org: attribute names the LIR. To move it, sign with the new LIR before you end the old contract (ripe-637): the new LIR files the change under ripe-815 and the RIPE NCC informs the old one. If your LIR closes or ends the contract without a successor, the RIPE NCC writes to you with 10 working days to present a new sponsoring LIR, then 10 more, before deregistration starts under ripe-858. The sponsorship change we offer in Step 2 for IPv4 blocks covers IPv6 PI the same way.
Database Maintenance
Keep current:
- Update contact information promptly
- Revise network details as infrastructure changes
- Maintain accurate organization data
- Respond to RIPE NCC inquiries
Best practices:
- Review database entries semi-annually
- Update when staff changes
- Maintain current email addresses
- Keep emergency contacts accessible
Audit Preparedness
The RIPE NCC can ask your sponsoring LIR to re-verify the registration at any time, and it re-runs the ripe-863 checks whenever the holder's details change. Keep the registration document, the signed agreement and the addressing plan you filed, and keep the organisation object's name and address identical to the registry record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for PI resources directly without a sponsoring LIR?
No. The RIPE NCC does not take IPv6 PI requests from End Users; a member has to file for you. You can become that member yourself, for €1,000 to join and €1,800 per year in 2026 (ripe-848), €1,894 from 2027 (ripe-867). Through a sponsoring LIR, the RIPE NCC's own charge is €75 per PI assignment per year, plus the LIR's fee.
How long does a standard IPv6 PI application take?
There is no published processing time for IPv6 PI requests: the RIPE NCC gives none and we promise none. Each question the RIPE NCC asks adds a round trip through your LIR, so a complete file at submission is what decides the duration. For transfers the RIPE NCC does publish a figure: one or two business days in most cases.
Does IPv6 PI require multi-homing?
No. The IPv6 policy (ripe-738) has no multi-homing clause for PI assignments. Multi-homing is a requirement for an AS Number under ripe-679, so it matters only if you request an ASN alongside the /48.
What happens if the RIPE NCC rejects my application?
The RIPE NCC tells your sponsoring LIR why. You answer the objection with the missing document or a revised addressing plan, or you change the request, and your LIR resubmits.
Can I start using the addresses before the RIPE NCC approves?
No. Wait for the inet6num to be registered before configuring or announcing the prefix. An announcement of unassigned space is a hijack from the point of view of every filter on the path.
What if I do not respond to RIPE NCC questions in time?
The review cannot continue until you answer; reply as soon as your LIR forwards a question. A complete answer in one reply avoids a second round.
Can I keep my PI block if I change sponsoring LIR?
Yes. The /48 stays registered to your organization; only the sponsoring-org: attribute changes. Sign with the new LIR before ending the old contract (ripe-637), and the new LIR files the change (ripe-815). If your LIR closes without a successor, the RIPE NCC's two 10-working-day notices run before deregistration (ripe-858).
Summary: The PI Application Process
A sponsoring LIR files the request, the RIPE NCC checks your papers, your agreement and your /48 plan, and the block arrives as an ASSIGNED PI inet6num in your organization's name. After that, three things are on you: a route6 object, a ROA in your own CA, and current contact data in the RIPE Database. The RIPE NCC's €75 per year reaches it through your LIR, and the block moves with you if you change LIR.
Gather the registration document or ID, decide who signs, and write the addressing plan for the /48 before you pick a sponsoring LIR; those three items are what every LIR will ask for first. Through Via-Registry the order runs online from the IPv6 PI resources page: €435 upfront, then €135 per year (as of September 2026), and we file with the RIPE NCC once our review of your file is complete.