What is .eu?
The .eu domain is the country code TLD for the European Union. Launched in 2006, it provides a unified digital identity for EU citizens, businesses, and organizations across all member states in the world of domains.
A Brief History
The European Commission proposed .eu in the late 1990s, and ICANN approved it in 2005. EURid, a nonprofit based in Brussels, was selected to operate the registry. When registrations opened in April 2006, over 1.5 million domains were registered in the first four months.
Brexit in 2020 created a significant disruption — UK-based registrants were no longer eligible to hold .eu domains, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of registrations.
Why Choose .eu?
- Pan-European identity — Perfect for businesses operating across multiple EU countries.
- Neutrality — Neither French, nor German, nor Italian — .eu is a neutral European choice.
- Trust — Signals compliance with EU regulations including GDPR.
- Multilingual — Supports internationalized domain names in all EU languages.
Who Uses .eu?
EU institutions, pan-European businesses, NGOs, and individuals across the 27 member states. The European Commission itself uses europa.eu.
Did You Know?
- As of 2026, over 3.6 million .eu domains are currently registered.
- Brexit caused the loss of approximately 300,000 .eu domains held by UK registrants.
- You must be an EU citizen, resident, or organization to register a .eu domain.
Registration & Pricing
New .eu domains typically cost between $8-15 per year. DomainWorld offers .eu registration — you can get a domain up and running in minutes.
The Future of .eu
As the EU deepens digital integration, .eu becomes increasingly relevant for cross-border European commerce in the world of domains.