Getting an ASN Allocation

An Autonomous System Number (ASN) is a unique identifier assigned to a network that operates its own routing policy on the internet using BGP (Border Gateway Protocol). This guide covers the full process of obtaining an ASN through RIPE NCC — from requirements and application to compliance and contract signing.

Who Needs an ASN?

You need an ASN if you:

• Operate a network that peers with multiple upstream providers (multihoming)
• Need to announce your own IP address space via BGP
• Run an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) or provide transit services
• Need independent routing control for your infrastructure

info

If you only have a single upstream provider and do not need multihoming, you typically do not need your own ASN. Your provider can announce your IP space using their ASN.

Who Can Get an ASN?

ASN allocation is available to both companies and individuals. RIPE NCC does not require the applicant to be a legal entity.

Companies

• Provide company registration documents (certificate of incorporation, extract from commercial register, etc.)
• The authorized contact person must present a government-issued ID

Individuals

Individuals can also obtain an ASN through a sponsoring LIR. The requirements differ slightly:

• Government-issued photo ID — passport or national ID card (mandatory)
• Proof of address — utility bill, bank statement, or official correspondence dated within the last 3 months
• Video verification — RIPE NCC may require a video call to confirm your identity

warning

For individuals, identity verification is mandatory and more thorough than for companies. RIPE NCC will verify that the person requesting the ASN is who they claim to be. Prepare a valid passport or national ID card for the verification process.

Requirements for ASN Allocation

Technical Requirements

Requirement	Details
Multihoming	You must have (or plan to have) at least two upstream providers
Routing policy	You must have a defined routing policy that differs from your upstreams
BGP capability	Your network equipment must support BGP
IP address space	You should have (or plan to obtain) IP address space to announce

Documentation Requirements

Document	Companies	Individuals
Network diagram	Required	Required
Peering agreements	Required (contracts or LOIs from 2+ upstreams)	Required (contracts or LOIs from 2+ upstreams)
Business registration	Required	Not applicable
Government-issued ID	Required (authorized contact)	Required (passport or national ID)
Proof of address	Not required (address is in registration docs)	Required (utility bill or bank statement, last 3 months)

tip

If you don't yet have peering agreements in place, Letters of Intent (LOIs) from prospective upstream providers are accepted during the application process.

RIPE NCC Service Region

RIPE NCC allocates resources only to organizations operating in its service region. Your organization must be legally registered or have a demonstrable presence in one of the countries listed below.

Proof of Presence

If your company is registered outside the RIPE NCC region but operates infrastructure within it, you must provide proof of presence, such as:

• Utility bill (electricity, internet, colocation invoice) for a facility in the RIPE region
• Office lease agreement in a RIPE region country
• Colocation or hosting contract with a data center in the region

warning

RIPE NCC may reject your application if you cannot demonstrate a legitimate operational presence in the service region. A registered agent address alone is generally not sufficient.

List of Countries

The RIPE NCC service region covers Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia — over 75 countries and territories:

Europe

Albania	Andorra	Austria	Azerbaijan
Belarus	Belgium	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Bulgaria
Croatia	Cyprus	Czech Republic	Denmark
Estonia	Finland	France	Georgia
Germany	Greece	Greenland	Hungary
Iceland	Ireland	Italy	Kazakhstan
Kosovo	Kyrgyzstan	Latvia	Liechtenstein
Lithuania	Luxembourg	Malta	Moldova
Monaco	Montenegro	Netherlands	North Macedonia
Norway	Poland	Portugal	Romania
Russia	San Marino	Serbia	Slovakia
Slovenia	Spain	Sweden	Switzerland
Tajikistan	Turkey	Turkmenistan	Ukraine
United Kingdom	Uzbekistan	Vatican City

Middle East

Bahrain	Iran	Iraq	Israel
Jordan	Kuwait	Lebanon	Oman
Palestine	Qatar	Saudi Arabia	Syria
United Arab Emirates	Yemen

Other Territories

Åland Islands	Faroe Islands	Gibraltar	Guernsey
Isle of Man	Jersey	Svalbard and Jan Mayen

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If your country is not in the RIPE NCC service region, you need to apply through the appropriate RIR:

• ARIN — North America, parts of the Caribbean
• APNIC — Asia Pacific
• AFRINIC — Africa
• LACNIC — Latin America, parts of the Caribbean

How to Get an ASN — Through a Sponsoring LIR

If your organization is not an LIR (Local Internet Registry), you must go through a sponsoring LIR. The LIR acts as an intermediary between you and RIPE NCC.

How it works:

1. You contact a sponsoring LIR (e.g., DGTL TECH)
2. The LIR verifies your eligibility and documents
3. The LIR submits the ASN request to RIPE NCC on your behalf
4. RIPE NCC evaluates the request
5. Upon approval, the ASN is assigned to your organization with the LIR as sponsor

Typical costs:

• Setup fee (one-time) — varies by LIR
• Annual sponsorship fee — typically €100–200/year

The Application Process

Step 1: Prepare Documentation

Gather the following before starting:

1. Company registration documents — certificate of incorporation or equivalent
2. Network topology diagram — showing your AS, upstreams, and peering
3. Peering proof — contracts or LOIs from at least two upstream providers
4. Technical contact details — name, email, phone of your network engineer
5. Authorized contact ID — passport or government-issued ID

Step 2: Submit the Request

Your sponsoring LIR will prepare and submit the request through the LIR Portal. The request includes:

• Organisation object (if one doesn't exist yet)
• Justification for the ASN (multihoming, routing policy)
• Supporting documentation

Step 3: RIPE NCC Evaluation

After submission, RIPE NCC evaluates the request:

Phase	Duration	Description
Initial review	1–3 business days	RIPE NCC checks completeness of the request
Follow-up questions	Variable	RIPE NCC may ask for clarification or additional documents
Approval	1–5 business days	After all requirements are met
Total	Typically 1–2 weeks	From submission to ASN assignment

info

RIPE NCC may request additional information during evaluation. Respond promptly to avoid delays — unanswered requests are closed after 2 weeks.

Step 4: ASN Assignment

Upon approval:

1. RIPE NCC assigns an ASN from the available pool (currently 32-bit ASNs, e.g., AS2XXXXX)
2. An aut-num object is created in the RIPE Database
3. You receive email confirmation with your ASN details

Compliance (Due Diligence)

RIPE NCC performs compliance checks as part of the allocation process. Be prepared for:

Know Your Customer (KYC)

Check	What RIPE NCC Verifies
Company existence	Legal registration of the entity
Authorized contact	Identity of the person acting on behalf of the organization
Address verification	Registered business address
Sanctions screening	The entity is not on any sanctions lists

What to Expect

1. Document verification — RIPE NCC may request notarized copies of registration documents
2. Video call — In some cases, RIPE NCC may schedule a video call to verify identity
3. Address confirmation — A verification letter or code may be sent to your registered address
4. Payment verification — For LIRs, payment must come from the organization's bank account

warning

Providing false or misleading information to RIPE NCC can result in revocation of resources and termination of the sponsorship or LIR agreement.

Ongoing Compliance

After receiving an ASN, you must:

• Keep your RIPE Database objects up to date (contacts, abuse-c, routing policy)
• Maintain a valid sponsorship agreement (if not an LIR)
• Respond to RIPE NCC compliance inquiries within the specified timeframe
• Actually use the ASN for its stated purpose (multihoming, peering)

The Contract

Sponsorship Agreement (via LIR)

When obtaining an ASN through a sponsoring LIR, two agreements are involved:

Agreement	Between	Covers
Sponsorship agreement	You ↔ Sponsoring LIR	Terms, fees, responsibilities, and duration
End User Assignment Agreement	LIR ↔ RIPE NCC	LIR's obligation to sponsor your resources

Key contract terms:

• Duration — typically 1 year, auto-renewable
• Notice period — usually 30–90 days for termination
• Fees — annual sponsorship fee, setup fee
• Obligations — maintaining accurate registration data, compliance with RIPE policies
• Termination — what happens if you change LIR or the LIR ceases operations

tip

If your sponsoring LIR ceases operations, you can transfer your ASN to another LIR. Your ASN remains assigned to your organization — you only change the sponsor.

After Receiving Your ASN

Once your ASN is assigned, follow these steps:

1. Verify the aut-num object in the RIPE Database
2. Create route/route6 objects for your IP prefixes — see Creating ROA
3. Set up RPKI — create ROAs for your prefixes and ASN — see RPKI Synchronization
4. Configure BGP on your routers with your upstream providers
5. Register on PeeringDB — https://www.peeringdb.com for peering visibility
6. Create an as-set object (e.g., AS-YOURCOMPANY) for grouping your ASN and customer ASNs

Example: Verify Your ASN

# Look up your aut-num object
whois -h whois.ripe.net AS64496

# Check BGP announcements (after peering is established)
curl -s "https://stat.ripe.net/data/announced-prefixes/data.json?resource=AS64496" | jq '.data.prefixes'

Timeline Summary

Step	Duration
Prepare documents	1–7 days
Submit request via LIR	1 day
RIPE NCC evaluation	1–2 weeks
Compliance/KYC	1–5 days (may overlap)
ASN assignment	1 day after approval
BGP setup and announcement	1–3 days
Total	~2–4 weeks

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose my ASN number?

No. RIPE NCC assigns ASNs sequentially from the available pool. All new assignments are 32-bit (4-byte) ASNs.

Can I transfer my ASN to another LIR?

Yes. You can change your sponsoring LIR at any time. The ASN remains registered to your organization. Contact your new LIR to initiate the transfer.

What happens if I stop paying the sponsorship fee?

The sponsoring LIR may terminate the agreement. You will have a notice period to find a new sponsor. If you don't find one, RIPE NCC will eventually deregister the ASN.

Do I need an ASN for IPv6?

Not necessarily. If you are single-homed, your provider can announce your IPv6 prefix under their ASN. However, if you want independent routing control, you should get your own ASN.

Can I get a 16-bit (2-byte) ASN?

16-bit ASNs (0–65535) are no longer available for new assignments. All new ASN assignments are 32-bit. Modern BGP implementations fully support 32-bit ASNs.