.GR Domain — Greece’s Official ccTLD, Now Open to the World

About Greece — The Nation Behind .GR

ICS-FORTH — The Registry Operator

ICS-FORTH (Institute of Computer Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas) is the official registry operator for the .GR and .ελ top-level domains. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Heraklion, Crete, ICS-FORTH is one of Greece’s premier research institutions, conducting internationally recognised research across computer science, informatics, and digital infrastructure.

ICS-FORTH took over management of .GR in 1994, succeeding the University of Athens which had initially handled the delegation. As a research institution, ICS-FORTH brings a technically rigorous approach to registry management. It also played a significant role in the development and standardisation of Greek IDN (internationalised domain names) at the international level, and was instrumental in establishing .ελ as one of the world’s first non-Latin script ccTLDs.

History of the .GR Domain

The history of .GR tracks closely with Greece’s integration into the global internet — from its early academic origins to a modern, internationally open registry managing both Latin and Greek-script domains.

Academic Origins (1989–1994)

The .GR country code top-level domain was first delegated by IANA in 1989, initially administered by the University of Athens. In its earliest years, .GR was used almost exclusively by academic institutions, research centres, and a small number of government entities connected to ARPANET and early European academic networks. Commercial use was minimal and not yet contemplated by the original administrators.

ICS-FORTH Takes Over (1994–2005)

Management of .GR was transferred to ICS-FORTH in 1994, providing a more structured and technically capable institutional home for the Greek internet’s domain infrastructure. Throughout the late 1990s, commercial internet adoption in Greece grew rapidly alongside the rest of Europe, and .GR registrations expanded significantly during the dot-com era.

By 2000, virtually every major Greek business, media outlet, and government ministry had established a .GR web presence. The extension became firmly established as the authoritative digital identifier for Greek entities.

Greek-Script IDN — Launching .ελ (2010–2013)

One of the most significant developments in .GR’s history was ICS-FORTH’s pioneering work on Greek-script IDN domains. The .ελ ccTLD (pronounced “dot el” — the Greek letters epsilon and lambda, representing “Hellas”) was delegated by IANA in 2013, following years of technical standardisation work led by ICS-FORTH. This made .ελ one of the world’s first non-Latin script ccTLDs, alongside Arabic (.مصر for Egypt) and Cyrillic (.рф for Russia).

The introduction of .ελ allowed Greek businesses, government bodies, and individuals to register domain names entirely in the Greek alphabet for the first time — for example, “αθήνα.ελ” or “ελλάδα.ελ” — enabling a truly native-language digital presence.

Worldwide Liberalisation (2020)

The most transformative recent development was ICS-FORTH’s 2020 decision to fully open .GR to worldwide registration, removing the previous requirement for registrants to have a Greek address, Greek company registration, or EU/EEA presence. This aligned .GR with the likes of .ES (Spain) and .BE (Belgium) as one of Europe’s most open ccTLDs, and significantly expanded the potential registrant base.

• 1989: .GR delegated by IANA to University of Athens
• 1994: Management transferred to ICS-FORTH
• Late 1990s: Rapid commercial adoption during dot-com era
• 2013: .ελ (Greek-script IDN ccTLD) delegated by IANA
• 2014: .ελ opens for general registration
• 2020: .GR fully opened to worldwide registration — no Greek presence required
• 2024: ~650,000 active .GR registrations

The Greek-Script ccTLD — .ελ (dot el)

The .ελ extension was a landmark achievement in the globalisation of the domain name system. For the first time, Greek-speaking internet users could register and use domain names entirely in their native alphabet, without needing to transliterate Greek words into Latin characters.

How .ελ Works

Like all IDN ccTLDs, .ελ uses IDNA (Internationalising Domain Names in Applications) encoding. When a Greek-script domain is typed in a browser, the system converts it to its ACE (ASCII Compatible Encoding) form for DNS resolution while displaying the Greek characters to the user. For example, “αθήνα.ελ” resolves via its xn-- encoded equivalent internally.

Who Uses .ελ?

• Greek government entities — ministries and public bodies establishing Greek-language official web presence
• Greek businesses targeting domestic audiences — particularly retail, hospitality, and consumer services
• Cultural and heritage organisations — museums, foundations, and organisations representing Greek culture
• Educational institutions — universities and schools building Greek-language digital resources

Why Choose a .GR Domain?

Who Uses .GR Domains?

• Greek businesses — from Athens tech startups and Thessaloniki manufacturers to island hoteliers and shipping companies
• Greek government — all central government ministries (gov.gr), regional administrations, and municipalities use .GR
• Tourism industry — hotels, villa rentals, travel agencies, and tour operators across the Greek islands and mainland
• Shipping companies — Greece controls the world’s largest merchant fleet; virtually every Greek shipping house has a .GR presence
• International companies with Greek operations — multinationals localising for the Greek market
• Greek diaspora organisations — cultural associations, churches, and community organisations worldwide
• Domain investors — generic Greek-language .GR domains have a growing aftermarket following the 2020 liberalisation

Who Can Register a .GR Domain?

Since 2020, .GR is fully open to worldwide registration. ICS-FORTH removed the previous Greek/EU presence requirement, making .GR accessible to any individual or organisation globally.

Eligible Registrants (Post-2020)

• Any individual worldwide — no nationality, residency, or age restriction
• Any company or organisation worldwide — no requirement to be incorporated in Greece or the EU/EEA
• Greek nationals and residents — naturally fully eligible as before
• Greek government entities — use specific zones (gov.gr, edu.gr, mil.gr)

Reserved Zones

ICS-FORTH maintains certain protected second-level zones for official use:

• gov.gr — Greek central government ministries and agencies
• edu.gr — Greek educational institutions
• mil.gr — Hellenic Armed Forces
• net.gr — network operators
• org.gr — non-profit organisations

Registration Requirements & Technical Details

Where to Register a .GR Domain

.GR domains are available through ICS-FORTH-accredited registrars. Greek registrars typically offer the most competitive pricing and best local support for domestic registrants. International registrars are increasingly offering .GR following the 2020 worldwide liberalisation.

Top .GR Domain Sales

The .GR aftermarket is smaller than large ccTLDs like .DE or .ES but has seen growing activity since the 2020 worldwide liberalisation opened the extension to international investors. Premium .GR domains cluster around Greece’s core economic sectors: tourism, real estate, shipping, finance, and Greek cultural keywords. Most transactions remain privately negotiated.

Official Resources & Further Reading

Frequently Asked Questions