On 3 September 2026 ICANN appointed Analysys Mason as the Geographic Names Panel for the 2026 new gTLD round. The panel will check every applied-for string, not only those flagged by applicants, to decide whether it is a country name (barred), a geographic name that needs government support, or neither. This matters to brands whose names coincide with a capital, a province or a region, which is common in Spain and Latin America, and to the public bodies that may want to object.
Update (October 2026): on 29 September ICANN set Reveal Day for 7 October 2026, String Confirmation Day for 17 November and the community input and objections period from 17 November 2026 to 16 March 2027. ICANN, 29 September 2026.
Key takeaways
- Analysys Mason will act as both the Geographic Names Panel and the Reserved Names Panel, selected through a request for proposals launched in February 2026.
- Country and territory names, including translations in any language, will not be approved.
- Capital cities, exact matches of sub-national names listed in ISO 3166-2 and UNESCO or UN regions need letters of support or non-objection; ordinary city names only when the applicant plans to use the TLD for city purposes.
- The conditional Geographic Names Review fee will not exceed USD 12,000.
- The classification applies even if the applicant did not designate the string as geographic, including a .brand.
What did ICANN announce on 3 September?
ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which coordinates the domain name system) announced on 3 September 2026 that Analysys Mason Limited, a telecoms and technology consultancy, will run two panels. The Geographic Names Panel will evaluate whether applied-for strings are geographic names under the Applicant Guidebook. The Reserved Names Panel will decide whether a string is a reserved name.
The appointment comes after the application window closed on 12 August 2026 with more than 1,600 primary applications, according to ICANN’s announcement of 13 August. Which strings were requested, and by whom, remains confidential until Reveal Day, which ICANN expected no later than nine weeks after the close.
Which strings count as geographic names gTLD applications?
The rules are in section 7.5 of the 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook (version of 24 April 2026):
| Type of string | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Country or territory name: ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code, long or short form, translations in any language, separable components, permutations | Not approved (7.5.1) |
| Capital city of any country or territory, in any language | Support or non-objection from the relevant government |
| City name | Support required only if the applicant intends to use the TLD primarily for purposes associated with the city |
| Exact match of a sub-national place name in ISO 3166-2 (counties, provinces, states) | Support or non-objection; possibly from more than one authority |
| UNESCO region or M49 geographic region (for example, Latin America and the Caribbean) | Support from at least 60% of the governments of the region, with no more than one written objection |
Two clarifications matter in practice. Strings that include but do not exactly match a geographic name are not treated as geographic names. And ICANN reviews every application, so if an applicant fails to self-designate and the panel later identifies the string as geographic, the extra requirements still apply.
What does this mean for names from Spain and Latin America?
ISO 3166-2 lists the main subdivisions of each country, which in practice covers Spain’s autonomous communities and provinces and the states, provinces or departments of Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. Any applied-for string that exactly matches one of those names, including a .brand whose trademark happens to be the name of a province, needs a letter of support or non-objection. The applicant must identify the relevant authorities; the panel decides which governments are relevant, and where more than one is, documentation is needed from all of them.
Ordinary city names work differently. A company whose brand coincides with a city that is not a capital will not need a government letter if it uses the TLD as a brand. The Guidebook warns cities not to rely on the evaluation to protect names that are nicknames or close renderings, and points them to community objections or their own applications instead.
The letter must come from the competent level of government and show that the authority understands the string and its intended use. No government is obliged to provide one, and if support is withdrawn the application fails.
What this means for your business
- If you applied: check your string against ISO 3166-1, ISO 3166-2, the list of capitals and the regional lists, and secure the letters now. The Guidebook allows at least 90 days in extended evaluation, but after that there is no further opportunity in this round.
- If your brand is a place name you did not apply for: prepare to read the list on Reveal Day and to assess objections, such as a Legal Rights Objection, within the objections window.
- If you are a regional body or a company linked to a territory: identify early which strings could affect you and who in your administration signs the letters.
For a review of your string or a watch on the applications that affect your brands, our gTLD and domain name team can coordinate the work with your trademark portfolio in Europe and Latin America.
Where applicants get geographic names wrong
- Assuming a .brand is exempt. An exact match with an ISO 3166-2 name or a capital requires support even if the TLD will only carry the brand.
- Getting the wrong level of government. Each national administration decides who signs; a regional letter may not be enough.
- Leaving letters to the end. Governments follow internal procedures and can refuse.
Frequently asked questions
Can a brand that matches a city name obtain a .brand gTLD?
Yes, if the city is not a capital and the applicant does not intend to use the TLD primarily for purposes associated with the city; in that case no government letter is required. If the brand exactly matches a capital or a sub-national name listed in ISO 3166-2, the applicant needs documented support or non-objection from the relevant authorities.
Does the Geographic Names Panel review every application?
Yes. Under section 7.5 of the Applicant Guidebook, all applied-for strings and their variants are checked, whether or not the applicant designated them as geographic. If the panel identifies a string as a geographic name, the application becomes subject to the same documentation requirements and conditional fee.
How much does the Geographic Names Review cost?
The Guidebook sets a conditional fee, payable only if the review is needed, that will not exceed USD 12,000. It is separate from the evaluation fee paid on submission and from any professional costs of obtaining government letters.
Can IP Global Guard help with a geographic name application or objection?
Yes. We check whether a string falls into a geographic category, map the authorities whose support is needed and prepare the documentation. Where third-party applications affect your brands, we coordinate the watch and any objection, working with qualified representatives where required, from a single point of contact.
How IP Global Guard helps with the 2026 round
Geographic names add a political layer to the gTLD process: letters, ministries and timelines that do not depend on you. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, works across more than 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America and Africa with one strategy and a single point of contact.
Tell us which string you applied for, or which brands and territories you want to watch. We will tell you whether the geographic rules apply and what to prepare before Reveal Day. Speak to our gTLD team.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the situation on the date of publication.
Sources
- ICANN, Geographic Names and Reserved Names Panel provider for the 2026 round (3 September 2026)
- ICANN, 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook, sections 3.3, 7.1.2.2 and 7.5 (version of 24 April 2026)
- ICANN, 2026 round closes with more than 1,600 applications (13 August 2026)
- ICANN, Reveal Day date and other 2026 round milestones (29 September 2026, update only)
