Swiss domains expand: private individuals now eligible for ‘.swiss’ URLs
As of April 24, private individuals will be able to run a website with an URL ending in ".swiss" rather than ".ch". This URL domain is certified by the Swiss Confederation and guarantees that the owner of the domain belongs to the Swiss community.
Launched in 2015 for professionals and public organisations and administrations, the “.swiss” domain is now available to private individuals.
The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) will be taking registrations as of April 24.
Strict eligibility requirements
Caroline Sauser, Head of Communications at OFCOM, explained the conditions required to obtain a “.swiss” domain name on Swiss public radio, RTS, this week: “Anyone can register, as long as they are a Swiss citizen or live and work in Switzerland. It will be possible to reserve a domain name under one’s own name, such as one’s surname, first name, registered partnership, married name or the name received in a religious order” It will also be possible to apply for a “.swiss” domain name with the name of an artist or a trademark registered as a private individual.
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An old-age and survivors’ insurance (OASI) number is required for identification purposes. This must be provided to the web hosting provider, the operator accredited to manage the domain name, such as Infomaniak or Hostpoint. These service providers are also able to check whether the desired name is free and will take care of the formalities with OFCOM. It is already possible to pre-reserve a “.swiss” website name with these web hosting provider.
However, “it will not be possible to reserve a generic name, for example a word belonging to a particular profession, such as ‘doctor.swiss'”. A list of the domain names that cannot be reserved is available on the nic.swiss website or from the web hosting provider “, says Sauser.
Quality control, at a price
Obtaining a “.swiss” domain name costs between CHF90 and CHF120 ($99 and $131) per year. By comparison, a “.ch” domain name costs between CHF5 and CHF20 per year. This difference is due to “quality control, which ensures that you belong to the Swiss community and that the word ‘.swiss’ is recognised abroad”, explains Sauser.
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On the commercial side, this domain also provides a better guarantee of the origin of online shops. “Companies with a ‘.swiss’ website must have an IDE number, which is a company identification number which is registered to an office in Switzerland and not just a post-box,” says Sauser.
Adapted from French by DeepL/amva
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