A ccTLD is a country-code top-level domain, the two-letter suffix at the end of a domain name that identifies a country or territory, such as .de for Germany. IANA delegates each one to a national registry.

Does the ccTLD always match the ISO country code?

Almost always, since ccTLDs are derived from ISO 3166-1 alpha-2. The famous exception is the United Kingdom, which uses .uk even though its ISO code is GB.

Are some ccTLDs used commercially instead of nationally?

Yes. Several small territories license their ccTLD for branding: Tuvalu's .tv for television sites, Montenegro's .me for personal sites, and Anguilla's .ai for AI companies. They remain country codes by definition.

Is .eu a country code?

Not a country, but it is a special ccTLD assigned to the European Union as a supranational entity. It follows the same two-letter ccTLD rules and is included here for convenience.

Can anyone register any ccTLD?

No. Each registry sets its own rules. Some are open to the world, while others require a local presence, a registered business, or proof of residence. Always check the registry policy before assuming availability.

What is the Country Code TLD Lookup?

Search the IANA-assigned country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for any country or territory. Look up extensions like .uk, .de, and .jp alongside their ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Country Code TLD Lookup

Name: Country Code TLD Lookup
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Country code TLD lookup

Every country and territory in the world is assigned a two-letter country-code top-level domain, the suffix at the end of a web address such as .de, .jp, or .br. This reference lets you search by extension, country name, or ISO code to find the right ccTLD instantly.

How it works

ccTLDs are managed by IANA and are derived directly from the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 standard, the same two-letter codes used in passports and on the back of vehicles. In nearly every case the domain suffix equals the ISO code lower- cased: Germany is DE in ISO and .de as a domain.

The headline exception is the United Kingdom, whose ISO code is GB but whose ccTLD is .uk for historical reasons (it predates ISO standardisation). A few territories also license their codes commercially — .tv, .me, .io, and .ai are technically national ccTLDs that have become popular for branding far beyond their home countries.

Notable and unusual ccTLDs

Not all ccTLDs are used the way you might expect. Some have become global brands in their own right:

Commercially popular territory codes

ccTLD	Assigned to	Common use
`.tv`	Tuvalu	Television and streaming
`.me`	Montenegro	Personal sites, startups
`.io`	British Indian Ocean Territory	Tech startups (especially SaaS)
`.ai`	Anguilla	Artificial intelligence companies
`.co`	Colombia	Companies worldwide (alternative to .com)
`.fm`	Micronesia	Radio stations
`.ly`	Libya	URL shorteners (bit.ly style)
`.gl`	Greenland	URL shorteners and maps

These codes generate significant revenue for the territories they are assigned to. Anguilla in particular earns disproportionately from .ai registrations as AI-focused companies seek the domain.

Country exceptions: UK vs GB

The UK is the best-known mismatch between ISO alpha-2 (GB) and ccTLD (.uk). The .uk domain was registered in 1985, predating ISO standardisation, and changing it would require a vast migration. In practice, .co.uk (for companies), .org.uk (for organisations), .ac.uk (for universities), and .gov.uk (for government) are all second-level domains within .uk. The direct .uk domain (without a second-level prefix) was opened for registration later.

The UK also holds .gb, which exists but is essentially unused — only a handful of sites ever registered under it.

Supranational codes

.eu is the European Union’s ccTLD, operated by EURid. It was created specifically for the EU and is available to residents of EU member states. After Brexit, UK registrants lost eligibility and had to transfer away or suspend their .eu domains.

.su (Soviet Union) still technically exists and has active registrations despite the USSR having dissolved. It was never officially retired and remains a curiosity in IANA’s root zone.

Registration restrictions to be aware of

Some ccTLDs require a local presence. A few important examples:

.de (Germany): No German residency required, but the registrant must have a German address or appoint a trustee.
.fr (France): Requires a French or EU postal address or EU trademark.
.jp (Japan): Requires a Japanese address.
.au (Australia): Requires an Australian Business Number (ABN) or trademark.
.ca (Canada): Must be a Canadian presence (citizen, permanent resident, or registered business).

Open ccTLDs (.io, .tv, .me, .co) have no meaningful restrictions and anyone can register.

ccTLD vs generic TLD

A ccTLD is always two letters: .uk, .de, .jp. Anything longer is a generic TLD (gTLD): .com, .org, .net, .app, .shop. The .com namespace is managed by Verisign and has no territorial meaning, even though it originated in the United States. If you need a domain that signals national presence, a ccTLD is the right choice; if you want a globally neutral domain, .com or another gTLD is more appropriate.

Tips and notes

Registration eligibility varies by registry — check the specific registry policy before assuming a ccTLD is available to you.
A ccTLD is exactly two letters; longer suffixes like .com and .org are gTLDs.
The .eu extension is included as a special supranational case even though it is not a single country.
For domain strategy, a nationally targeted ccTLD can signal local relevance to both users and search engines in that country.