AFRINIC IPv4 Policy: Intra-Region Transfer Requirements
AFRINIC’s implemented IPv4 transfer policy covers transfers within its service region. It requires recognized source authority and an eligible member recipient with justified need. The published policy does not provide an ordinary inter-RIR route; routing a prefix outside Africa does not create one.
Policy snapshot checked 2026-11-08.
Service region and IPv4 supply
AFRINIC serves Africa. Its soft-landing framework governs limited remaining direct IPv4 supply. Eligibility under that framework and the ability to complete a particular request must be established separately from the policy text; do not interpret a published size limit as an assurance of stock or processing time.
Allocation and assignment
AFRINIC distinguishes LIR/ISP allocations from end-user assignments. The recipient’s request must use the appropriate membership and resource category. Resource members sign the applicable Registration Services Agreement and maintain accurate organizational and operational contacts.
Regional-use requirements matter. A network plan should describe the African operation and explain any use outside the region under the applicable policy.
Transfer eligibility
CPM section 5.7 covers recognized resources held by existing members or legacy holders in the region. The source must be the recognized rights holder and the resources must not be in dispute.
CPM 5.7 does not state a universal transfer minimum; the recipient must meet the applicable allocation or assignment criteria.The controlling source is the AFRINIC Consolidated Policy Manual, sections 5.4 and 5.7. Its implemented regional-transfer rule should not be confused with an inter-RIR proposal.
Recipient documents and needs assessment
AFRINIC membership, a Registration Services Agreement and approved initial/additional IPv4 need.Prepare entity-registration evidence, authorized contacts, an inventory of existing resources and a documented deployment plan. Check the applicable LIR or end-user criteria rather than using another region’s utilization percentage. The needs-evidence worksheet provides a practical structure for the submission.
Source restrictions and subsequent requests
No receipt of an AFRINIC IPv4 transfer, allocation or assignment in the previous 12 months, except M&A; no further direct AFRINIC IPv4 allocations or assignments for 12 months after transfer approval.These are source-organization conditions. An old allocation date for the offered block does not establish that the source received no other resources recently. Preserve the source account’s receipt history and identify any genuine corporate-event exception in the request.
Soft-landing supply and queue assumptions
Soft-landing Phase 2 defines /24–/22 direct requests, subject to eligibility and remaining supply. Confirm current processing and availability with AFRINIC. For additional direct requests during exhaustion, CPM 5.4.6 requires at least 90% use of previous allocations or assignments; the first request by a new holder is excepted. The exhaustion planning period is eight months. Do not substitute the ordinary additional-LIR 80% rule without establishing the applicable policy route.The soft-landing mechanism is not equivalent to another RIR’s recovered-address queue. Record the exact policy route, utilization requirements and request status rather than assuming that queue entry or membership implies a delivery date.
Processing and completion
Confirm the current submission channel, document requirements and operational status directly in the case. Establish the recipient’s active membership and agreement before treating the request as ready. No fixed end-to-end duration is asserted here.
At completion, verify the new holder record and contacts. Transferred legacy resources lose legacy status under CPM 5.7.4.3; check legacy-resource consequences before planning fees or certificate services. Use post-transfer checks for the operational handover.
Fees
Separate LIR and end-site categories based on aggregate holdings; the recipient's category can change at renewal. Allocation or assignment fees can apply for new members and additional resource requests, depending on the approved resources. The published fee page states no transfer fee between existing resource members in its M&A guidance. New recipients can owe allocation/assignment and membership fees; confirm the applicable route before budgeting.The AFRINIC fees and payment page distinguishes LIRs, end sites, new requests and transfer handling. Read its M&A wording in context; a statement about existing members does not establish a zero-cost new recipient account.
Operational pitfalls
- There is no implemented ordinary inter-RIR route in the published policy.
- Source authority, recipient need and regional use are separate checks.
- Policy eligibility does not establish the current administrative timeline or guarantee route acceptance.
For IPv4 divestment planning, establish the eligible regional recipient and source restrictions before presenting a block as transferable to an overseas account.