RIPE NCC IPv4 Policy: Transfers and LIR Requirements
RIPE NCC IPv4 transfers depend on resource status, the receiving organization’s relationship with the registry and transfer restrictions. Ordinary transfers within the region do not require a recipient needs assessment. Incoming transfers from needs-based regions can require a utilization plan.
Policy snapshot checked 2026-11-08.
Service region and IPv4 supply
The RIPE NCC serves Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. The ordinary IPv4 free pool is exhausted. Recovered /24s are distributed through an eligibility-based waiting list; a membership application is not a promise of supply.
Allocation and assignment
Allocated PA resources must be held by a RIPE NCC member. Eligible PI assignments can be held directly or through a sponsoring LIR. An assignment and an allocation give different downstream responsibilities; choose the account relationship before arranging receipt of a block.
Transfer eligibility
The offering party must be the legitimate holder and submit an authorized request. The recipient must have the relationship required by the resource status. Both parties supply identity and authority evidence; the resource must not be subject to a return requirement or a transfer restriction.
No IPv4 minimum in RIPE-807; the other RIR's minimum applies to inter-RIR transfers.The controlling source is RIPE-807, Resource Transfer Policies. A registry’s ability to register a small block does not guarantee acceptance by transit networks.
Recipient documents and needs assessment
Prepare current legal-identity evidence, authorized signatories, receiving-account details and the transfer documentation requested by the RIPE NCC. Resolve any mismatch between the registered holder and a successor entity before an ordinary transfer.
No needs assessment for ordinary intra-region transfers. Inbound transfers from a needs-based region require a plan to use at least 50% within five years.Use the needs-justification worksheet when the incoming route requires a plan. A blanket “RIPE does not assess need” statement is incomplete.
Holding periods and transfer locks
IPv4 is restricted for 24 months after receipt, including receipt through M&A. Further genuine M&A is excepted; a voluntary transfer lock is a separate restriction.For multiple LIR accounts under the same legal organization, account consolidation is a distinct case: the restriction applies once after external receipt or a direct RIPE NCC allocation, rather than restarting on each internal consolidation. Establish the actual legal entity and receipt history in the request.
Waiting list
One recovered /24 per eligible LIR account that has never received an IPv4 allocation directly from the RIPE NCC; supply and timing are not guaranteed.A received transfer and a direct RIPE NCC allocation are different events for this eligibility test. The waiting-list network must meet the applicable regional-use requirement. Do not plan an activation date from queue membership alone.
Processing and completion
Separate account activation, authority checks, resource eligibility and the final registration change. Inter-RIR cases add coordination with the other registry. Use the transfer timeline reference for planning ranges, not as a RIPE NCC service commitment.
Completion is the registry’s approved change of holder. Verify the resource status and responsible organization, then carry out the planned routing-security handover.
Fees
EUR 1,800 per LIR account, plus EUR 75 per independent resource assignment and EUR 50 per ASN assignment where applicable. EUR 1,000 sign-up fee for a new membership or additional LIR account; specific legacy-holder exceptions apply. No separate ordinary resource-transfer processing charge in the 2026 charging scheme; membership and resource charges still apply.These are 2026 charges from the RIPE NCC charging scheme. A sponsor’s service price is separate from the registry’s charge to its member.
Operational pitfalls
- A sponsor arrangement for PI space or an ASN does not qualify the organization to hold an allocated PA block without the required member relationship.
- A new ROA, maintainer change or LOA is not a change of registered holder.
- Receipt through M&A can restrict a later ordinary transfer, even when the addresses were allocated many years earlier.
Follow M&A registration requirements for a corporate event. For an IPv4 acquisition, establish the resource status and receiving relationship before treating the block as deliverable.