.BH Registry - The Complete Launch Overview

Onboarding Details:

• RRA - to be executed directly with TRA. Please contact support@centralnic.com to initiate this process. 
• Billing - pricing is fixed and presented in USD 
• Registry system - TLD will be added to your standard CentralNic account and transactions will be reflected on your standard invoice 
• Premium list - yes (will be available on OTE)
  • Please note that premium domains renew at standard pricing
• Accreditation/onboarding fee: $132.59 (BHD 50)
  • Will be billed by CentralNic after the RRA has been counter-signed by TRA

TLD configuration:

• Sponsoring Organisation: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA)
• Registry website: https://domains.bh/
• Registrar contact: support@centralnic.com
• Eligibility requirements: top-level .bh and the IDN “xn--mgbcpq6gpa1a” (.albahrain) are open to the public for registration (after having gone through the launch phases). 
• Additional SLDs have eligibility requirements (see eligibility criteria below)
• Privacy/proxy services are not permitted 
• Domain length: 1 - 63 (1-3 character are flagged as premium)
• Minimum/maximum term: 1 - 5
• Domain lifecycle: standard domain lifecycle
• IDNs supported: Arabic (in addition to latin language table) 
• Registry lock: enabled 
• SLDs supported - (note that these are not going through sunrise/LRP)
• Category one: .com.bh, .net.bh, .org.bh, .edu.bh
• Category two: .cc,bh, .info.bh, .biz.bh
• Category three: .me.bh, .name.bh

Eligibility Requirements and Nexus Requirements

The top-level .bh and the IDN .albahrain are open to the public for registration.

• However, all applications are subject to an post-registration approval process and domain names may be rejected by the registry if they are deemed to breach the terms of the ministerial resolution. As per Article (28) and Article (30) from the “Rules of Domain Names of the Kingdom of Bahrain” and Article (9) set in the Ministerial Resolution, TRA has the right to reserve any domain name that consists of technical terms, countries and cities names or any other names determined by the Authority that might cause confusion to the users." TRA shall make its decision to reject a domain name registration within the add grace period (5 working days). Please see the ministerial resolution for domain name use in the Kingdom of Bahrain  for further information on ineligible terms. Additional information regarding rules can be found here.

Under .bh there are the following subdomains with different eligibility criteria according to the regulations:

Please note that for the SLDs registrars are required to provide documentation to meet the eligibility requirements as mapped out here.

The documentation required to meet the eligibility requirements can be found in the ‘Rules of Domain Names of the Kingdom of Bahrain’ and here. TRA reserves the right to reject after registration any domain name which provides false information or does not have a registrant residing in Bahrain or company with an office address in Bahrain.

System configuration for .com,bh, .net.bh .org.bh, .edu.bh:

An additional note for registrars in regards to the following SLDs: .com,bh, .net.bh .org.bh, .edu.bh. Please note that from a registry perspective these SLDs will remain in a 'perpetual launch phase mode' due to the application fee requirements (which are non-refundable). As a reminder of how to process domain registrations in a launch phase, please refer to this article.

Pricing configuration:

*: this includes non-refundable application fee plus registration fee

Please note:

• Registry pricing is fixed, presented and billed in USD (with BHD as referential).
• Multi-year discounts are available and referenced in the RRA. The discounts will not be billed at POS, but will be monthly rebates reflected on registrar invoices.
• Reconsideration fees apply when an application has been rejected and a registrar would like to have it reevaluated by the registry.
• All applications are subject to an approval process and the applied domain names shall be made active only upon the approval. TRA shall make its decision on approval/rejection of the domain name application within (3) working days. Please see the ministerial resolution for domain name use in the Kingdom of Bahrain for further information on the terms of approval/rejection.

Launch Fundamentals:

Registrar accreditation requirements: 

• There are no restrictions regarding registrars having a business presence in Bahrain, albeit registrars will be reviewed by TRA on the following basis: registrars are only allowed to sell other TLDs that are in line with the morality clauses of .BH. Registrars that are deemed to sell unethical TLDs may not be approved for accreditation. 
• Local presence requirements are applicable for registrants of SLDs.

Accreditation fee: $132.59 (50 BD) - one-off and not yearly

Application fee: $26.52 (10 BD) is added to the registration cost when registering a .com.bh, .net.bh, .org.bh, .edu.bh and is in addition to the registration fee. This fee is non-refundable in the event of a rejected application.

Technical requirements: Standard EPP commands and TLD lifecycle. Please note that the SLDs subject to the application fee will exist in the CentralNic system in a 'Perpetual Launch Phase Mode' and for more information about what this means for the technical implementation please refer to this article.

IDN Arabic Bahrain Grandfathering:

In conjunction with the .BH general launch, the corresponding IDN variant in Arabic (IDNA specification “xn--mgbcpq6gpa1a” and transliteration of “albahrain”) will be launching and subject to a six (6) month grandfathering phase. The IDN domain is required to be entirely in Arabic and cannot be a mixture of Arabic/Latin characters.

The grandfathering process will work as follows:

When purchasing a .bh, or if an existing .bh domain holder, domain registrants have the right to exclusively purchase the .IDN variant for a period of six (6) months. Registrars are to submit an application for the requested IDN and are required to provide the details of the corresponding .bh in the verification portal. The requested domain will remain in a pending create status until it is verified for eligibility and accuracy of Arabic translation.

At the end of the designated grandfathering period, the reserved unregistered domains will be released for standard registration. Domain holders of SLDs like .com.bh or .org.bh are also eligible and need to provide the corresponding domain during the IDN application process.

Launch Schedule:

.BH Sunrise: End date allocation (60 days)

The Sunrise phase is a registration period lasting sixty (60) days and in which trademark holders have the opportunity to apply for a .BH domain. In order to be eligible for a Sunrise application, registrants are required to provide a valid trademark that matches the domain name. Please be aware that all Sunrise applications will be verified by TRA and set live at the end of the 60 day Sunrise period.

Sunrise and Grandfathering phases (applicable to IDN variant ) will overlap in time. Sunrise dispute resolution process can be found here.

• Start date: 3rd November 2021 09:00 UTC
• End date: 2nd January 2022 08:59 UTC
• Fees: $132.59 plus registration fee

IDN Grandfathering: ongoing allocation after verification (6 months)

All existing legacy .bh and subdomain domain names currently allocated will be offered the opportunity as pre-qualified customers to have their matching names in Arabic language. 

This registration model is known as “grandfathering” and its objective is primarily to provide legacy customers with a priority registration period where they have exclusive access to their matching names in the Arabic IDN version. During the grandfathering phase .bh domain holders may submit an application for their matching IDN. The requested domain will remain in a pending create status until it is verified for eligibility and accuracy of Arabic translation.

The application window will be open for a period of six (6) months which may coincide with the Sunrise phase or be ongoing as announced by the Bahrain Registry. At the conclusion of the Grandfathering phase any names which have not been claimed shall be released for general availability unless reserved by the TRA in its sole discretion.

• Start date: 3rd November 2021 09:00 UTC
• End date: 3rd May 2022 08:59 UTC
• Fees: $132.59 plus registration fee

.BH Local Registration Period: First-come, first served (4 months)

The Local Priority Phase will have a duration of four (4) months from January 2nd with the allocation of qualified names on a first come, first serve basis strictly provided the registrant applicant (whether a business, entity, individual, organization) is located or resides in Bahrain.  This is to give priority to Kingdom of Bahrain residents and local businesses and organizations over any international registration. ALL registrants are required to provide identification (as individual ID or business certificate) as a part of the registration process that proves they reside in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Privacy and proxy services are not permitted and TRA reserves the right to reject after registration any domain name which provides false information or does not have a registrant residing in Bahrain or company with an office address in Bahrain.

• Start date: 2nd January 2022 09:00 UTC
• End date: 3rd May 2022 08:59 UTC

General Availability: Real time registration

• Eligibility: top-level .bh and the IDN .albahrain are open to the public for registration.
• SLDs have eligibility requirements (see eligibility criteria above)
• Privacy/proxy services are not permitted
• Start date: 3rd May 2022 09:00 UTC

Please note that the SLDs WILL NOT be going through the launch phases (as they are not changing restrictions) and are configured to function normally in the system from Nov 3rd and with the standard phase extension in the EPP. Registrars are required to provide documentation to meet the eligibility requirements as mapped out here.

Eligibility restrictions and local nexus restrictions will always apply to the following extensions: