RIPE NCC handles IPv4 transfers differently from every other registry, and the differences matter more than most buyers expect.
There is no needs assessment for a standard transfer inside the region, but there are eligibility rules that will stop a deal cold if you find them late.
This guide covers the process from both sides. It follows the sequence RIPE actually uses rather than the order a broker might present it.
Key Takeaways
- Transfer requests can only be submitted by the offering LIR, or by the sponsoring LIR of an offering End User. The buyer does not initiate.
- IPv4 addresses cannot be transferred for 24 months after the current holder received them, whether from RIPE NCC, through a transfer, or after a merger.
- RIPE NCC charges nothing for resource transfers.
- A signed Transfer Agreement plus recent registration documents for both parties are mandatory, and RIPE screens both against the EU sanctions list.
- Partial blocks can be transferred, so you do not have to buy a whole prefix to get the addresses you need.
What a RIPE NCC transfer actually changes
A transfer moves the registered holder of an address block in the RIPE Database. It does not move any physical infrastructure, and it does not automatically fix anything about how the addresses behave on the internet.
That distinction shapes the whole process. The registry cares about legal entities and policy compliance, while your network team cares about routing, reputation, and geolocation.
Who is allowed to transfer resources?
Every resource holder in the RIPE region is either an LIR, meaning a RIPE NCC member, or an End User operating through a sponsoring LIR. Both can transfer, but only through the correct channel.
RIPE permits transfers from LIR to LIR, whether those are different organizations or two LIR accounts held by the same member.
It also permits End User to End User transfers, with either the same sponsoring LIR or different ones, and transfers in both directions between an LIR and an End User.
The submission rule catches people out. Only the offering LIR, or the sponsoring LIR of the offering End User, can raise the request, so a buyer cannot start the process themselves.
The 24-month restriction
This single rule kills more deals than anything else in the RIPE region. IPv4 addresses and 16-bit AS numbers cannot be transferred for 24 months after the current holder received them, and that clock starts whether the resources came from RIPE NCC, arrived via a transfer from another organization, or moved following a change in business structure such as a merger.
There is one carve-out. For consolidations, meaning transfers between multiple LIR accounts belonging to the same organization, the 24-month restriction applies only once, after the resources were first received from RIPE NCC or from another organization.
Ask for the acquisition date before you negotiate on price. A seller who cannot produce it is either disorganized or sitting on space they cannot yet move.
Documents RIPE NCC requires
The paperwork list is short but strictly enforced. Each party must supply a recent registration document from the relevant national authority if it is a legal person, or a digital copy of a passport or other valid ID if it is a natural person, with validity checked by a third party called iDenfy.
Beyond identity, you need a Transfer Agreement signed by both parties, and it has to be signed by representatives who are legally authorised to act for their organizations.
You also need documentation proving those signatories hold that authority, which is usually visible on the company registration certificate itself.
Consolidations are lighter.
No transfer agreement is required between LIRs held by the same member, though RIPE may still ask for recent registration documents.
Verify the block before you commit
RIPE will confirm that a transfer is policy-compliant. It will not tell you whether the addresses are usable, and that gap is where buyers get burned.
Check three things independently: blacklist status across major reputation lists, stale BGP announcements and IRR route objects left by the previous holder, and confirmation that the space carries no liens or disputes.
IPv4 Connect screens every subnet in its marketplace against more than 100 global blacklists, supplies that report free with each listing, and removes existing announcements and DNS entries before a transfer completes.
The submission process, step by step
- Confirm eligibility. Check the holding-period status of the block and confirm the receiving entity can legally hold the resources, either as an LIR or through a sponsoring LIR.
- Agree terms and sign. Execute the Transfer Agreement between both parties, with authorised signatories on each side.
- Assemble documentation. Gather registration certificates or ID documents for both parties, plus evidence of signing authority.
- Submit through the LIR Portal. The offering party raises the request under Resources, then Request Transfer, selecting the specific resources. Partial prefixes are permitted here.
- RIPE evaluates. The request is reviewed against applicable RIPE policies and RIPE NCC procedures once all supporting documentation has arrived.
- Registry update. On approval, the RIPE Database is updated to show the new holder, which is the point at which the transfer is genuinely complete.
The sanctions check nobody mentions
As part of evaluation, RIPE NCC screens both parties against the EU sanctions list. If either party is found to be under sanctions, the request will not be approved.
Raise it early in any deal involving unfamiliar counterparties or complex ownership. A failed screening does not delay a transfer; it ends it.
Inter-RIR transfers involving RIPE
Moving space into or out of the RIPE region is a different process with more moving parts. RIPE NCC supports inter-RIR transfers with ARIN, APNIC and LACNIC, and each transfer must be approved by both RIPE NCC and the counterpart registry before it can be processed.
Until completion, the resources remain subject to the policies of the registry they are currently registered with, and only afterwards do they fall under the recipient registry's rules.
AFRINIC has no inter-RIR policy in place, so no resources can currently move to or from that region.
One practical consequence: a transfer arriving from ARIN brings that registry's needs-based requirements with it.
A deal that would face no justification burden inside RIPE can require a documented business case simply because of where the source block sits.
What still needs doing after approval
A completed registry update is the start of your operational work, not the end of it. You need to announce the prefix from your own ASN, create RPKI ROAs for route origin validation, and update or create IRR objects that match.
Geolocation is the slowest piece. Transferred space often still resolves to the previous holder's country in commercial databases, which breaks region-locked services until those providers refresh.
Conclusion
The RIPE process is more permissive than ARIN on justification and considerably stricter on eligibility.
There is no business case to write for a standard intra-region transfer, but the holding period, the submission channel, and the sanctions screening will each stop a deal outright if they are discovered late.
Work the checks in order. Confirm the holding period first, then confirm who is legally able to submit, then assemble documentation, and only then talk seriously about price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does RIPE charge a fee for IPv4 transfers?
No. RIPE NCC lists all resource transfers as free of charge, though your own LIR membership costs and any broker or escrow fees still apply.
Do I need to justify why I need the addresses?
Not for a standard transfer within the RIPE region, which is the main structural difference from ARIN. An inter-RIR transfer arriving from a needs-based registry is the exception, since the source region's requirements still apply.
Can I buy part of an address block instead of the whole prefix?
Yes. RIPE permits partial prefix transfers, so a seller can release a portion of a larger allocation.
How long does a RIPE transfer take?
Timelines depend on how quickly documentation is assembled and how clean it is. Inter-RIR transfers run longer because two registries review the same request independently.
What happens if the seller received the addresses recently?
The block is locked for 24 months from the date they received it, and no agreement between buyer and seller can override that. Confirm the acquisition date before spending time on negotiation.
