Register an ASN with RIPE NCC: Process, Cost, Timeline

If you want to announce your own IP prefixes via BGP, peer at an Internet Exchange, or run a multihomed network, you need an Autonomous System Number. This guide walks through the entire RIPE NCC ASN registration process: eligibility, the LIR sponsorship model, costs, documentation, timeline, and what to do once you have your number.

What is an Autonomous System Number (ASN)?

An ASN is a unique 32-bit integer assigned to a network that operates its own routing policy on the public Internet. ASNs identify networks in BGP, the protocol that glues the Internet together. When your router announces a prefix, it includes your ASN in the AS_PATH attribute. Every other network uses that number to decide whether to accept your routes.

The original 16-bit ASN space (0-65535) ran out years ago. All new assignments are 32-bit (0-4294967295), as defined in RFC 6793. You can still request a 16-bit ASN from RIPE NCC, but the pool of unreferenced 16-bit numbers is nearly exhausted. RIPE will start reassigning previously-used 16-bit ASNs once the pool runs dry.

For practical purposes: request a 32-bit ASN unless you have a specific legacy equipment reason for a 16-bit one. Every modern BGP implementation supports 4-byte ASNs.

Who needs an ASN?

You need an ASN if you plan to do any of the following:

Multihome your network across two or more upstream providers
Peer at an Internet Exchange Point (IXP)
Announce provider-independent (PI) IP space that you own or lease
Operate a network with its own routing policy distinct from your upstream

You do not need an ASN if you are a single-homed customer using your provider's IP space. Your traffic already routes through their AS.

How does ASN registration work with RIPE NCC?

RIPE NCC is one of five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). It manages number resource allocation for Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia, covering over 75 countries.

There are two paths to getting an ASN through RIPE NCC. The right choice depends on the scale of your operation.

Should I become a RIPE NCC member or use a sponsoring LIR?

A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an organization that has signed a membership agreement with RIPE NCC. LIRs can request and manage Internet number resources directly.

Path 1: Become a RIPE NCC member (open your own LIR account). You get direct access to the RIPE LIR Portal, can request ASNs and IP space yourself, and manage your own RIPE database objects. This makes sense if you are an ISP, hosting provider, or enterprise that will manage multiple resources over time.

Path 2: Use a sponsoring LIR. A sponsoring LIR submits the ASN request on your behalf and maintains the administrative relationship with RIPE NCC. You get the same ASN. The resource is fully portable: you can transfer sponsorship to another LIR at any time. This path suits organizations that need one ASN and possibly a PI prefix but do not want to deal with RIPE NCC membership administration.

	LIR membership (Path 1)	Sponsoring LIR (Path 2)
First year cost	EUR 2,850 (EUR 1,800 annual fee + EUR 1,000 sign-up + EUR 50 ASN fee)	EUR 130-300 (sponsor service fee, includes RIPE ASN fee)
Annual cost after	EUR 1,850 (EUR 1,800 + EUR 50 per ASN) + EUR 75 per independent resource	EUR 130-300 (sponsor fee varies by LIR)
Best for	ISPs, hosting providers, networks managing multiple resources	Single ASN, hobbyist networks, small companies
Admin burden	You manage your LIR account, billing, RIPE database objects	LIR handles RIPE admin; you manage your BGP config
Resource portability	Resources tied to your LIR account	ASN is yours; transfer to another sponsor anytime

All fee figures come from the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026 (RIPE-848), which carried the 2025 fee structure forward unchanged.

Decision rule: If you only need one ASN and maybe one PI prefix, use a sponsoring LIR. If you plan to manage IP allocations, assign resources to downstream customers, or request more than a handful of resources, open your own LIR account.

What documents are required for ASN registration?

The exact documentation depends on your sponsoring LIR, but RIPE NCC requires the following through the sponsoring LIR:

End User Assignment Agreement between you and the sponsoring LIR. This is a contract that covers the terms of the sponsorship. Your LIR provides this.
Company registration documents (or government-issued ID for individuals in jurisdictions that allow it). RIPE NCC needs to verify the legal entity behind the resource.
Network diagram or description showing your intended multihoming setup. Include the AS numbers of at least two upstream providers you plan to peer with, plus their contact details.
Routing policy described in RPSL (Routing Policy Specification Language). This is typically a simple import/export statement. Your LIR can help draft it.

If your organization is registered outside the RIPE NCC service region, you must demonstrate that the ASN will be used within the RIPE region. Provide contracts or infrastructure details showing presence in a RIPE-region country.

What is the multihoming requirement?

Under current RIPE policy, you must demonstrate that your network is or will be multihomed to qualify for an ASN. Multihomed means having BGP sessions with at least two different upstream networks, each identified by a distinct ASN.

In practice, this requirement is loosely enforced. RIPE NCC's own data shows that roughly half of assigned ASNs do not meet the multihoming criteria. Many LIRs accept a letter of intent stating you plan to multihome within a reasonable timeframe.

Policy proposal 2025-01: the multihoming requirement may go away

RIPE policy proposal 2025-01 ("ASN assignment criteria revisited") proposes removing the multihoming requirement entirely for first ASN assignments. Under version 2.0 of the proposal:

LIRs and end users may receive their first ASN without any justification
Additional ASNs require documented justification for a unique routing policy
Assigned ASNs should be in use within six months

The proposal acknowledges that 32-bit ASN space is not scarce and that the current requirement is unenforceable. As of March 2026, the discussion phase closed in November 2025 and the proposers are working on a new version. It has not been adopted yet, so the multihoming requirement technically still applies.

If you are applying now, prepare a multihoming justification. Even a statement of intent with two named upstreams is usually sufficient.

How much does it cost to register an ASN?

The total cost depends on which path you choose.

Sponsoring LIR path (most common for individuals and small networks)

Cost component	Amount	Frequency
Sponsor service fee	EUR 80-250	Annual (varies by LIR)
RIPE NCC ASN fee	EUR 50	Annual (billed to the LIR, usually passed through)
Typical total	EUR 130-300	Per year

The RIPE NCC ASN fee of EUR 50/year was introduced in the 2025 charging scheme. Before 2025, there was no separate per-ASN charge. Some LIRs absorb this fee into their service price; others list it separately.

If you also register PI address space through the same LIR, add EUR 75/year per independent resource (IPv4 PI, IPv6 PI, or anycast assignment) to the RIPE NCC fees.

LIR membership path

Cost component	Amount	Frequency
Sign-up fee	EUR 1,000	One-time
Annual service fee	EUR 1,800	Annual
Per-ASN fee	EUR 50	Annual, per ASN
Per-independent-resource fee	EUR 75	Annual, per PI/anycast/IXP assignment
First year total (1 ASN)	EUR 2,850
Subsequent years (1 ASN)	EUR 1,850

The LIR path only makes economic sense if you manage multiple resources or resell connectivity.

How long does ASN registration take?

Step	Duration	Who acts
Choose a sponsoring LIR, sign agreement	1-3 days	You + LIR
Gather documentation, create RIPE DB objects	1-2 days	You + LIR
LIR submits ASN request to RIPE NCC	Same day	LIR
RIPE NCC evaluates the request	2-3 business days	RIPE NCC
ASN assigned and visible in RIPE database	Same day as approval	RIPE NCC
Total	1-2 weeks

Straightforward cases (company in the RIPE region, clear multihoming plan) are often completed in under a week. Complex cases involving entities outside the service region or incomplete documentation take longer.

16-bit vs 32-bit ASN

RIPE NCC assigns 32-bit ASNs by default. This has been the case since 2009. The 32-bit ASN range (0-4294967295) is defined in RFC 6793.

16-bit ASNs (0-65535) are still in use across the Internet, but the pool of unassigned 16-bit numbers is nearly exhausted. If you specifically need a 16-bit ASN (for compatibility with legacy equipment that cannot handle 4-byte ASNs), you can request one from RIPE NCC. Expect limited availability. Some 16-bit ASNs are available on the secondary transfer market.

For new deployments, always use a 32-bit ASN. Compatibility issues with 4-byte ASNs in BGP implementations were resolved over a decade ago.

Step-by-step: registering an ASN through a sponsoring LIR

Here is the typical process from start to finish.

1. Choose a sponsoring LIR. Compare pricing, included services (RPKI management, RIPE database maintenance, BGP support), and contract terms. Some LIRs bundle ASN registration with PI space and BGP transit. Virtua.Cloud is one option at EUR 130/year including the RIPE fee. Several other LIRs offer similar services across the RIPE region.

2. Sign the End User Assignment Agreement. Your LIR provides this document. It governs the sponsorship relationship and your obligations regarding the resource.

3. Provide your documentation. Company registration, ID, and a network description showing your intended BGP setup. Include the ASNs and names of at least two upstream providers.

4. Create RIPE database objects. Before the ASN request is submitted, you need objects in the RIPE database. Your LIR may create these for you:

person or role object: contact information for the ASN holder
organisation object: your legal entity in the RIPE database
mntner (maintainer) object: authentication for modifying your objects

5. LIR submits the ASN request. The LIR fills in the request form in the RIPE LIR Portal, referencing your documentation and RIPE DB objects.

6. RIPE NCC evaluates. RIPE staff review the request, verify documentation, and check that the multihoming requirement is met. They may ask follow-up questions. This takes 2-3 business days for clean submissions.

7. ASN is assigned. RIPE NCC creates the aut-num object in the RIPE database. You now have an ASN. The object includes your routing policy, admin and tech contacts, and the sponsoring LIR reference.

What to do after your ASN is assigned

Getting the ASN is the beginning, not the end. You need to set up several things before you can announce routes.

1. Create route and route6 objects

For every prefix you plan to announce, create a route (IPv4) or route6 (IPv6) object in the RIPE database. These objects bind a prefix to your ASN and are used by other networks for route filtering.

route:          203.0.113.0/24
descr:          Example Network
origin:         AS64496
mnt-by:         YOUR-MNT
source:         RIPE

2. Set up RPKI ROAs

Create Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) in the RIPE RPKI dashboard. A ROA cryptographically binds your prefix to your ASN. Networks that perform RPKI validation will reject announcements of your prefix from any other ASN.

Create ROAs for each prefix you announce. Set the max-length carefully. For a /24, set max-length to 24 unless you plan to announce more specifics.

3. Create an AS-SET

An as-set object groups your ASN (and any downstream ASNs you carry). Upstream providers and IXPs use your AS-SET for prefix filter generation via tools like bgpq4 or IRRd.

as-set:         AS-EXAMPLE
descr:          Example Network AS-SET
members:        AS64496
tech-c:         YOUR-NIC
admin-c:        YOUR-NIC
mnt-by:         YOUR-MNT
source:         RIPE

4. Register on PeeringDB

PeeringDB is the global database where networks publish their peering information. Create an account, register your ASN, and fill in your facility locations, IXP memberships, and peering policy. Other networks use PeeringDB to find and evaluate potential peers.

5. Configure BGP on your router

With the ASN assigned, RPKI ROAs in place, and route objects created, you can configure BGP on your router or VPS. Two popular open-source BGP daemons for Linux:

BIRD 2:
FRRouting (FRR):

Your upstream provider or IXP will give you a BGP session configuration: their ASN, peering IP addresses, and any prefix limits or communities.

6. Verify your announcements

After bringing up your BGP sessions, verify your routes are visible from the outside:

RIPEstat: Check your ASN's routing status, RPKI validity, and visibility
bgp.tools: See your prefix announcements and AS path from multiple vantage points
NLNOG Looking Glass: Query BGP tables from networks across the NLNOG ring

If your prefix does not appear, check:

Is the BGP session established? (show bgp summary on your router)
Is the prefix in the RIPE database with a matching route object?
Is your ROA valid? (check on RIPEstat)
Does your upstream's prefix filter include your AS-SET?

Frequently asked questions

Can I transfer my ASN to a different sponsoring LIR? Yes. ASN sponsorship is transferable. You sign a new End User Assignment Agreement with the new LIR, and they submit a sponsorship change request to RIPE NCC. The ASN stays the same.

Can I use my RIPE ASN outside Europe? The ASN is a global identifier. Once assigned, you can announce it from any location. The RIPE NCC service region requirement only applies to the registration process, not to where you use the ASN.

Do I need IP space before registering an ASN? No. You can register an ASN first and obtain IP space later. Some networks start by announcing provider-assigned (PA) space from their upstream using their own ASN, then later obtain PI space.

What happens if I stop paying? If you or your sponsoring LIR stop paying the RIPE NCC fees, the ASN will eventually be deregistered. RIPE NCC sends reminders before taking action. Find a new sponsor or close the account before deregistration to keep your options open.

Is there a free ASN option? No. RIPE NCC charges EUR 50/year per ASN, and sponsoring LIRs charge a service fee on top. There is no path to a free ASN in the RIPE region.