Become a DENIC Member
DENIC's legal structure is that of a cooperative. All cooperation of DENIC and the DENIC members is based on the DENIC Statutes. They define the organisational structure and regulate the rights and obligations of the members of the Cooperative.
Information about DENIC-Membership
Who Can Become a DENIC Member?
Any natural or legal person can become a member, if they
- Administer Internet domains under the Top Level Domain .de;
- Are not affiliated with more than two other DENIC members, unless they are a member of an executive body
(i.e. Executive Board or Supervisory Board); and - Can prove long-term financial stability beyond serious doubt.
Which Rights Do I Have as a DENIC Member?
Every DENIC member principally has the right to contribute to the evolution and shaping of the Cooperative and to make use of its services. In concrete terms this means
- You have direct access to the electronic registration system;
- You can get actively involved in the statutory bodies of the Cooperative; and
- You can actively participate in the discussions about the registration policy and the technical processes.
Which Documents Do I Have to Submit?
If you are interested in becoming a DENIC member, please read the DENIC Statutes and make yourself familiar with the rights and obligations going along with the membership. Below you find information on the next steps you must take when you have decided to become a DENIC member.
1. Non-Disclosure Agreement
At first a Non-Disclosure Agreement is mandatory. Please send the signed Non-Disclosure Agreement together with the required supporting documents (copy of excerpt from the commercial/trade register of your company or your passport/identity card) via e-mail to dbs@denic.de.
As soon as we have received these documents, we will provide you with the access data for our secure website section. Here you will find further information on becoming a DENIC member.
2. Declaration of Joining
(incl. all attachments listed therein)
We will send you the Declaration of Joining upon request by e-mail to DENIC Business Services, stating "Declaration of Joining" in the reference line. Please enclose the following documents:
3. Excerpt from the commercial/trade register/register of residents
4. The company's articles of association/ statutes (if any)
The company's articles of of association / statutes are required to check if you already manage .de-domains as well as to check if you are affiliated with other DENIC members. It goes without saying that these documents are not mandatory for natural persons or sole proprietorships.
What Does It Cost to Become a DENIC Member?
If you decide to become a DENIC member, the following payments will become due:
| Purpose of payment | Amount due for German applicants | Amount due for non-German applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Processing fee | EUR 595.00 incl. VAT. | EUR 500.00 |
| Admission fee | EUR 1,000.00* | EUR 1,000.00 |
| Total due in advance | EUR 1,595.00 incl. VAT | EUR 1,500.00 |
| per capital share | EUR 1,500.00* | EUR 1,500.00 |
| (the number of capital shares is limited to three) | ||
| * No value added tax is charged on the admission fee and the capital shares. | ||
As soon as we have received all original documents and payments, we will start processing your application. In doing so, we will check
- Whether the submitted documents are complete;
- Whether you are affiliated with another DENIC member; and
- Whether you are already active in the Internet business and are administering .de domains.
Once you have met all the aforementioned requirements for applicants, the Executive Board will decide on your application.
Once your membership application has been approved, you have to purchase at least one capital share in the amount of EUR 1,500.
What Benefit Do I Get from Being a DENIC Member?
As a member of DENIC
- You have direct access to the registration system;
- You are always kept up to date via the internal DENIC mailing lists;
- You can get actively involved because DENIC is organised as a cooperative; and
- You thus share our responsibility for the global Internet community with a special focus on the Germany community, by living our principle of self-regulation.
Can I Start Registering Domains myself Immediately after Becoming a DENIC Member?
No, as a newly admitted member, you cannot start registering domains right away. To be allowed to use the DENIC services, in particular access to the electronic registration system, you have to do the following things first:
- You must have signed the Agreement about the Use of the Cooperative's Services; and
- Member(s) of your staff must have attended a DENIC member training course successfully.
What are DENIC Member Training Courses?
We regularly hold DENIC training courses for our members. The basic training is a two-day course. Here, we tell you about the processes and specifics of the DENIC registration system and give you a deeper insight into the details. Being a DENIC member, you will be granted access to the training documents and the training registration form on our member website.
The course fee for two of your staff members is already included in the processing fee. The training courses are held at least once a month and there is a written Acceptance Test at the end.
As soon as you or one of your staff have successfully completed the training course, we will send you the countersigned Agreement about the Use of the Cooperative's Services and you will be granted access to our registration system.
Please note that the training course and the Acceptance Test must be completed successfully within three month from your admission to DENIC. Otherwise, you will have exceeded the deadline set in the Agreement about the Use of the Cooperative's Services. This would mean that you would be excluded from the Cooperative as of the end of the ongoing financial year.
