Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I use the German ß in my .eu IDN?

No. If you want to register a domain name that contains ß, you must use the character set ss instead because of how the Domain Name System (DNS) works.

The DNS recognises basic ASCII characters only. As a result, every IDN is automatically converted into a format called an ACE string that the DNS can use. Unfortunately, the German ß is replaced by the equivalent two-character ss as part of the conversion.

As far as the DNS is concerned, domain names that use ß become identical to those that use ss in the same position. For example, after hauptstraße.eu is converted into ASCII characters it becomes equivalent to hauptstrasse.eu.

Every domain name must be unique in order for the DNS to function. This is why the use of ß is not allowed in an IDN.