How to Register a .rw Domain in Rwanda: Step-by-Step Guide

Before You Start

Registering a .rw domain needs only three things: a domain name idea, your registrant contact details, and a payment method. If you want the background on what a .rw domain actually is first, see What Is a .rw Domain.

Step 1: Check Availability

Search your desired domain name on our domains page to confirm it's free. At this point you'll also decide between the flagship .rw suffix, priced at 15,000 RWF/yr, or one of the second-level options: co.rw, org.rw, net.rw, ac.rw, or coop.rw, each priced at 9,000 RWF/yr.

Step 2: Choose Your TLD

Which suffix fits depends on what you're registering for:

• General business: co.rw is the standard choice, or .rw itself if you want the flagship suffix.
• Non-profit or NGO: org.rw is the intended suffix.
• Cooperative: coop.rw, which requires proof of cooperative registration.
• Academic institution: ac.rw, which requires proof of accredited academic institution status.

For a full breakdown of eligibility rules for each, see co.rw, org.rw, net.rw, ac.rw, coop.rw Explained.

Step 3: Provide Registrant Details and Documents (If Required)

If you're registering ac.rw or coop.rw, you'll upload your eligibility document during checkout. For every other .rw domain type, there's nothing to upload. You go straight from registrant details to payment.

Step 4: Pay

Complete payment using MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money, or a debit/credit card. All three methods are accepted for every domain type.

Step 5: Confirmation

Once payment clears, registration typically finishes in about 10 minutes. You'll receive confirmation once your domain is live in the registryThe organization that operates a top-level domain and maintains the master database of its registrations..

What Happens After Registration

A newly registered domain doesn't do anything on its own yet: it needs to be pointed somewhere, whether that's a hosting account, a website builder, or an existing site elsewhere. If you're setting up hosting on Register.rw at the same time, see our hosting page to choose a plan; if you already have hosting elsewhere, you'll update the domain's DNSThe Domain Name System — the internet's directory that translates domain names into the IP addresses of servers. to point at it instead.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Registering the wrong suffix by mistake. .rw, co.rw, and org.rw are easy to mix up if you're moving quickly; confirm the exact suffix before paying.
• A typo in the domain name itself. Read it back once before checkout. A misspelled domain means registering a second, correct one separately, since domain names generally can't be edited after registration.
• Waiting too long on a name you like. Domains are registered on a first-come basis; searching a name and then waiting days to register it risks someone else taking it first.

Ready to register? Head to our domains page to search availability and get started.