What is .ລາວ?
IANA delegated .ລາວ on January 30, 2020, as part of the effort to let people use domain names entirely in their own script.
A little context on Laos: the capital is Vientiane, the main language is Lao, the currency is the Lao kip (LAK) and the international dialing code is +856. It's landlocked.
Laos shares land borders with 5 countries, so the ccTLDs next door are .mm (Myanmar), .kh (Cambodia), .cn (China), .th (Thailand) and .vn (Vietnam).
IANA lists Lao National Internet Center (LANIC), Ministry of Technology and Communications as the manager of .ລາວ, with an address in Lao People's Democratic Republic. The registry's website is https://www.la. ccTLD managers set their own policies — who can register, which second-level names exist, pricing to registrars — so those rules differ from country to country.
On the technical side, .ລາວ is served by 4 authoritative name servers, every one of them reachable over IPv6. It is also DNSSEC-signed: the root zone carries a DS record for .ລາວ, which lets validating resolvers check its answers cryptographically. Registration data is published over WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.la).
Laos also has another country-code domain in the root zone: .la.
Same registry, other endings
1 other TLD shares this operator.
.ລາວ FAQ
What country is .ລາວ?
.ລາວ is the country-code top-level domain for Laos, in South-Eastern Asia.
Who owns the .ລາວ domain?
IANA lists Lao National Internet Center (LANIC), Ministry of Technology and Communications as the manager of .ລາວ: it runs the registry and sets the rules for Laos's ccTLD. Individual .ລາວ names belong to whoever registers them.
Can I register a .ລາວ domain from the US?
It depends on Lao National Internet Center (LANIC), Ministry of Technology and Communications's policy. Some ccTLDs are open to anyone in the world, while others require a local address, company or trademark. Check the registry (https://www.la) or an accredited registrar before you buy.
Is .ລາວ DNSSEC-signed?
Yes. The root zone has a DS record for .ລາວ, so DNSSEC validation works all the way down from the root.
How is .ລາວ written in the DNS?
As the ASCII "A-label" xn--q7ce6a. Browsers convert it back to .ລາວ for display.
How do I look up who owns a .ລາວ domain?
Query the registry's registration data service: the WHOIS server is whois.nic.la. Many registrants use privacy services, so personal details may be hidden.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed March 17, 2023. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
