.MD Domain Rules 2026: Moldova Introduces New Regulation

The rules of the Moldovan domain zone have changed.

In June 2026, Moldova introduced a new regulation governing the national .md top-level domain. ARCOM approved the new framework during its public meeting on 22 June 2026.

H O T Ă R Â R E pentru aprobarea Regulamentului Regulamentului cu privire la reglementarea gestionării domeniuluinațional de nivel superior .md

The new regulation replaces the previous framework adopted in 2020 and introduces more detailed rules for the registration, renewal, transfer, blocking and withdrawal of .md domain names. According to ARCOM, the changes were also intended to bring the rules into line with Moldova’s new Electronic Communications Law No. 72/2025.

What has changed?

Several parts of the new framework deserve particular attention from registrants, registrars — and especially anyone managing a larger .md portfolio.

Among them are:

• procedures for verifying registrant information;
• requirements concerning accurate and up-to-date registration data;
• rules for blocking and withdrawing domain names;
• new provisions concerning transfers;
• measures against speculative or abusive registrations;
• rules concerning Premium domain names;
• an alternative dispute-resolution procedure inspired by international domain-name practices, including ICANN and WIPO principles.

And then there is one particularly interesting sentence.

Under the regulation, a registered .md name may be withdrawn in certain circumstances, including the existence of an attempt to resell the registered name.

For ordinary Internet users, that may look like one line hidden inside a rather technical regulation.

For domain investors, it is a very big line.

Many questions remain

The regulation creates a framework, but some of the language leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

1. Will .md domain prices change and by how much?
2. What exactly constitutes an “attempt to resell”?
3. Who can register a .md domain?
4. Can incorrect, incomplete or outdated registrant data lead to domain withdrawal?
5. What happens to a domain after withdrawal?
6. How much will a .md domain dispute cost?
7. What is “mass registration” : 10, 100 or 1,000 domains?
8. What exactly is a “speculative”/“abusive” domain registration?
9. How will Premium domains be priced and renewed?
10. When will the new .md Registration Rules actually be published?
11. Who can become an official .md distributor and under what conditions?
12. Will .md remain open to registrants from any country, or could country-based restrictions appear?
13. Can a secondary market for .md domains legally exist?

These are not theoretical questions. They can determine whether a domain can be registered, transferred, renewed or potentially withdrawn.

In the domain business, one quickly learns that a single sentence in a registry policy can sometimes be more valuable than ten pages of marketing material.

Unfortunately, it can also be considerably more expensive.

A new chapter for .md

The stated objectives of the regulation include strengthening Moldova’s online identity, promoting national values, encouraging cross-border online activity and reducing negative practices connected with domain registration and use.

Those are reasonable objectives.

The real test, however, will be how the rules are interpreted and applied in practice.

For registrants and domain investors, the sensible approach is therefore simple: read the new rules carefully, keep registration information accurate and follow how the National Registrar and ARCOM implement the new framework.

The .md namespace did not simply receive another administrative update in June 2026.

It entered a rather different regulatory era.

And, as usual with domain names, the interesting part begins after the policy document is published.

“The Web is more a social creation than a technical one.” — Tim Berners-Lee