---
id: "cctld-retirement"
kind: "glossary-term"
title: "ccTLD retirement"
language: "en"
category: "Governance and policy"
updated: "2026-10-10T09:09:47Z"
canonical: "https://tldlog.com/glossary/cctld-retirement/"
translations:
  es: "https://tldlog.com/es/glosario/retirada-cctld/"
  de: "https://tldlog.com/de/glossar/cctld-stilllegung/"
  fr: "https://tldlog.com/fr/glossaire/retrait-cctld/"
  it: "https://tldlog.com/it/glossario/ritiro-cctld/"
  pt-BR: "https://tldlog.com/pt/glossario/desativacao-cctld/"
  ru: "https://tldlog.com/ru/glossariy/vyvod-cctld-ekspluatatsii/"
  zh-Hans: "https://tldlog.com/zh/cihui/cctld-tuiyi/"
---

# ccTLD retirement

The process for removing a country code domain from the root zone after its code is dropped from the ISO 3166-1 list, for example when a country stops existing. IANA sets a transition period, five years by default and ten at most, so users can move elsewhere.

## related terms

- [ccTLD](https://tldlog.com/glossary/cctld/)
- [ISO 3166-1](https://tldlog.com/glossary/iso-3166-1/)
- [IANA](https://tldlog.com/glossary/iana/)
- [ccPDP](https://tldlog.com/glossary/ccpdp/)
- [root zone](https://tldlog.com/glossary/root-zone/)