An internationalised domain (IDN) is a domain name that contains characters which do not appear in the standard Latin script.

These characters are things like é, ç or ö - they are often used in languages other than English.

Essentially, IDNs allow people to enter website addresses in their native language. So, for example, a Russian website address could be entered using the Cyrillic alphabet.

IDNs have not yet been introduced across the board. Different registries are responsible for different top level domains (like .uk or .eu), and they are all implementing IDNs at different rates.

For background information about IDNs, take a look at these links:

- Wikipedia article
- Introductory video from ICANN

.eu IDNs

EURid is the organisation which operates the .eu top level domain. It is currently looking at introducing IDNs, and says:

“EURid, the registry of the .eu top-level domain, is planning the launch of IDNs at the second level (before the “dot”). IDNs under .eu will cover all 23 official languages of the European Union (for the language list, please check www.europa.eu). Several options are available for the introduction of IDNs, some of which might imply amending the regulations that are at the basis of the .eu policies and procedures.”

The registry is looking for your help to decide how to implement IDNs. If you want to give your opinion, you can fill in the survey on their site.