.ua domains and their second-level namespaces

Registry and structure

The operator of the extension is listed in the IANA root zone database. Alongside the main space, namespaces such as com.ua, kiev.ua and org.ua operate with their own rules and their own administrators.

In practice most Ukrainian businesses register under com.ua, because registration directly beneath .ua can carry additional requirements, including a link to a registered trademark.

Availability answers come from the registry

The Ukrainian registry publishes an RDAP service, so an availability answer is binding. In that respect .ua is in a better position than .de, .it or .es.

Not every registrar carries it

Polish and Western European registrars often omit .ua and its namespaces from their price lists, because handling them requires an arrangement with the relevant administrator. Check availability in your registrar’s offer before settling on a name, or work with a Ukrainian registrar.

Who it suits

Companies genuinely operating in the Ukrainian market. The address alone will not carry a business there: it needs content in Ukrainian, prices in hryvnia and support in the same language. Without those, the extension is only a cost.

Choosing between .ua and com.ua

For most businesses the practical answer is com.ua: registration is straightforward, the namespace is familiar to Ukrainian visitors and it carries no trademark requirement.

The short form directly under .ua reads better and is worth pursuing if you hold a matching registered trademark, since that is the route the registry expects. Verify the current rules before you plan around the short version — this is one of the few European extensions where the shorter name is not simply a matter of paying for it.