In order to register an Italian TLD of the .it flavour you re required to follow the most anachronistic procedure ever:
- Start the request as for any other TLD in the known world (I use Gandi, a fabulous non scammy maintainer from France).
- Download a PDF version of the LAR, a contract letter written in Italian, where you accept legal requirements and other similar bureaucratic jam. The rest of the world does this (if ever) with a FORM and a checkbox.
- Make sure you read through it carefully, because there are a few catches hidden in the bureau-lingo. For example, if you are an Italian national you have to provide you fiscal code (don’t ask what it is…) whether if you are just European you must provide your passport number. Great. Someone thought this out really well in Italy.
- Sign the letter. With a pen please. Not digitally. It easier to counterfeit it if you use a pen, Italians love counterfeiting.
- Once the whole thing has been compiled you have two options to send it back. Email it. No, you can’t, sorry bad joke. You have to either post it or send it by FAX1.
- (optional step) If you are sending by snail mail, send something along with it. Be it money or a nice salami, every little helps.
- Then pray, but pray something Catholic. Of course, there is no feedback whatsoever on whether your FAX was received or not, when it going to be processed, how long will take…
- In case of fail repeat the procedure, but make sure you do it in less than 14 days.
As of Tuesday 28th of April, more than 20 days since I started the registration, the domain is yet to be seen.