AFRINIC does not publish a fixed turnaround time specifically for IPv4 transfers. The process depends on how quickly both parties acknowledge the request, provide supporting documents, complete the needs review, sign the required agreements, and pay any applicable fees. A recipient that is not already an AFRINIC member will also need to complete the membership process, which can add several working days. Missing documentation or questions about IPv4 utilization can extend the review.

AFRINIC transfers are needs-based, so the recipient must demonstrate a legitimate operational need for the IPv4 addresses it wants to receive. The exact requirements depend on whether the recipient is an LIR or an end user and whether the request is for initial or additional address space. AFRINIC may review the organization’s addressing plan, network infrastructure, existing IPv4 utilization, and past compliance with allocation and assignment policies.

Both the seller and recipient must sign AFRINIC’s Transfer Application Form before the transfer can be completed. The recipient must also sign the applicable Registration Services Agreement. AFRINIC may request corporate registration documents, contact information, network plans, addressing plans, proof of infrastructure, or other records needed to verify the organization and justify the IPv4 request. Existing members must also be in good standing with AFRINIC.

AFRINIC does not use a single flat transfer fee. An existing recipient member pays the applicable one-time allocation or assignment fee based on the size and type of IPv4 space being received. A new recipient must also pay the appropriate annual membership fee. Under AFRINIC’s current fee schedule, IPv4 allocation fees for LIRs start at $1,000, while IPv4 assignment fees for end users start at $2,500. The seller must have no unpaid AFRINIC invoices, although a non-member legacy holder does not pay a transfer fee.

Under AFRINIC’s current operational intra-regional policy, the source organization must not have received an IPv4 transfer, allocation, or assignment from AFRINIC during the 12 months before a transfer is approved. After transferring addresses, that organization is also ineligible to receive additional IPv4 allocations or assignments from AFRINIC for 12 months. This is a restriction on the organization rather than a simple holding period attached to every individual address block. Mergers and acquisitions are excluded from the prior-receipt restriction.

AFRINIC ratified a new Number Resources Transfer Policy on February 4, 2026 that provides for inter-RIR transfers under specific conditions and where compatible policies exist. However, AFRINIC’s implementation plan states that the new policy will take 12 months to implement. As of August 2026, AFRINIC’s operational transfer guidance still describes standard IPv4 transfers as taking place within the AFRINIC service region. Organizations planning an inter-RIR transaction should therefore confirm the policy’s implementation status before relying on the new transfer framework.