ISSN Registration: Online Process, Fees, Eligibility & Requirements

The publisher then submits the application through the route specified by the responsible ISSN centre.

The official ISSN system provides a request mechanism in which applicants select their country of publication and follow the relevant national or international route.

Step 5: Provide Supporting Information

The requested publication evidence should be supplied accurately. Incomplete or inconsistent information can make the process more complicated.

For online resources, ISSN guidance specifically identifies the publication URL as relevant supporting information. For print publications, publication pages such as the cover, title page and editorial page can be relevant.

Step 6: Wait for Assignment and Record Creation

The ISSN authority reviews the information and determines the appropriate assignment according to the applicable rules.

For new publications, the timing and evidence requirements can differ according to the medium. Official ISSN guidance notes that online resources are generally not assigned an ISSN before publication, while print and CD-ROM publications can in certain circumstances be considered before release.

What Is the ISSN Registration Fee?

The cost question needs to be handled carefully because the applicable fee can depend on the route through which the request is processed.

There is no universal private-consultant price that should be presented as the official ISSN assignment fee. Publishers should verify the current fee or any applicable charge with the responsible ISSN centre before making a payment.

The ISSN International Centre's publisher-service documentation also distinguishes between its own publisher registration/payment arrangements and national-centre assignment procedures.