Most TLDs have <TLD>_SUNRISE, <TLD>_LANDRUSH, and <TLD>_GOLIVE, as pre-registration phases. In order to apply for a nTLD in the Sunrise phase a corresponding SMD file has to be provided:

Example of an application for a domain during the SUNRISE phase:

COMMAND

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<epp xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0 epp-1.0.xsd">
  <extension>
    <keyvalue:extension xmlns:keyvalue="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0 keyvalue-1.0.xsd">
      <keyvalue:kv key='COMMAND' value='AddDomainApplication' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='CLASS' value='NTLD_SUNRISE' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='DOMAIN' value='example.ntld' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='PERIOD' value='1Y' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='NAMESERVER0' value='ns1.example.ntld' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='NAMESERVER1' value='ns2.example.ntld' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='OWNERCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='ADMINCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='TECHCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='BILLINGCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='SMD0' value='-----BEGIN ENCODED SMD-----' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='SMD1' value='PD94bWwgdmVyc2lvbj0iMS4wIiBlbmNvZGluZz0iVVRGLTgiPz4KPHNtZDpzaWduZWRNYXJrIHht' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='SMD2' value='bG5zOnNtZD0idXJuOmlldGY6cGFyYW1zOnhtbDpuczpzaWduZWRNYXJrLTEuMCIgaWQ9Il85MGNm' />
      ...
      <keyvalue:kv key='SMD95' value='dGlmaWNhdGU+PC9kczpYNTA5RGF0YT48L2RzOktleUluZm8+PC9kczpTaWduYXR1cmU+PC9zbWQ6' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='SMD96' value='c2lnbmVkTWFyaz4=' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='SMD97' value='-----END ENCODED SMD-----' />


    </keyvalue:extension>
  </extension>
</epp>

RESPONSE

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<epp xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0 epp-1.0.xsd">
    <response>
        <result code="1001">
            <msg>Command completed successfully; action pending</msg>
            <extValue>
                <value xmlns:epp="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0">
                    <epp:undef/>
                </value>
                <reason>200 Command completed successfully</reason>
            </extValue>
        </result>
        <extension>
            <keyvalue:extension xmlns:keyvalue="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0 keyvalue-1.0.xsd">
                <keyvalue:kv key="ADMINCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="APPLICATION" value="4421"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="AUTH" value="refI5Ncqof"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="BILLINGCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="CLASS" value="NTLD_SUNRISE"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="CREATEDBY" value="SYSTEM"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="CREATEDDATE" value="2013-02-05 15:40:23"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="DOMAIN" value="example.ntld"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="DOMAINUMLAUT" value="example.ntld"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="NAMESERVER" value="ns1.example.ntld"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="NAMESERVER1" value="ns2.example.ntld"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="OWNERCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="PEERUSER" value=""/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="PERIOD" value="1"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="STATUS" value="REQUESTED"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="TECHCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="UPDATEBY" value="SYSTEM"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="UPDATEDDATE" value="2013-02-05 15:40:23"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="USER" value="test.user"/>
            </keyvalue:extension>
        </extension>
        <trID>
            <svTRID>RW-797-1360078824772739</svTRID>
        </trID>
    </response>
</epp>

Example of a pre-registration of a domain for the GOLIVE phase:

COMMAND

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<epp xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0 epp-1.0.xsd">
  <extension>
    <keyvalue:extension xmlns:keyvalue="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0 keyvalue-1.0.xsd">
      <keyvalue:kv key='COMMAND' value='AddDomainApplication' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='CLASS' value='PW_GOLIVE' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='DOMAIN' value='example.pw' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='PERIOD' value='1Y' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='NAMESERVER0' value='ns1.example.pw' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='NAMESERVER1' value='ns2.example.pw' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='OWNERCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='ADMINCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='TECHCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
      <keyvalue:kv key='BILLINGCONTACT0' value='AB-C123' />
    </keyvalue:extension>
  </extension>
</epp>

RESPONSE

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<epp xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0 epp-1.0.xsd">
    <response>
        <result code="1001">
            <msg>Command completed successfully; action pending</msg>
            <extValue>
                <value xmlns:epp="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:epp-1.0">
                    <epp:undef/>
                </value>
                <reason>200 Command completed successfully</reason>
            </extValue>
        </result>
        <extension>
            <keyvalue:extension xmlns:keyvalue="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schema.ispapi.net/epp/xml/keyvalue-1.0 keyvalue-1.0.xsd">
                <keyvalue:kv key="ADMINCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="APPLICATION" value="4421"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="AUTH" value="refI5Ncqof"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="BILLINGCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="CLASS" value="PW_GOLIVE"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="CREATEDBY" value="SYSTEM"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="CREATEDDATE" value="2013-02-05 15:40:23"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="DOMAIN" value="example.pw"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="DOMAINUMLAUT" value="example.pw"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="NAMESERVER" value="ns1.example.pw"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="NAMESERVER1" value="ns2.example.pw"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="OWNERCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="PEERUSER" value=""/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="PERIOD" value="1"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="STATUS" value="REQUESTED"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="TECHCONTACT" value="AB-C123"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="UPDATEBY" value="SYSTEM"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="UPDATEDDATE" value="2013-02-05 15:40:23"/>
                <keyvalue:kv key="USER" value="test.user"/>
            </keyvalue:extension>
        </extension>
        <trID>
            <svTRID>RW-797-1360078824772739</svTRID>
        </trID>
    </response>
</epp>