I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?
The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.
On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.
I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?
To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.
The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?
To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.
Why is my domain name in quarantine?
When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.
One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.
Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?
Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.
What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?
Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.
Every year, businesses and private individuals in the Netherlands buy and sell thousands of domain names. Trading the rights to registered domain names is known as 'domaining'. To people who aren't familiar with it, domaining often seems complex. So we've produced a simple guide to the activity and the implications of buying or selling a domain name that's already registered.
A domain name isn't an object, like a television or a painting. It's the right to receive certain services from SIDN. That right can be transferred to someone else. For payment, if that's what both parties want.
Registration details must always be correct and specific
For the transaction to go smoothly, it's important that the information recorded in SIDN's register (known as the Whois) is always correct and specific to the current registrant. That prevents any misunderstanding about your right to use the name. In the case of a business, the Trade Register number can be included in the registration, making it possible to check who is entitled to make decisions about a domain name on behalf of the business.
Trading makes .nl domain names valuable
Buying and selling means that domain names take on value. Every year, lots of people and businesses make money by selling domain names that they don't want for themselves, but are valuable to others. A domain name can also be used as security for a loan.
When is a .nl domain name worth something?
There are numerous factors that determine what a domain name is worth. Alexandpatswedding.nl is attractive to an engaged couple called Alex and Pat, but isn't very useful to anyone else. Names that can be valuable include:
Names based on generic terms that people looking for products and services may search for (e.g. laptops.nl), but aren't protected brands (such as unox.nl, which only Unox can use)
Names based on common surnames, especially surnames that a lot of traders use (e.g. jansen.nl)
Names that are short and easy to remember
Names that may match abbreviations (e.g. names with fewer than six characters)
Names that you know how to spell as soon as you hear them (e.g. on the radio)
Just how much a name is worth is hard to judge if you're not a domainer. So, if you're thinking of buying or selling, it's a good idea to ask an expert for a valuation. We would certainly discourage anyone from paying a lot for a domain name without getting expert advice. After all, the seller may be inexperienced and asking an unrealistic price.
How much do domain names sell for?
You hear lots of stories about how much domain names change hands for. When a name is sold for a huge amount, it hits the headlines and leaves a lasting impression. But most sales actually involve less than €1,000.
How do I transfer the right to a .nl domain name?
Tell your registrar or internet service provider what you want to do, and who the new registrant will be.
Your registrar or service provider will make the necessary changes in the register, and then the new registrant will have control of the name.
If you're selling the name, the financial arrangements have to be agreed separately by you, the buyer and, where relevant, the broker. Those arrangements are nothing to do with SIDN or the registrar.
Once they have control of the domain name, the new registrant may transfer it -- that is, change the registrar that manages the registration -- if they want to.
What if someone is offering to sell a .nl matching my business name?
Sometimes, a business that's registered with the Chamber of Commerce discovers that the domain name matching their business name is up for sale. Selling a domain name like that is sometimes called domain hijacking. There are two important things to bear in mind:
No one is entitled to register a domain name matching a brand or trademark that isn't theirs. If someone has registered a name like your brand or trademark, you can start a Dispute Resolution procedure. However, a procedure can take a while to complete and does cost money. So it's usually best to try settling your differences privately first. SIDN's mediators can help with that.
Before registering a new business with the Chamber of Commerce, it's a good idea to check whether the matching domain name is still available. Seventy per cent of people starting out in business already do that, but not all. Checking gives you the opportunity to go for a different business name, for which the domain name is available.
