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Frequently asked questions

  • 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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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.

More frequently asked questions

Another step towards a further new gTLD application window

Operational Design Phase now in progress

  • Monday 4 October 2021

The ICANN Board has started the latest stage in the process leading towards a further application window for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). During the Operational Design Phase (ODP), stakeholders will consider the practicalities of the process, culminating in firm proposals no later than summer 2022. Preparations for the application window are therefore taking a more concrete form, but many details remain to be clarified.

Sequence and timing

One result of the ODP will be recommendations regarding the duration of the window, the order in which applications will be considered, and the interval between the window being announced and actually opening. Before the 2012 window, applicants had less than a year to prepare their submissions. That proved to be challenging, particularly for governments.

Brands and trademarks

ICANN also wants the 'sunrise period' – the period when brand and trademark owners can apply for the corresponding domains, before full market access is enabled – to be better planned this time around. That's a sensitive topic, because in 2012 many brand owners felt obliged to make defensive applications for domains they didn't actually have any need of.

Future application windows

Finally, it's good to see that ICANN wants to immediately set in motion the process of preparing a further application cycle to follow the one currently in progress. The interval between the last window and the upcoming one will soon exceed ten years, which most stakeholders regard as unacceptably long.

Want to know more?

Full details of the ODP are given in this ICANN document. To discuss how your city or region could benefit from having its own top-level domain, contact our Product Owner Pim Pastoors by calling +31 6570 45407 or mailing pim.pastoors@sidn.nl.