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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

City TLD .zuerich finally goes live

High expectations for the latest new extension

Blue-colored stamp with the text 'Zurich'
  • Tuesday 21 September 2021

It's now nine years since ICANN's last application window for new top-level domains (TLDs). Companies, local authorities and others were given the chance to get their own TLDs back in 2012. A total of 1,930 applications were made, of which 1,239 were approved, many of them from cities. In the years that followed, places such as Berlin, New York and Miami quickly got their domains on line. Our own capital's .amsterdam domain has been operational since 2015. However, for a variety of reasons, some of the approved TLDs still haven't come online. And one of the city domains requested back in 2012 is only now opening to the public: .zuerich will be accepting registrations from 22 November. The TLD will be operated by the UK's Centralnic, which already runs nearly a hundred of the world's internet extensions.

Negligible demand

The long delay to .zuerich's public launch is down to a number of factors. The first being politics. When applying to create the domain, the government of the eponymous Swiss canton made a payment of 300,000 CHF. At the time, however, the demand for .zuerich domains was negligible. Use of the 'ue' spelling also undermined the TLD's value for German speakers, who normally write the place name with a 'ü'.

Initially, therefore, the domain was available only to the canton itself: all .zuerich domain names were held by the local government, which also ran the twenty-five websites using the extension. The original 300,000 CHF investment and the subsequent running costs were hard to justify on that basis.

Now open to local people and businesses

Last year, the canton's government therefore decided to open up the domain to Zurich's people and businesses. A sunrise period, during which brand owners can claim the corresponding domain names, began on 30 August. And, from 22 November, anyone from the region can register a .zuerich domain.

Expectations for the new TLD are high: with a population of 1.6 million, Zurich is Switzerland's biggest canton, and one of the wealthiest regions in the world. By way of comparison, .amsterdam and .berlin have 24,000 and 50,000 registrations, respectively.

Want to know more about this city domain? Visit the registry's homepage. For information about how your city or region could benefit from having its own top-level domain, visit our dedicated web page.