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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Digital Parliamentary Academy offers politicians impartial information about the digital world

On 20 May, Valerie Frissen led session 3: Data as the Citizen's Property

Binnenhof Palace in The Hague along the Hohvijfer canal
  • Tuesday 25 May 2021

It's important that issues such as digital threats and personal data security can be debated properly by Dutch politicians. Informed debate isn't easy to bring about, however. One of the main stumbling blocks is that few members of parliament come from technical backgrounds. What's more, the knowledge that is available often lacks balance. A recent report by the Temporary Committee on the Digital Future concluded that MPs need to be better informed about the digital world. Against that backdrop, a group of eight organisations joined forces to establish the Digital Parliamentary Academy in February 2021. As a neutral, independent platform, the ECP | Platform for the Information Society acts as the Academy's secretariat. ECP Project Advisor Kirsten Overboom explains how the Digital Parliamentary Academy aims to assure the availability of objective, reliable information. Michiel Steltman, Director of Digital Infrastructure Netherlands (DINL) also talks about the importance of the initiative, the first information sessions, and ambitions for the future.

Digital Parliamentary Academy

The Digital Parliamentary Academy is an initiative by DINL, the Amsterdam Internet Exchange, the Dutch Cloud Community, the National Internet Providers Management Organization, the Dutch Major Telecommunications Users Group, Cybersecure Netherlands, the Dutch Data Center Association, the Fiber Carrier Association, ECP and iPoort. By pooling their collective expertise on a variety of digital topics, the partner organisations want to communicate reliable, neutral information about the digital world to the political community. In February 2021, under the umbrella of the Digital Parliamentary Academy, they started a series of knowledge and information sessions for politicians and party workers from both houses of the Dutch parliament and the European Parliament.

Portrait of Michiel Steltman
Michiel Steltman, Chair of Digital Infrastructure Netherlands (DINL)

"One of the main principles underpinning the initiative is that we always operate on a question-led basis," explains Michiel Steltman. "In other words, the knowledge and information sessions that we organise address questions posed by politicians and party workers. People who are interested in attending a session can register by mailing info@digitalebinnenhofacademy.nl. They can also ask and submit questions before, during and after the sessions."

Importance of objective digital knowledge

"The launch of the Digital Parliamentary Academy was extremely well received," continues Michiel. "In the weeks following the launch, we had hundreds of responses. The feedback really underscored the need for objective knowledge about our digital society." Kirsten Overboom explains how the ECP contributes to objectivity by playing a connecting role. "We support the Digital Parliamentary Academy from an independent, neutral position," she says. "We organise the sessions that our CEO Arie van Bellen introduces, and we support the core team. We try to ensure that the content of the themed sessions addresses the questions posed by politicians. Where possible, we put politicians in touch with people and organisations who can provide the information they want or answer their questions. Another important task is liaising with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Digital Affairs, so that the themes of the sessions are always addressed from various angles."

Portrait of Kirsten Overboom
Kirsten Overboom, Project Advisor at ECP

"As well as explaining the theory behind digital topics, it's very important to talk about the practical side. So subjects are explored from different perspectives: ethical, theoretical, practical and commercial," Michiel adds. "Digital knowledge is much more than understanding computers and technical systems. There are also security, welfare, privacy, economic and legal dimensions, because developments in IT influence all those fields, right now and in the future."

Digital knowledge and information sessions

"We've organised two virtual sessions so far. Both attracted big audiences, including MPs and/or workers from almost every party. The follow-up to the sessions has been very encouraging as well. For example, after the second session, on Digital Security, a supplementary session was proposed to look at the issues in more depth. So we're now busy organising that," says Kirsten. "Valerie Frissen, CEO of SIDN Fund and Professor of Digital Technologies and Social Change, will be leading the third session on 20 May. It'll mainly consider what significance the principle of data as the citizen's property has for the audience."

The first four sessions all have an academic flavour and are linked to specific themes: (1) Digital Security, (2) Digital Economy and Infrastructure, (3) Data as the Citizen's Property and (4) Digital Skills. "By exploring those themes, researchers and academics deepen the politicians' understanding of the field. The information, knowledge and questions covered in the sessions are not made public. The confidential format ensures that the Digital Parliamentary Academy is a safe educational forum for the people who attend," Michiel stresses.

A positive, secure digital future

"We plan to continue extending and developing the Digital Parliamentary Academy," adds Kirsten. "In the middle of the year, we'll get the core team together to discuss the development possibilities, additional sub-themes and the organisation of additional activities." Michiel takes up the narrative: "We had some valuable feedback on the first sessions, enabling us to improve the subsequent sessions. We're currently focusing on helping national politicians and members of the European parliament to boost their knowledge of the digital world. However, in the future we may start offering support to regional and local decision-makers as well. That way, we can take full advantage of the Netherlands' solid digital foundations to build a positive, secure and resilient digital future".

Want to know more about the Digital Parliamentary Academy? Do you have valuable knowledge that you're willing to contribute? Visit https://ecp.nl/project/digitale-binnenhof-academy/ or contact the ECP on +31 704 190309.