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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Easy parking with the accessible Disabled Parking App

New app helps to promote social inclusion

  • Thursday 20 January 2022

For many of us, using parking apps is part and parcel of everyday life. Apps such as Yellowbrick and Parkmobile make parking a car quick and easy at sites across the Netherlands. But not necessarily for everyone. Disabled people with special permits face particular challenges – despite being more reliant on a car for their independence. As well as being vulnerable to fraud, printed permits aren't user-friendly. And there's the added complication that, in the Netherlands, disabled parking rules and charges vary from one city to the next. The Central Purchasing Office (CIB) has therefore linked up with the Wij Staan op! foundation and Aexist to develop an accessible Disabled Parking App. The integration of IRMA software means that users can easily identify themselves in a secure, privacy-friendly way with the free IRMA smartphone app.

Disabled Parking App

"My organisation, the CIB, is involved in the distribution of disabled parking permits," says CEO Ewout van Haeften. "And, in recent years, it's been increasingly apparent that the traditional printed permits have quite a few drawbacks. To make the system more user-friendly and to combat fraud, a digital permit seemed the logical way forward." Jiska Ogier, cofounder of Wij Staan Op! ('We're Standing Up!') takes up the narrative: "Values such as inclusion, equality and user independence form the basis of the Disabled Parking App. Parking a car may be a very mundane activity, but it's enormously important to the independence of someone with a disability. So a user-friendly parking app that simplifies things for disabled permit holders is really valuable. Our foundation was involved in the app's development from the start.

ParkingApp for disabled people

We worked with the CIB and Aexist to thoroughly test the app with the disability community, so as to build up a clear picture of users' needs. We then translated the findings into the app, which is now available for use." A would-be user starts by going through a one-off registration procedure at gpkapp.nl. First, they confirm their identity online, via either the IRMA platform or the iDIN platform. After that, they enter their personal details and disabled parking permit number. Once the user's registration is complete and has been approved by the municipal authority that issued the permit, they get a confirmation e-mail. Then they're ready to start using the free app. "My organisation, Aexist, is a software company brought in by the CIB to support development of the app," says Programme Manager Remko Hoekstra. "The app's design is simple and accessible, so that you can use it even if you're not good with technology. In order to make the app as versatile as possible, various scenarios are provided for. For example, a parent can do the registration for a child who is a permit holder. And you can set it up for multiple vehicles, so that a disabled person isn't tied to one particular car. Another handy feature is that a permit-holder can temporarily or indefinitely authorise someone else to use the app on their behalf. The authorisation can be sent by WhatsApp, e-mail or iMessage. The parking app is aligned with the RDW's National Parking Register and suitable for nationwide use. Permit-holders can use the app to park in any participating municipality and initiate a payment transaction. It's also possible to pull up a straightforward summary of what the parking rules are in the municipality."

Open-source IRMA software

Easy, secure and free identification and authentication are enabled by IRMA open-source software. "In order to prevent fraudulent use of the app, we've interfaced the parking app website with the IRMA platform," explains Remko. "SIDN installed and integrated the IRMA software for us. They're ideally placed to do that, because they operate the IRMA infrastructure and are responsible for IRMA's availability, security and scalability. IRMA's big plus for the user is that they keep control of their own data. Personal information, such as data from the Personal Records Database (BRP) is saved in the IRMA app on the user's smartphone. The user can then agree to share particular pieces of information with particular service providers when asked. No personal data is saved centrally or anywhere except the user's phone. As well as giving users more control, IRMA has advantages for local authorities. For example, they know that a disabled parking app user really is the permit holder, because identification is based on validated data. IRMA makes it easy for local authorities to check the information they receive, without the need to implement DigiD support on their systems. Vehicle registration numbers are easily checked as well, enabling us to prevent fraud." Ewout explains that, although disabled permit holders are initially able to use the new app only in the municipalities of Alphen aan de Rijn and Veenendaal, a bigger rollout is planned. "I've arranged to meet the SHPV – the body responsible for facilitating the modernisation of parking facilities in the Netherlands, which supports local authorities with the digitisation of their parking services. At the end of 2021, the SHPV made an agreement with several local authorities, about promoting use of the new app. So we're very hopeful that, with the help of the SHPV and others, we can get the parking app and IRMA adopted much more widely."

Ewout van Haeften: "We're very hopeful that, with the help of the SHPV and others, we can get the parking app and IRMA adopted much more widely."

Independence and inclusion

"In the period ahead, the focus will be on refinement and further rollout of the parking app," says Ewout. "We'd like to add functionality that lets app users see where there are parking facilities nearby and whether there are spaces free, along with info about the accessibility of museums, public buildings and restaurants in a given area. That would make the app even more attractive to potential users. We'll need the cooperation of local authorities, though, because they're responsible for that kind of information. Ultimately, we'd love to make the app available in other European countries, but for now we're concentrating on the Netherlands. There's a particular need for it here, because responsibility for parking provision is highly decentralised in the Netherlands." Jiska echoes that view, adding, "Social participation should be possible for everyone. Introduction of the app will make life easier for disabled permit holders who want to park their cars. By doing so, it'll enable people with disabilities to lead more independent lives and will contribute to social inclusion." Want to know more about the Disabled Parking App or introducing it in your municipality? Visit gpkapp.nl or contact the CIB by mailing gpa@cib.nl.