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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Long-term future of .tv domain uncertain

Behind every website with a country-code domain is a real country with real people

The island of Tuvalu seen through the window of an airplane

Most Dutch internet users will be familiar with stuk.tv and tikkie.me. But few will give much thought to the internet extensions – .tv and .me – used by those websites and many others. In fact, the owners of websites with such extensions often don't know which country the extension is assigned to. As long as the site works, they're unlikely to care. Or to consider the potential risks associated with 'exotic' internet extensions. But those risks are not fanciful, as recent developments surrounding .tv illustrate. Last week, ICANN – the body that controls the assignment of internet domains – published a new policy document. And, under ICANN's new policy, if rising sea levels remove Tuvalu from the map, the corresponding ccTLD will disappear with it.

.tv is a country-code domain used as if it were generic

.tv is the country-code domain for a tiny Pacific island called Tuvalu, whose highest point is just two metres above the current sea level. In 2000, Tuvalu sold the rights to its domain to Verisign – the company that runs .com and others – for $50 million. Since then, .tv domain names have been available globally, usually without any mention of Tuvalu. And .tv isn't the only ccTLD in global use. Most registrants of .nu, .tk and .me domain names have no ties with the associated countries – Niue, Tokelau and Montenegro, respectively.

Misunderstandings and uncertainties

However, there's a downside to a website operator being unaware of their extension's true meaning. What if the relevant country's government decides it wants the extension back? That can happen: as we reported earlier this year, the people of Niue have begun a campaign to reclaim their .nu domain. And what if the country ceases to exist? For example, there used to be a .yu internet domain for Yugoslavia. But that country disintegrated as a result of civil war, and the .yu domain was withdrawn in 2010. It's not impossible that Tuvalu will be wiped from the map as well, albeit not by war, but by global warming. A debate has therefore been ongoing about what should happen to .tv if there is no Tuvalu. And it seems the conclusion is that, if the worst should happen, .tv should follow the tiny island to its watery grave.

When a country goes, its extension goes too

Last week, ICANN responded to the question of whether it was acceptable to have websites using an extension linked to a nation that no longer exists. Tuvalu wasn't mentioned by name, but it was clear to everyone that ICANN had the Pacific island in mind when ruling: "If the code element (the country) is removed, the ccTLD is eligible for Retirement. Reason for removal is not of relevance." In other words, if Tuvalu goes, .tv goes too.

Behind every ccTLD is a country

The .tv story once again demonstrates the importance of knowing what country your domain relates to. For both commercial and moral reasons. Because the domain name world seems to be concerned largely with website operators; little thought is apparently given to the tragic fate facing an entire island state and its nine thousand residents. Just as users of the bit.ly URL shortener and .ml websites sometimes seem not to reflect on events in Libya and Mali. We have to remember: behind every website with a country-code domain is a real country with real people.

Article by:

Michiel Henneke

Michiel Henneke

Marketing Manager