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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Number of phishing sites linked to top Dutch brands up more than 40 per cent

  • Tuesday 31 October 2017

The number of phishing sites that abuse the Netherlands' top brand names for criminal purposes has increased by more than 40 per cent in the last year. That's the central conclusion of a study by SIDN (the Foundation for Internet Domain Registration in the Netherlands). Of all the websites with domain names that look like the top fifty brands, 4 per cent are phishing sites. Last year, the figure was only 2.2 per cent. Not one of the leading brands managed to avoid being targeted by phishing scams.

Domain Name Surveillance Service

SIDN's study focused on the top fifty brands in the Netherlands, as listed in the Brand Directory. SIDN BrandGuard was used to scan the .nl zone for all the domain names incorporating or closely resembling one of the top fifty brand names. The hits were then classified, e.g. as a redirect to an original domain name, as a normal site or as a phishing site. SIDN identified a total of 964 websites as (very probably) phishing sites. That's more than 40 per cent up on last year's figure of 675.

All top brands abused for phishing

SIDN also analysed the findings to see which industries within the fifty most valuable Dutch brands were associated with the highest phishing levels. They found that 10.5 per cent of the suspicious domain names incorporating the name of an airline pointed to phishing sites. High levels of abuse were also associated with construction companies (9 per cent) and media companies (7 per cent). However, it turned out that financial service providers' names were being abused by criminals less often than a year ago.

Clamping down on internet crime in the .nl zone

"We all have a part to play in fighting and preventing internet crime," said SIDN's CEO Roelof Meijer. "Here at SIDN, we're working hard to do just that. As the manager of the .nl domain, we're committed to doing all we can to make .nl the most secure domain in the world. Our activities give consumers added protection on line and enable brand owners to stop their names being used for malicious purposes. However, we can't tackle the threats on our own. Brand owners also have a responsibility. SIDN BrandGuard provides the brand owner with a picture of the landscape and enables continuous monitoring for new phishing attempts based on their name. We provide the intelligence that enables businesses to act against fraudsters."