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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Opportunity to create new domain name extensions announced by ICANN

Window for applications expected to open in early 2026

ICANN logo on a laptop screen
  • Monday 11 September 2023

ICANN has announced the first opportunity to create new domain name extensions since 2012. The window for applying to register new extensions is expected to open in April 2026 – more than 14 years on from the previous one. Market reaction has been mixed, mainly because of the profound changes the landscape has undergone in the last decade. Over the years, many companies and other organisations have showed an interest in creating their own extensions. However, with little prospect of progress, many have put their plans on the back burner.

Slow decision-making

In recent years, ICANN's slow decision-making – attributable partly to the policy of seeking stakeholder consensus through discussion, and partly to the difficulty in organising physical gatherings during the COVID pandemic – has brought mounting criticism from the community, particularly market players. Interest in creating domain name extensions outside the ICANN ecosystem, e.g. on the basis of blockchain, has also been growing. Against that backdrop, the ICANN Board indicated at the start of the year that a date for the new window would have to be set by the summer. And, on 31 July, ICANN duly published an implementation plan for the new window.

Interest

There will undoubtedly be demand for new extensions. There's particular interest in setting up domains for the crypto market, which barely existed at the time of the last window. However, generic market demand may have slackened since 2012, since the most obvious and attractive extensions –.shop, .app, .online, .site, etc – already exist. The 2 main groups likely to be interested this time around are local governments looking to create 'geoTLDs', and brand owners wanting 'brand TLDs'.

Local governments

Internet extensions for Dutch cities, regions and companies come a step closer

Demand for geographic extensions is expected to come mainly from cities, regions and the like. There are currently about 60 geoTLDs in use, accounting for a total of 800,000 or so domain names. SIDN already provides registry services for the City of Amsterdam's .amsterdam domain, and is working with Dotlocal to support similar geoTLD initiatives in the upcoming window.

Dotlocal's Product Manager Siemen Roorda says, "Dotlocal makes local digital. We believe in the power of local identities. A dedicated domain name extension reinforces a city's or region's brand in the digital world."

Brand owners

This time around, the big unknown is how much interest brand owners will have in creating new TLDs. In 2012, about 700 brand owners around the world applied for their own extensions. Nevertheless, the concept of a brand-specific extension remains unfamiliar to the general public. However, there is reason to believe that many large organisations will see a dedicated extension as a good alternative to defensive registrations under .com. Some brand owners hold portfolios of thousands of defensively registered domain names for each of their brands.

Applicant Guide Book

The most important milestone on the road leading to the upcoming application window is publication of the new Applicant Guide Book, scheduled for early 2025. The Guidebook will set out the conditions that applicants must satisfy, the rules that'll apply, and the associated fees and charges. From when the Guidebook comes out, interested parties will have 12 months to prepare their applications. The application window will then remain open for 1 to 3 months.

Debate

ICANN's announcement was made in mid-summer, when things tend to be quiet. At the end of October, however, stakeholders will gather in Hamburg for the ICANN General Meeting. Debate regarding the window and the associated timeline is likely to heat up considerably at that point.

"By setting up its own top-level domain, a city or region can help its people and businesses to stand out on the internet," explains SIDN's Product Manager Pim Pastoors. "These projects require strategic planning and decision-making, though. Anyone interested in applying for a TLD in the upcoming window should therefore start exploring their options in plenty of time."

Want to know more?

For information about the potential benefits of a dedicated domain name extension, visit sidn.nl. If you're interested in setting up a domain name extension for a city or region, see what our partner Dotlocal has to offer.