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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Parliamentary statement made on SIDN's registration system proposal

Conditional go-ahead given for more limited migration of the .nl registration system

Cloud computing

Last year, we announced our provisional decision to use the services of a US hyperscaler, prompting some observers to question the need for the move and to express concerns, particularly regarding the implications for Dutch digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy. In response, the then Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy authorised a quick scan to establish, for example, whether services meeting our requirements could be obtained from a Dutch or European service provider instead. SIDN subsequently undertook not to take any irreversible steps until the quick scan, a data protection impact assessment and a security risk analysis had been completed.

Written statement to parliament

On 17 January 2025, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, acting also on behalf of the State Secretary for Digitalisation and Kingdom Relations, made a written statement to parliament in response to questions raised in the house last year regarding our provisional decision to migrate part of our generic technical infrastructure to the cloud platform operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The various activities and investigations set in motion by the economy ministry and the interior ministry have now been completed. On the basis of a quick scan of the Dutch and European cloud services markets, a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) and a risk analysis by the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), SIDN has been given the go-ahead to make use of AWS's public cloud services, subject to certain conditions and modifications to the original proposal.

Quick scan findings

The findings of the quick scan confirm that our decision-making had been as considered and rational as could reasonably be expected, with the reliability and availability of the .nl domain as our primary concerns. No Dutch or European cloud service provider is currently able to fully satisfy our technical and functional criteria or meet our legal and organisational requirements. Furthermore, a solution based on the integration of multiple Dutch and European services would be very difficult for a small organisation like SIDN to realise, as well as entailing considerable risk and expense. Those findings are consistent with a survey of the cloud services market that we commissioned in 2023.

DPIA findings

The DPIA confirmed that, with the proposed configuration of the SIDN environment, the additional risk-mitigation measures to be taken, and AWS's participation in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, the privacy risks associated with migration could be adequately addressed. For security reasons, it was decided that certain parts of the DPIA, mainly those relating to the configuration and the risk-mitigation measures, should not be made public.

Findings of the AIVD risk analysis

The written statement also says that, taking advice from the AIVD into account, SIDN and the economy minister have agreed on a number of important measures to assure the security and availability of .nl independently from AWS. The central feature of those measures is that the database for the zone file will be hosted by a Dutch cloud service provider. The database forms the primary, reliable and trusted source, on the basis of which the zone file will be generated, signed and published using a Dutch service provider, without the use of AWS. The decision to have the zone file hosted in the Netherlands means that a smaller portion of our domain registration system will be hosted by AWS in Frankfurt than we originally envisaged. The agreed measures will reduce our dependence on AWS and help to assure (digital) autonomy.

Detailed planning and implementation to proceed in close consultation

With the investigation findings to hand and a number of key adjustments agreed, we are now able to proceed with the project. Detailed planning and implementation will take place in close consultation with the economics ministry, the chosen Dutch service provider and the Registrars' Association. We aim to launch the new domain registration system in the first quarter of 2026.

Questions and suggestions are welcome

Over the last year, we have engaged in extensive dialogue with stakeholders, and we will continue to do so. We are happy to talk to anyone who has a question regarding the outcome of the investigations, or a suggestion regarding how we proceed with implementation.

Contact person:

Marnie van Duijnhoven, communication manager and spokesman

Marnie van Duijnhoven

Communication Manager / Spokesman