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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Quarantine period end times to be shown in Whois

  • Monday 9 January 2017

From 31 January, 11.00 (CET) if you look up the registration data of a quarantined domain name in the Whois, you will be able to see the time that the quarantine period is due to end. At present, the Whois gives only the quarantine period's end date.

Time visible to everyone

The latest Domain Name Debate highlighted a general belief that the most recent registrant and registrar should not have an advantage in the reregistration of domain names released from quarantine. At present, they have the advantage of knowing exactly when the domain name was quarantined and therefore exactly when the quarantine period will end. That advantage will be removed by publishing the quarantine period end time in the Whois, so that everyone has equal opportunity to reregister the name.

Release will take place within one hour of quarantine period end time

In order to protect SIDN's Domain Registration System against traffic surges when desirable domain names are scheduled for release from quarantine, we have decided to use individually randomised release times. In future, a domain name will be made available for reregistration at a random time within a one-hour window starting from the published quarantine period end time.

NB. The time specified in the Whois output will be expressed using UTC. The specified time will represent the start of the one-hour window within which the Domain Registration System initiates the process that leads to the domain name being released for reregistration.

Background

When a domain name is cancelled, it is initially placed in quarantine for forty days. During that period, it may be reinstated by its most recent registrant, but no one else can register it. Exactly forty days after being quarantined, the domain name is released. From then on, it can be reregistered by anyone on a first-come, first-served basis. The Whois already gives the end date of a cancelled domain name's quarantine period, but not the end time. The only people who know the quarantine period end time are the domain name's most recent registrant and the registrar that cancelled the domain name for the registrant. They know the end time, because when the name was cancelled they received a confirmation message stating the exact time of cancellation. From that, they can work out the release time. As a result, the former registrant and registrar have an advantage over anyone else that might want to reregister the domain name. So, in theory, they stand a better chance of securing the released domain name if they want to. As indicated above, we learnt from the last Domain Name Debate that the community wanted to see a level playing field for everyone interested in reregistering a quarantined domain name.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact our support desk by mailing support@sidn.nl or calling +31 26 352 5555.