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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Share business details conveniently and safely using the IRMA app

SIDN realises Trade Register interface for the IRMA app: a new way to leverage data

Chamber of Commerce office in Utrecht, the Netherlands
  • Thursday 23 February 2023

For the Dutch business community, the Chamber of Commerce is a household name. Its slogan 'Business starts with the CoC' is something everyone can relate to. Anyone that wants to run a business in the Netherlands has to submit details for recording in the Trade Register, maintained by the CoC. Other people can then look up the information to check that a prospective business partner is who they say they are. To make such checks even easier, SIDN has made it possible to import Trade Register data to the IRMA app (now called Yivi), and then share it as and when necessary. So, for example, an app user will be able to show that they're authorised to act for their organisation. SIDN asked identity service provider Signicat to realise the Trade Register data import functionality. Signicat's solution involves interaction with the existing Trade Register public API.

Collaborative innovation

"SIDN had been talking to the Chamber of Commerce for a while, about various possible innovations," recalls Joost Fleuren from the CoC's InnovatieLab. "And we knew that SIDN was keen to make Trade Register information available through the IRMA app. SIDN is forward-looking and wanted to act before the national and European legislation on identity wallets comes in. So we sat down together to discuss what could be done in the short term."

According to Fleuren, it was soon clear that there was already plenty of scope for innovation. "Our team here at the InnovatieLab therefore worked with SIDN to devise a solution that allows the user of an identity wallet such as IRMA to import Trade Register data by interacting with the CoC's existing public API. The collaboration resulted in an experimental guide for service providers, explaining how to load public Trade Register data into an identity wallet. It's good to see how, by following the guide, it was relatively easy for a third party such as Signicat to craft a solution based on our existing public interface."

Solution

Signicat's solution allows someone whose business is registered with the CoC to import data about themselves from the public API, and easily share it with service providers and others who ask for it. "We were impressed by how quickly they were able to pick up our guide and independently translate it into a working solution," continues Fleuren.

The potential of identity wallets came as no surprise to him, though. "All sorts of things are possible with identify wallets. They have countless advantages. I see the rise of the identity wallet as good for The Netherlands Inc, for process digitisation and for fraud prevention. Not to mention privacy protection, because people keep control of their own data."

Privacy-friendly, secure and easy to use

Having imported Trade Register data to an identity wallet such as IRMA, a user can easily share the information with service providers and others. Those parties then get automatic confirmation that the app user is authorised to act for the business, bundled with the user's electronic ID. The result is a process that's not only more privacy-friendly (you know what details you're sharing), but also more secure (you don't need to send anyone a copy of your passport or other ID) and more convenient for a wide variety of online activities.

As Fleuren says, all sorts of things are possible with identify wallets. He envisages great demand for the automation of know-your-customer (KYC) and identity verification processes, boosting legal assurance in online commerce. "It's apparent that there is real demand for broad KYC processes. And legally valid signing of electronic documents is another potential boom area. It's all very well having a document signed by Mr Jones, but what's his role at the company? Does he actually have the authority to sign a binding contract? If Mr Jones uses the IRMA app, and he's imported his Trade Register data, the other party to the contract knows for sure that everything is legally watertight."

Cost reduction

According to Fleuren, another important factor is cost. "One of the biggest drivers of innovation is desire to secure cost reductions, including reductions in transaction and investment costs. Using Trade Register data in IRMA not only makes it quicker and easier to share ID information when doing business, but also makes it cheaper. Doing business online becomes more straightforward and more secure. And things that previously weren't possible online, like selling on account or leasing scooters, become possible with digital wallets. That's where businesses really stand to gain. It's already clear to us that there is huge demand for that kind of thing."

Fleuren is keeping a close eye on developments with identity wallets in the Netherlands and at the European level. "The Chamber of Commerce is taking part in an EU digital wallet project, and we're monitoring the progress of Dutch legislation in this field. I wouldn't be surprised if the EU gave everyone the right to import data about themselves to a digital wallet. So, if for example you run your own business, you would be entitled to get your Trade Register data or your UBO register data, and to share it with whoever you choose, using the wallet of your choice."