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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Sharp rise in use of DMARC, SPF, DKIM and DANE for mail

  • Friday 19 October 2018

With the cryptographic DNSSEC infrastructure firmly established, great progress is now being made securing the transmission of e-mail traffic. DANE is increasingly well supported by e-mail software. And, here in the Netherlands, the government is proving to be a committed driver of DMARC, SPF and DKIM implementation.

Tim Draegen, co-inventor of the DMARC standard, recently received a certificate from the government in recognition of DMARC's addition to the 'use-or-explain' list. Since then, government and semi-government organisations have been obliged to implement the standards when procuring new ICT systems and services. What's more, according to the latest Joint Ambition Statement, the aim is to adopt the strictest DMARC setting ('p=quarantine' or 'p=reject') for all government domains by the end of 2019.

The two associated standards (SPF and DKIM) had previously been added to the 'use-or-explain' list. The strictest SPF setting — '~all' of '-all' — is also to be implemented by the end of next year.

DANE for mail

Meanwhile, mail software developers are continuing to work on the implementation of DANE, a cryptographic technique for anchoring TLS certificates in the mail system. For example, port25 recently announced that it had implemented DANE validation (for outgoing mail) in version 5.0 of its PowerMTA bulk-mailer. Manvendra Bhangui, lead developer of the IndiMail MTA, added DANE validation to release 2.5 of the program last spring.

The Forum for Standardisation is now investigating whether DANE validation for outgoing mail and DANE certificate pinning for incoming mail should also be added to the 'use-or-explain' list. At the start of this year, the European Commission recognised DANE for both mail and the web as an official standard for use in procurement.