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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Working visit to consider the Netherlands as a leader in the digital economy

  • Friday 10 October 2014

On the 23th of September a party of members of the Netherlands’ lower house of parliament, their personal assistants and representatives of the organising bodies (the Foundation for Internet Domain Registration in the Netherlands (SIDN), Google, the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), the Dutch Hosting Provider Association (DHPA) and LeaseWeb) paid a working visit to EvoSwitch AMS1.

The Netherlands has a strong and extensive hosting industry and a relatively good climate for start-ups in the on-line sector. Furthermore, in the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) we have the biggest internet hub in the world. So the working visit was arranged to inform the MPs about the opportunities open to the Netherlands in the international digital economy. The visit was also envisaged as a platform for the exchange of ideas about the challenges that exist in the field of policy, legislation and regulation if the Netherlands is to retain its leading role. And what better location for a gathering to talk over such matters than that most tangible symbol of the Netherlands’ digital economy: EvoSwitch AMS1?

The internet: the Dutch economy’s third main port

Working visit participants were able to hear about how the internet works. There was also discussion of the Netherlands’ international role, and of the impact of legislation and regulation on the start-up climate and confidence in the digital economy. Late last year, Deloitte published the findings of research undertaken for AMS-IX, DHPA, Rabo and ECP. The investigation indicated that the Netherlands’ digital infrastructure is effectively the nation’s third main port, after Schiphol airport and Rotterdam seaport. The internet’s importance to the Dutch economy was also underlined by the World Economic Forum’s Global Enabling Trade Report 2014, which praised the Netherlands’ digital infrastructure. The WEF ranked the country’s facilities the third best in the world.The Netherlands’ digital infrastructure sector is clearly a global leader, competing with London and Frankfurt. Features such as the open and neutral nature of the Dutch internet services market make the Netherlands an attractive base for companies active in the sector.

Guided tour makes the internet tangible

A guided tour of the data centre let the visitors see just what proposed legislation would mean in practical terms. A window was opened on the world of next-generation data centre infrastructure. All participants were enthusiastic about the working visit, which was a real eye-opener for those never before privileged to see the extraordinary hidden world behind the internet. The organisers, with Maarten Simon representing SIDN, were able to look back on a successful day.