Chose your color

Frequently visited

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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

About SIDN's Privacy Policy for .nl Domain Names

Version 22 May 2018

We maintain a register of .nl domain names. That involves processing data about applicants and registrants. The data we process includes information about private individuals, companies and institutions. We also process data about, for example, the people who act as administrative and technical contacts for .nl domain names. A lot of our data processing activities come under the General Data Protection Regulation. We are responsible for processing the data referred to above in the domain name register.

We have written the Privacy Policy for .nl Domain Names for everyone whose personal data we process.

This document has been written to explain various aspects of the Privacy Policy for .nl Domain Names.

What data do we record in the register?

Our register contains data about .nl domain name registrations.

  • The way we run the register is in line with international agreements about the internet.

What do we use the data for?

  • To deal with applications to register domain names.

  • To respond to requests and complaints from registrants and data subjects.

  • To pass on to registrars, so that they can do their work.

  • To maintain the zone file.

  • To respond to information requests from investigatory and enforcement authorities and certification authorities (CAs).

  • To maintain the Whois (the part of the register that anyone can look at).

What can the data in the Whois be used for?

  • To sort out technical problems that affect how the internet works.

  • To apply for .nl domain names and to find out who the registrants of existing names are.

  • To protect intellectual property rights.

  • To stop illegal and harmful content being put on the internet, or to get it taken down.

Who do we have data about?

  • Registrants

  • The people who act as contacts for domain names

  • Registrars and their contacts

  • Resellers

What data do we include in the register?

This is the most data that we process about the people mentioned just above:

  • Details of domain name applications and applicants

  • Relationship management information

  • Security information

  • Public data

Where do we get the data from?

  • The registrant

  • The registrar who forwards the domain name application or looks after the registration

What data do we make public?

If the registrant is an ordinary person (not a business), this information is available to everyone from the Whois:

  • Domain name

  • Registration date

  • Status of the domain (Active, Requested, Free, etc)

  • E-mail address of the administrative contact

  • E-mail address of the technical contact (there can be more than one technical contact)

  • Details of the primary and secondary name servers (names and IP addresses)

If the registrant is a business, this information is available to everyone from the Whois:

  • Domain name

  • Registration date

  • Registrant's name

  • If the registrant chooses: the registrant's address

  • Status of the domain (Active, Requested, Free, etc)

  • E-mail address of the administrative contact

  • E-mail address of the technical contact (there can be more than one technical contact)

  • Details of the primary and secondary name servers (names and IP addresses)

Who has access to our data?

People who work at SIDN and have been given written permission to process data.

  • They are allowed to process data only for our registry work, to respond to enquiries and complaints, or for technical purposes.

Anyone can use the Whois to look at our public data.

  • So everyone has direct access to that data.

We make non-public data available to anyone who has a legitimate interest in it ('interested

parties').

  • If we do that, we always tell the registrant.

How long do we keep data?

We keep the data we've collected as long as the domain name it relates to is active.

  • After that, we keep it for as long as we need it for our work.

If you've got a data request, who do you ask?

If you want us to tell you what data we've got about you, or if you want the data corrected,

added to or deleted, you need to make a request through your registrar.

  • Your registrar will pass the request on to us.

  • You have a legal right to make requests like that under the General Data Protection Regulation.

You can make other requests, besides the ones mentioned in the General Data Protection Regulation.

  • They have to be made through your registrar as well. One of the things you can request is to have your personal details left out of the public register, and your registrar's details put in instead. (We call that an 'opt-out request'.)

If you are a registrar yourself, you can send your request straight to us.