What is a domain transfer?
A domain transfer is when you as a domain owner chooses to change the registrar you use to register the domain with the registry. There are many registrars available to register and hold the details of your domain registrations for you.
Each registry has different policies and procedures in place for how to complete a domain transfer, please review the specific notes relating to transfers in the relevant TLD pages. Transfer fees may apply as a result of transfering your domain to a new registrar.
How do I transfer my domain?
The process for transfering your domain to a different registrar varies by registry. These notes are generic and the actual process used may vary from these according to the type of domain, the registry and the registrars in question.
The transfer request is usually initiated by the losing registrar upon request by the domain owner. This usually involves the owner of the domain unlocking the domain (if applicable) and receiving the Authcode for the domain (if applicable). In some cases, the owner will have to provide the receiving registrar's IPS TAG for the domain (the receiving registrar will provide this to you).
The owner is responsible for passing the Authcode and the domain details to the receiving registrar. In most cases, the contact details must be provided as per the existing registration details.
The registry is informed about the requested transfer and in most cases contacts the registered owner or administrator of the domain to request a confirmation of the transfer. You will be provided a unique link to the registry's web site and asked to confirm your request there.
Assuming you confirm the request (which must be completed within five days of initiating the process), the transfer will be completed within a few days.
Important notes
Before initiating a domain transfer, please ensure that your contact details are up to date for the owner, administrator and technical contact.
Some registries automatically add a period to the lifetime of the domain, so you may find your new expiry date is up to a year later than it was prior to the transfer. This is paid for out of the transfer fees applicable for the domain.
Domain owners must ensure that their account with the losing registrar is up-to-date. If the owner is in debt to their existing registrar the losing registrar has a right to refuse the transfer of the domain until their account has been settled in full.
The transfer process is time-limited. If you fail to complete the actions required of you to complete a transfer within the period provided, the transfer will fail and the transfer charges will be lost. Please make sure you unlock your domain before beginning the process as this usually causes the transfer to fail automatically.