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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

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.nl is fourty years old!

And we'd like to celebrate reaching this milestone with you!

Godfather of .nl

It all started with our founder Piet Beertema. He is One of the trailblazers who played a special role in creation of the .nl domain and SIDN. When working as a system administrator at the National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI), Piet had the great idea of asking to establish the .nl top-level domain. Setting up a new TLD needed the approval of Jon Postel, a US internet pioneer. Jon approved the request and .nl came into being!

  • On 25 April 1986, the country code .nl was officially introduced.

  • On 1 May 1986, the CWI registered the very first .nl domain name: cwi.nl. With that registration, .nl became the first active country-code domain outside the US.

Piet Beertema, .nl pioneer. Photographer: Pieter Boersma (1985)

Podcast 'The silent big bang'

How did the idea for .nl come about? It is one of the lucky coincidences that Piet Beertema was the first in the world to come up with the idea of ​​using internet domain names that end with a 2-letter country code. Why was it necessary for Beertema to come up with this solution? And why does the CWI actually play such an important role in the genesis of .nl? You will find out all about it in the first episode of our podcast series .nl.

podcast icon
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Wa9RSFD9mfeJPf756zyid?si=q_0IFpPnQjKdEhCsggTVPw&nd=1&dlsi=270ac39187c443fd%22%20text=%22Listen%20to%20the%20podcast%20in%20Dutch%22

A look back at the .nl milestones

From its inception in 1986 to the present day, it has been a remarkable journey for the .nl domain and everyone involved. We have grown from 0 to over 6 million domain names. It hasn’t always been plain sailing: in the early days, we had sprinklers on the roof to cool the servers and even camped out at the office because the DRS update required a fair bit of overtime. Nevertheless, our professionalism grew alongside the growth of .nl. We are now one of the most secure domains worldwide, so .nl is a safe choice!

milestone of 6 million .nl domain names

Do you see a .nl? Share it!

Every day, you see .nl domain names everywhere: on billboards, buildings, lorries and vans. If you spot a fun, eye-catching .nl domain name, take a photo and share it on social media using #spotpuntNL and tagging SIDN. You’ll then be in with a chance of winning one of 40 great .nl prize packages! Read more about the competition https://sidn.nl/en/if-you-spot-a-nl-share-it

That’s a different kettle of fish (biscuit :)): an interview in a magazine with the fun .nl domain name koeckebakker.nl
go fast, wear a helmet
gratis juridisch advies
Kingsday Arnhem
back of a sweater with the print tripidoo.nl, toys and travel goods
schaepmeester painting work

Did you know...?

  • When .nl started in 1986, it was the world's very first active country-code domain, outside the U.S.

  • Today, .nl is the fourth largest country-code domain, after China, Germany and the UK.

  • Every day, our systems process 4.1 billion search queries.

  • Amsterdam has the biggest concentration of .nl registrants? The areas around the university cities of Eindhoven, Enschede, Groningen and Nijmegen are also major registration hotspots.

Did you know...?

  • In the Netherlands, .nl has a 65 per cent share of the domain name market.

  • Twenty-seven .nl domain names currently have the maximum permitted number of characters (63). One is: www.delangstewebsitenaamvannederlanddietotnutoebestaateningebruikis.nl which means 'the longest Dutch website name yet registered and in use'.

  • The .nl domain name with the highest resale price so far is vakantie.nl ('vacation-dot-nl'), which fetched 2.5 million euros.

  • The average .nl domain name is thirteen characters long.

More than 6 million .nl domain names!

In fourty years, the number of .nl domain names has climbed to more than 6 million! Yet it's still easy to find your perfect .nl using our search bar ('Whois') and the suggestion tool.

.nl domain names

The milestones of 40 years .nl

  1. 2026

    1. 40 anniversary .nl

      .nl domain celebrates its 40 anniversary and with a new logo!

      .nl logo with coloured flags - 40 years .nl

  2. 2021

    1. King makes virtual working visit to SIDN

      His Majesty the King paid a digital working visit to SIDN on 16 November 2021. During the visit, the King spoke with SIDN employees about, among other things, the history of SIDN and the development of the .nl domain, and about the steps being taken.

      Danielle Hermsen, Support Manager at SIDN, in conversation with His Majesty the King Willem Alexander during an online working visit to SIDN.

  3. 2020

    1. 6 millionth .nl domain name registered

      6 millionth .nl domain name registered: deyogiclub.nl Openprovider

      Cindy Woesthuis, registrant of the six millionth .nl domain name and her husband Jeroen Woesthuis, among representatives of SIDN, Openprovider and Robohost.

  4. 2018

    1. 3 million .nl domain names secured with DNSSEC

      A significant milestone in making domain names more secure against abuse

  5. 2012

    1. Securing .nl domain names with DNSSEC is now possible

      It will soon be possible to secure .nl domain names using DNSSEC. This acts as a kind of digital signature for translating a domain name into an IP address and vice versa, ensuring that you are directed to the correct address. More about DNSSEC

  6. 2011

    1. .nl-domein bestaat 25 jaar

      On 25 April 2011, the .nl domain celebrates its 25th anniversary.

      25 years of .nl

  7. 2010

    1. 4 millionth .nl domain name registered

      Registrar Digitalus Webhosting registrers 4 millionth .nl domain name: tomgoesusa.nl

  8. 2008

    1. 3 millionth .nl domain name registered

      3 millionth .nl domain name registered by registrar 3minds webdesign+: vivianlam.nl

    2. Agreement to safeguard .nl domain

      The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) and SIDN sign a memorandum of understanding every seven years to safeguard the .nl domain and ensure its continuity. This first took place in 2008, and the photo shows the renewal in 2022. Read more about the convenant

      Michiel Boots, Director General for the Economy and Digitisation at the Dutch government's economics ministry , and Roelof Meijer, SIDN's CEO, sign the covenant to safeguard the .nl domain.

  9. 2006

    1. The 2 millionth .nl domain is registered

      Registrar ADIX Hosting has registered the 2 millionth .nl domain: shop4business.nl

  10. 2003

    1. The millionth .nl domain name has been registered

      The millionth .nl domain is registered by Planet Media Group: verzekering-online-zelf.nl

  11. 2000

    1. Registration of the first personal domain name with .nl

      For the first time, private individuals can register a .nl domain name. The first personal domain name is a combination of a name and three digits: jansen.123.nl

  12. 1996

    1. Establishment of the Netherlands Internet Domain Registration Foundation

      Establishment of SIDN by Piet Beertema, Ted Lindgreen and Boudewijn Nederkoorn for voor het beheer van het .nl-domein

  13. 1986

    1. The registration of the first .nl domain name

      On 1 May 1986, the CWI registered the first .nl domain name: cwi.nl. So .nl was the first active country-code domain outside the US.

      cwi.nl first .nl domain name

    2. .nl first active Country Code

      Piet Beertema had the great idea of asking for the Netherlands to have its own the top-level domain: .nl. He put the idea to Jon Postel, a US internet pioneer. Jon approved Piet's request and .nl was created. .nl was now a reality, making it the first active country-code top-level domain in the world. Photographer: Pieter Boersma (1985)

      Piet Beertema 1984