Registering a .nl domain name
The .nl extension is the country code of the Netherlands and is managed by SIDN. Belgian companies may also register a .nl; a Dutch address is not required. If you sell or deliver in the Netherlands, your customers there expect a .nl.
For a Belgian company with Dutch customers, a .nl is often the logical second domain name. Below is what SIDN requires for a registration, how a transfer runs and what happens if you miss a renewal.
What does a .nl domain name cost?
Price in euros, per year and excluding 21% VAT. Renewable annually; price changes by the registry are reserved.
The rules of SIDN for a .nl
Who may register
Anyone, even without an address in the Netherlands. The registry may ask holders from abroad for a correspondence address in the Netherlands; the registrar usually arranges that. The holder details must be correct.
Characters and length
Letters, digits and the hyphen, two to sixty-three characters. A hyphen may not appear at the start or the end. Accented letters are not possible with .nl.
Term and renewal
You register per year and renew each time before the expiry date. Automatic renewal prevents the name from expiring unnoticed.
Transfer with a transfer code
You move with a transfer token that you request from your current registrar. With .nl the transfer is usually completed quickly. The name stays with the same holder after the transfer; changing holder is a separate step.
Expiry and quarantine
A .nl that is not renewed goes into quarantine. SIDN applies a recovery period during which the holder can still reclaim the name. After that it becomes available again to everyone.
Which sites is a .nl suited to?
Belgian companies with Dutch customers
A Dutch visitor types .nl out of habit. With a .nl alongside your .be you serve both markets in their own extension.
Webshops delivering in the Netherlands
Your own .nl address with Dutch prices and delivery terms inspires more trust than a Belgian site that also ships to the Netherlands.
Dutch-language projects across the border
For an initiative aimed at the whole Dutch-speaking region, .nl alongside .be is a natural combination.
What most often goes wrong with a .nl
Expecting accents or special characters
What works with .be does not with .nl: you cannot register a name with an accent there. Choose the spelling without accents.
Confusing holder change and transfer
A transfer changes the registrar, not the holder. If you also want to put the name on another company, that is a separate change at the registry.
Missing the renewal
After the recovery period the name becomes available. Switch on automatic renewal and keep the holder's email address current.