This article addresses changing the domain registrar, not the owner. If you want to change the domain owner, follow the guide Domains – Change of owner. If you want to transfer the service to another person entirely, follow the guide Services – Handover to a new owner.
Select a domain:
In this article, you will learn:
- How the transfer works
- What conditions you must meet for the transfer
- How to transfer domains individually
- How to transfer domains in bulk
- Common problems
- Frequently asked questions
Domain transfer
During a domain transfer, only the domain registrar changes, i.e. the company that mediates the domain registration with the administrator of the given domain extension (registry).
During a transfer, you can change the billing details of the domain, because from our point of view you are creating a new service.
Transferring a domain does not change its DNS servers. Before the transfer, therefore, make sure that the provider does not restrict or cancel these servers for the domain as a result of the transfer. If you want to change the servers after the transfer, follow the guide Domains – DNS server management (NSSET).
Transfer conditions
To transfer domains, certain conditions must be met, most often payment of the transfer fee (which also extends the domain registration) and entering the authorization password.
CZ transfer conditions
You can transfer a CZ domain in any status (including after expiration), except when a registrar change is prohibited. The transfer is free of charge and does not extend the domain.
You can request the authorization password via the transfer form, from any registrar, or directly from the CZ.NIC registry CZ.NIC ⧉.
SK transfer conditions
You can transfer an SK domain in any status (including after expiration), except when a registrar change is prohibited. The transfer is charged by extending the domain by 1 year.
Request the authorization password (AUTH-ID), together with the possible removal of the registrar change prohibition, from the current registration company.
EU transfer conditions
You can transfer an EU domain in any status (including after expiration), except when a registrar change is prohibited. The transfer is charged by extending the domain by 1 year.
Request the authorization password (AUTH-ID), together with the possible removal of the registrar change prohibition, from the current registration company, or after logging in to the My .eu interface ⧉.
PL transfer conditions
You can transfer a PL domain in any status (including after expiration) under these conditions:
- The domain does not have a registrar change prohibition set.
- At least 5 days must have passed since registration or the last transfer.
The transfer is free of charge; for an expired domain, it is charged by extending the domain by 1 year.
Request the authorization password (AUTH-ID), together with the possible removal of the registrar change prohibition, from the current registration company.
gTLD and nTLD transfer conditions
Generic domains COM, NET, ORG, INFO and BIZ, as well as new generic domains such as NAME, ONLINE, WEBSITE, etc., can be transferred in any status (including after expiration) under these conditions:
- The domain does not have a registrar change prohibition set.
- At least 60 days must have passed since registration, the last transfer, or the last owner change.
The transfer is charged by extending the domain by 1 year.
Request the authorization password (AUTH-ID), together with the possible removal of the registrar change prohibition, from the current registration company.
Domain transfer procedure
Before transferring the domain, we recommend turning off DNSSEC according to your current registrar's instructions.
Submit the domain transfer request through the form in the customer administration. Open it using these steps:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, select the Domains tab.
- In the left menu, click Transfer a domain.
In step 1 of the transfer order, fill in the domain you want to transfer, and check whether you also want to set up webhosting for this domain in the follow-up order. The webhosting order is not part of the domain transfer.
In the next step, enter the domain authorization password (for a CZ domain transfer, you can have it sent directly to the domain owner's e-mail here). Fill in other specific settings and continue with the order.
If the transfer form does not offer the option to send the authorization password for your domain, request it from the current registrar.
Complete the domain transfer order.
If the transfer is charged, the system will immediately send payment details to the service's billing e-mail. The transfer itself will begin immediately after successful payment of the fees.
The usual transfer time is up to 1 hour from meeting all conditions. If the transfer takes longer, check whether you have completed all required confirmations.
CZ domain transfer
CZ domain transfer will be completed within 1 hour of finishing the transfer order.
When transferring a CZ domain, the owner's domain contact and their registrar do not change. If you also want to transfer the domain contact to us, follow the guide Domains – Contact management.
SK domain transfer
When transferring an SK domain, you can assign the domain to an existing owner contact registered with us, or create a new contact during the order. The registry does not support contact transfer.
EU domain transfer
When transferring an EU domain, you can assign the domain to an existing owner contact registered with us, or create a new contact during the order. The registry does not support contact transfer.
PL domain transfer
After the transfer fee is paid, the NASK registry sends an e-mail requiring confirmation of the domain transfer by clicking a link. After confirming the transfer by e-mail, another e-mail arrives from the registry with a notification of the domain transfer. The registry e-mails are in Polish and English.
When transferring a PL domain, the system creates a new domain contact with details identical to the original contact. The new contact will have a different ID. The registry does not support contact transfer.
gTLD or nTLD domain transfer
When transferring a generic domain, you can assign the domain to an existing owner contact registered with us, or create a new contact during the order. The registries do not support contact transfer.
After the transfer fee is paid, VEDOS sends an e-mail requiring confirmation of the domain transfer by clicking a link. The link is valid for 5 days, after which the request expires. This also verifies the domain owner's e-mail.
Activate an expired request by entering the domain authorization password into the form in its details ⧉. Entering the authorization password again will resend the confirmation e-mail. The transfer cannot be completed without confirming via the link in the e-mail.
The original registrar may or may not send an e-mail approving the transfer:
- If approved via e-mail from the original registrar, the transfer will be completed within 1 hour.
- If rejected via e-mail from the original registrar, you can start the transfer process again in the domain details using the procedure above. If you have changed your mind about the transfer, you can use the form ⧉ to request cancellation of the order and crediting of the domain renewal fee.
- If the original registrar does not send any e-mail, or if you do not confirm it, the transfer will take place 5 days after the original confirmation is entered.
When transferring a gTLD or nTLD domain, you can assign the domain to an existing owner contact registered with us, or create a new contact during the order. Registries do not support contact transfer.
Bulk domain transfer
For bulk domain transfers, you need an active Credit Account with sufficient credit to cover the fees for all transferred domains (prices without VAT).
You enter the bulk transfer interface using these steps:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, select the Domains tab.
- In the left menu, click the Bulk transfer link.
Enter the domains you want to transfer into the form. Enter each domain on a separate line. For each domain, you can also enter its authorization password on the same line. Separate it from the domain name with a space.
In the next step, enter the domain authorization passwords and agree to the transfer conditions. Continue by clicking Continue.
Tip: You can have CZ domain authorization passwords sent in bulk from our administration. Just paste the list of CZ domains to be transferred into the field at this link ⧉.
If all details are correct, check all details and the total transfer price one last time and confirm the order by clicking Finish.
Information about the next steps of the domain transfer can be found in the chapter Domain transfer.
Common problems
Common problems with domain transfers include:
- The domain is already registered
- Authorization password does not arrive
- Authorization password is incorrect
- Transfer takes too long
- The domain cannot be reconfigured during the transfer
- Transferred domain does not work properly
Domain already registered
Problem: The error appears: The domain cannot be transferred – The domain is already registered with us.
Cause: The domain is already registered with WEDOS. If you do not have it in your customer account, it will be in someone else's, for example with the former administrator.
Solution: If you only need to move the domain from someone else's customer account to your own, follow the guide Domains – Transfer using an authorization password.
Authorization password does not arrive
Problem: The authorization password does not arrive.
Cause: Most often the authorization password is sent to a different mailbox than the one you are checking. In some cases, the recipient's system may classify the message as SPAM.
Solution: Check the SPAM folder. If the message is not there either, verify that you are checking the correct e-mail. If you do not know the domain owner's e-mail, ask your registrar for help.
Incorrect authorization password
Problem: The transfer did not go through. An e-mail arrived: Dear customer, as a result of entering an incorrect authorization password „**********“ during the transfer of domain domena.tld, the action could not be completed. …
Cause: The authorization password you entered is incorrect. The most common sources of errors are:
- entering the customer ID,
- entering the authorization password for a different domain or domain contact,
- expired authorization password (single-use, or time expired),
- incorrectly copied authorization password (for example with spaces or character entities).
Solution: Follow the instructions in the e-mail. Check that you are entering the current authorization password. Registries may change it after some time or operation, so make sure the password you are entering has not been changed.
Transfer taking a long time
Problem: The transfer has been running for several days.
Cause: Most often, the confirmation e-mail from the current registrar was missed.
Solution: Check that the transfer has been successfully paid and that you have confirmed all e-mails you received regarding the transfer.
Unavailable settings
Problem: After submitting the transfer, you cannot change the domain's DNS servers or other settings.
Cause: Domain transfer can be a time-consuming process that is entirely within the competence of the domain registry. Neither the original nor the new registrar may have immediate feedback on the progress of the transfer and may not inform the domain owner in real time.
Solution: Make all risky settings (especially DNS server changes, turning off DNSSEC) before starting the transfer and make sure the changes were saved correctly. Also do your best to speed up the transfer process – pay any fees using fast payment methods, monitor e-mail for messages with confirmation links.
Domain not working after transfer
Problem: After transferring the domain and setting up webhosting/WebSite, the domain still points to the previous hosting, or it stopped working.
Cause: The transferred domain does not use our DNS servers. The original registrar may have disconnected theirs.
Solution: Change the DNS servers manually according to the guide Domains – DNS server settings (NSSET).
Frequently asked questions
How does the transfer of gTLD domains from Ascio directly to WEDOS work?
Before we obtained ICANN accreditation for direct registration of gTLD domains, we had to use Ascio as an intermediary. Unfortunately, this entails various limitations. Now we can register domains directly through this page in the customer administration.
If I transfer someone else's domain, do I become its owner?
The main purpose of a domain transfer is to change the registrar, not the owner. If you want to change the domain owner, follow the guide Domains – Change of owner. The need to use an authorization password verifies that the change is being made by an authorized person.
How do I transfer a domain from VEDOS to another registrar?
Look for instructions in the documentation or from the support of the new registrar.