Registration details
Registration details can be found in the TLD reference chart. OpenSRS offers domain name registrations for .UK, .CO.UK, and .ME.UK. Due to Nominet’s requirements, .LTD.UK, .PLC.UK, and .NET.UK domains must be registered with Nominet directly; We offer renewals and transfers of these domains.
The admin email field is mandatory for all new registrations;
Contact Privacy
The registry does not display the registrant's name, and address in WhoIs for both individual and organization registered domains, rendering contact privacy unnecessary.
Resellers cannot enable contact privacy or opt-in or out of whois display for any Nominet domains.
Value Added Tax
VAT (Value Added Tax) is a tax levied by the UK government. Different implications depend on the location from which you operate your business.
Resellers who are not UK corporations must pay VAT on .*.UK registrations, but may be able to reclaim paid VAT.
Resellers who are residents of the UK or elsewhere in Europe must pay VAT for .*.UK registrations and then reclaim the VAT paid as they normally would. The services we provide are from outside the United Kingdom.
Residency requirements
The .UK registry no longer has any residency requirements when registering either a base or second level .UK domain, so long as the address can receive mail by postal service. The registry considers P.O boxes as acceptable addresses.
Registration
In June 2014, Nominet launched a new shorter domain ending, .UK. It is now part of the .UK domain family, joining .CO.UK, .ORG.UK, and .ME.UK.
At the launch time, they gave registrants of existing .CO.UK, .ORG.UK, and .ME.UK domains registered before October 2013. The deadline to claim the reserved domain names ended in June 2019.
Deletions
The registry handles domain deletions directly using Nominet's Online Services account. Once scheduled for cancellation, they remove the domain name from the register on the day of cancellation before midnight.
Renewals
When a .UK domain reaches its expiry date without being renewed, Nominet sends a reminder to the owner recommending that they contact their registrar to renew the domain. The registrant then has 30 days from the expiry date to renew the domain. Twenty-three days after expiry, when the domain is still not restored, Nominet sends another message to the registrant, warning them that they face suspension after seven days.
Domains not renewed by the end of the 30-day grace period receive notification that they will remain suspended for 60 days. The domain no longer resolves in redemption. Redeem suspended domains through a renewal order.
Nominet sends a final message 53 days after the beginning of the suspension period, warning that only seven days remain until cancellation. The domain is available for new registration after not being renewed during the 60 days suspension period.
Setting domains to auto-renew
.UK domains are not automatically set to auto-renew; You can choose to set all orders for .UK domains to auto-renew by default. They may be auto-renewed for one or two years. Configure auto-renewal settings in the Reseller Web Interface (RWI)
To change auto-renewal settings for all .UK domains:
- Log into the RWI.
- Click Tech contact information from the profile management section.
- Choose Yes or No next to the auto-renew all new/transferred domains option to select.
- Choose whether you want your domains to auto-renew for one or two years from the .UK auto-renew years drop-down.
- Click Save changes.
The auto-renew setting can be disabled for individual domains at the order level by the reseller or by the registrant when enabled.
Transfers
The transfer process is unique to .UK domains. Nominet’s transfer policy requires the losing registrar to initiate transfers. Advise the registrant to contact their current registrar to update the IPS tag to the Tucows tag of TUCOWS-CA.
When transferring a domain, the losing registrar must change the domain tag. The gaining registrar cannot modify the IPS tag. Only valid IPS tags are accepted.
It is not possible to force the completion of .UK transfers that are pending registry approval status. Transfer winback messaging is not available for .UK domains.
Note: Reseller-to-reseller transfers follow the standard transfer process.
Transfers in
Transfer-in orders completed within seven days of the expiration date are renewed and charged a renewal price. Expired domains renew once the transfer completes. There is no transfer fee and no term added for regular .UK transfers.
To transfer in a .UK domain:
- The registrant asks the losing registrar (the current tag holder) to submit the tag change to Nominet; the new tag is TUCOWS-CA.
- The gaining reseller accepts the transfer by submitting a transfer order via RCP or RWI.
Cancelling and resubmitting failed transfers
To cancel a transfer-in request using the RWI:
- Log into the RWI.
- Click UK Transfer in requests from the requests queuing section of the RWI.
- Click Cancel or Resubmit in the options column, and then click Process from the transfer in requests page.
Transfers away from OpenSRS
Transfers away are submitted by resellers via the Reseller Web Interface (RWI) or by the registrant via the Manage Web Interface (MWI). OpenSRS sends an email to the registrant to approve the tag change. Once approved, we send the tag change to Nominet. This process is usually immediate, but some registrars have set up a handshake requirement to accept incoming transfers.
Note: The gaining registrar has five days to accept the domain.
RWI transfers
- Log into the RWI.
- Click Place UK domain tag transfer away under the order management section.
- Enter the gaining registrar’s IPS tag in the new domain tag field.
- Enter the domain to transfer away in the list domains box. Click Submit.
MWI transfers
Registrants managing their domain from the MWI can submit a tag change when logged in.
- Login to the MWI.
- Click Domain extras.
- Enter the new IPS tag in the new domain tag field, under domain tag change away. Click Save configuration.
De-tagged domains
When a de-tagged domain transfers to a new tag holder, Nominet's automated system requests an ISP reference number via an automated message, to proceed with the transaction, enter your reseller username or any number; we do not provide this number.
Change of ownership
Complete a change of ownership by modifying the contact information via the RCP. Nominet allows the registrant to submit a change of ownership at cost via their portal.
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