A move always involves some stress and hassle. Fortunately the move or transfer of a domain name is a lot easier, especially with good preparation. If you know the answers to these five questions, your domain name is transferred at a click of the mouse!
Are you well prepared?
Your domain is the place on the internet where you place your website, and is often also linked to an e-mail address. When you decide to transfer the management of your domain name to another company, only your domain will be transferred. The e-mail addresses that are linked to it or the contents of your website are not automatically transferred together with the domain. It is therefore best to think about what you want to move in advance. In this way, you will prevent your domain name from being transferred too quickly and your website and e-mail from becoming inaccessible all of a sudden.
If you also want to move your website and mailboxes, the simplest way is to buy a hosting package from the company that will take care of the webhosting after the move (we call such a company a registrar or a reseller). You can then place your website on a provisional domain name first and only then move your domain name. Always make a backup of your website (texts, images, files, etc.) before you start the transfer. Thanks to good planning your website visitors will not notice this transfer at all!
Is your e-mail address correct?
Do you want to move the domain name? You can request your transfer code here:
You can also ask the current person or company that hosts your website or your webmaster. The transfer code is the code you need to transfer your domain name from the company that now hosts your website to the new one. You also need a transfer code to transfer your domain name to another registrant .
The transfer code will be sent to your e-mail address. Within 7 days, you have to provide this transfer code to the company that will host your website. They will make sure that the transfer is done correctly.
So before you start the transfer, make sure you entered the correct e-mail address when you registered your domain name and whether this is the address where you can still be reached. This will save you all sorts of hassles afterwards.
How long does it take?
If you thought that moving a domain name is a complex, long-term process, you are wrong. The duration of the transfer does however depend on the domain name extension. Do you have a .be domain name? Then it can be done in a jiffy. Once you have requested the transfer, our registration platform checks whether the transfer code is correct. If it is, the transfer will be carried out immediately. Your domain name may have already moved in just a few hours! Easy, isn’t it?
When is a domain name transfer not possible?
In certain cases, a registrar may reject or not process your transfer request. For .be domain names, a registrar can do this when:
- a .be domain name has been blocked (on hold status) by legal proceedings or a court order;
- a .be domain has been blocked (on hold status) because an alternative dispute settlement procedure was initiated via Cepani,
- there are doubts as to the identity of the person requesting the transfer and whether s/he is the real registrant;
- there is another transfer lock active for the domain name.
If none of the aforementioned situations is at issue, a registrar is in theory not allowed to reject your transfer request and everything should run smoothly.
If a transfer was carried out without your consent or approval nonetheless, you can report it to DNS Belgium. After a legal assessment, we can decide to cancel the transfer.
How much does a domain name transfer cost?
You pay a fee for the transfer of your domain name at your new registrar or reseller. Your current registrar or reseller can also charge a small transfer fee. So check in advance and ask your current and new registrar/reseller for information.
With the answers to these five questions in mind, you are optimally prepared for your domain name transfer!
With this article, we support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.