What a domain transfer is
A domain transfer moves the management of a name from one registrar to another. You keep the same name and stay its holder. What changes is the company you renew with and the place you manage the name's settings.
People usually transfer to keep their names, email and website services in one place.
The steps, in order
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Check the name can move
Make sure the name has not expired and, for a gTLD such as .com, that it was not registered or last transferred, or had its owner details changed in the past 60 days, unless that lock was waived. Check that the contact email on the name is one you can read, because transfer emails go there.
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Unlock the domain
Sign in at your current registrar and turn off the transfer lock (sometimes called registrar lock). A locked name cannot be transferred.
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Get the transfer code
Ask your current registrar for the transfer code, also called the EPP code or auth code. It proves you control the name.
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Note your DNS settings
Write down your nameservers and DNS records. If your DNS is hosted by your current registrar, copy every record so you can set it up again if that DNS stops when the name leaves.
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Start the transfer
At the new registrar, enter the domain name and the transfer code, then pay the transfer price, if there is one. A .com.au, .net.au, .org.au, .id.au or .asn.au transfer is free, so there is nothing to pay.
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Approve and wait
Approve any confirmation email you receive. The transfer then completes once the current registrar releases the name or the waiting period ends.
Ready to move a name to Vikilinks? Start a transfer on the Transfer to us tab and enter your EPP code there.
The transfer code (EPP code)
Every transfer needs a transfer code from your current registrar. It goes by several names: EPP code, auth code, authorisation code or domain password. They all mean the same thing, a password that proves you control the name.
Most registrars show the code in their control panel, next to the domain's settings. Some send it to the contact email on the name instead. Treat it like a password and share it only with the registrar you are moving to.
Timing and the 60 day rule
Under ICANN's transfer policy, a gTLD name such as .com, .net or .org generally cannot move to another registrar if it was registered or last transferred, or had its owner details changed in the past 60 days, unless that lock was waived. If your name is inside that window, wait until it passes, then start the transfer.
Once a gTLD transfer starts, the current registrar has up to five days to respond before it goes ahead, so most finish within about a week. Approving any confirmation email quickly helps.
Does a transfer add a year?
For most gTLDs, yes. A gTLD transfer usually adds a year to the registration, and the transfer price pays for that year. The time you have already paid for is kept.
A .au transfer is different. With Vikilinks a .com.au, .net.au, .org.au, .id.au or .asn.au transfer is free and keeps its expiry date, and you renew the name as normal when it falls due. Direct .au names, like example.au, are the exception: they are still transferred with a year added, at the transfer price shown.
What happens to your website and email
If your DNS settings stay the same, your website and email keep working through the transfer. A transfer changes who manages the registration, not where the name points.
- DNS hosted elsewhere: if your nameservers point to your web host or another DNS provider, nothing needs to change.
- DNS hosted by your old registrar: that DNS may stop when the name leaves. Copy every record before you start, so it can be set up again straight away.
Transferring a .au name
.au names, including .com.au, .net.au and .org.au, follow auDA rules rather than ICANN's. You still need the name unlocked and its transfer code from your current registrar. Under the auDA rules, a .au transfer completes within two calendar days once you approve it. Whether it is free depends on the extension, as set out above.
With Vikilinks, every .au name needs an active ABN, including names you transfer in. We check it before the transfer starts. Read who can get a .au domain name for the full rules.
This guide is a plain summary. Your current registrar, ICANN and auDA set the exact rules for each name.