LoginUpcoming Changes for direct .uk registrants
Nominet (who run the UK Domain) are moving .UK domains to a new registry platform on Tuesday 9th February 2027, referred to as .UK Standardisation. These changes will enable registrars (the company who looks after a domain name) to provide full domain management for registrants (owners of a domain), and will support a more consistent approach.
As part of .UK Standardisation, you will no longer be able to manage .UK domains directly with Nominet and must instead manage any .UK domain names through a registrar by the 9th February 2027 transition date.
This change impacts all .UK domain owners whose domains are currently managed directly with Nominet and means you need to choose a registrar and move your .UK domain(s) to them before 9th February 2027.
Choosing a new registrar
Choosing a registrar depends on what is important to you and the services you’ll need. We can’t recommend one registrar over another, and the choice is entirely up to you.
It’s useful to consider some key areas when choosing a new registrar such as these shown below:
Considerations when choosing a registrar:
Services such as email, hosting and web design
Pricing and offers
Security
Reviews and customer support
Terms and conditions
More help and advice can be found in our article on ‘how to choose a domain name registrar’.
You can also find a full list of registrars who can manage .UK domain names here.
Switching registrars
You can follow our step-by-step guide, as shown in the video below, to switch your registrar and move your .UK domain name(s) in Online Services.
More help can be found in our FAQs below. If you need further support, please reach out to the team.
FAQs
When do I need to move to a registrar?
You should move your .UK domain(s) to a registrar before the transition date (Tuesday 9th February 2027) while you can still use Online Services to action the transfer of your domain(s) to a new registrar.
If you transfer your domain(s) after the transition date, you will not be able to manage your domain(s) directly with Nominet or through Online Services. You’ll still be able to transfer the domain before it expires, however the process will involve registrant verification, and you’ll need a TAC (transfer authorisation code) issued so your chosen registrar can complete the transfer.
How do I transfer my domain to a registrar?
Registrars are the online retailers from whom you can buy, register, and manage a domain name for a website and/or email address. You can find more guidance on choosing a registrar in our article.
You can transfer your domain(s) to a registrar through your Online Services account, following the steps outlined in the video above.
What do I need to do now?
It’s strongly recommended that any registrants who manage their .UK domain(s) directly with Nominet choose a registrar and move their domain name(s) to them before Tuesday 9th February 2027.
What happens if my domain is due to expire after the transition date and hasn't been moved to a new registrar?
You will not be able to renew the domain directly with Nominet, so it’s strongly recommended that you transfer any domains to a registrar before they expire. If a domain is not moved and then expires, it will be deleted.
How do I know when my domain is due to expire?
You can enter your .UK domain name in our domain lookup tool to check the expiry date.
What happens if I do nothing?
After the transition date (9th February 2027), you will not be able to renew the domain directly with Nominet and any domains that expire and have not been moved will be deleted. It’s important to transfer any .UK domain(s) to a .UK registrar before they expire.
What support is available?
We will be emailing all impacted registrants whose domains are currently held directly with Nominet aligned to expiry dates, so all .UK domain owners have the opportunity to move their domain name(s) in time.
You can always contact our support team for further guidance or to discuss your options, we are happy to help.
What's the impact for .sch.uk domains?
We’ll be providing separate support and outreach for schools who have a .sch.uk domain, including a dedicated help section coming soon.
Where can I learn more about .UK Standardisation?
You can find out more about .UK Standardisation on our website, including helpful FAQs. If you need further support, our team is happy to help.
Still have questions?
Contact our team for further help and support.