How to transfer a domain to another registrar, step by step

• The domain must be at least 60 days old and not transferred in the last 60 days. This rule applies to generic endings like .com, .net and .org. Country endings such as .se have their own, usually looser, rules.
• Check the email address on the domain. The current registrar may send a confirmation link to the owner’s address. If that address is old, update it first.
• Do not let it expire. Start the transfer at least two weeks before the expiry date. An expired domain can be harder, or more expensive, to move.

A transfer only changes who you pay for the domain. It does not move your website or email. As long as the nameservers stay the same, visitors notice nothing.

1. 1Unlock the domain at your current registrar. Look for a setting called “transfer lock”, “registrar lock” or “domain lock” and switch it off.
2. 2Get the transfer code. It is also called the EPP code, auth code or authorisation code. Most registrars show it in the control panel; some email it to you.
3. 3Start the transfer at the new registrar. At 2-Host you choose Transfer on the Domains page, enter the domain name and paste the code at checkout.
4. 4Approve the request if your old registrar emails you to confirm. Approving speeds things up; doing nothing usually means the transfer completes automatically after five days.
5. 5Check the result. When the transfer is done, the domain appears in your new account. Make sure the nameservers and contact details are what you expect.

Most transfers finish within a few hours to five days. Generic endings (.com, .net, .org) complete automatically after five days if nobody rejects them. Many country endings, including .se, are usually much faster once the code is accepted.

For most generic endings, a transfer also renews the domain for one year, added on top of the time you have left. You don’t lose the months you already paid for.

• “Invalid transfer code”: codes can expire or contain characters that are easy to mistype (0 and O, l and 1). Copy and paste it, or ask the old registrar for a new one.
• “Domain is locked”: the lock is still on, or the domain is inside the 60-day period. Check the lock setting again and wait a few minutes after switching it off.
• The confirmation email never arrives: the owner address on the domain is outdated. Update it at the old registrar and request the transfer again.
• Email stops working after the move: the nameservers or DNS records changed. Point the nameservers back to where they were, or recreate the DNS records at the new provider before switching.

At 2-Host you see the transfer price for every ending in the price table before you start, and endings marked Free cost nothing to move. You can keep your current nameservers, point the domain at our hosting, or use any other provider. If something blocks the transfer, our support helps you in English, Swedish or Arabic.