Login
Table of contents

EU Domain Policies

Author:
cpcloudhosting

Published:

Updated on August 15, 2024

Reading Time: 3 min

European Union Domain Policies #

The .EU is the Top Level Domain for the European Union and is managed by the EURid registry.

In line with legislation, the following persons, undertakings, and organisations are eligible to register .eu domain names:

  • A Union citizen, independently of their place of residence
  • A natural person who is not a Union citizen but is a resident of a Member State
  • An undertaking established in the Union
  • An organisation established in the Union, without prejudice to the application of national law

Brexit Transition Notice #

Please see the EURid Brexit notice for the latest information.

New Registrations #

From 1 January 2021, 00:00:00 CET, EURid will NOT allow the registration of any new domain name by UK registrants. Additionally, EURid will not permit the transfer, nor the transfer through update, of any domain name to a UK registrant.

Existing Registrations #

  • 1 October 2020: EURid notified all UK registrants and their registrars by email that they would lose their eligibility as of 1 January 2021 unless they updated their registration data to demonstrate compliance with the .eu regulatory framework. This could be done by indicating a legally established entity in one of the eligible Union Member States, updating their residence to a Union Member State, or proving their citizenship of a Union Member State irrespective of their residence.
  • 21 December 2020: EURid notified all UK registrants who did not demonstrate continued compliance with the eligibility criteria and their registrars about the risk of forthcoming non-compliance with the .eu regulatory framework.
  • 1 January 2021: EURid notified all UK registrants and their registrars that their domain names were no longer compliant with the .eu regulatory framework and would be moved to the “SUSPENDED” status until 31 March 2021 (later extended to 30 June 2021). Domains in the “SUSPENDED” status could no longer support any service (such as website and email) but might still be reinstated if registration data was updated to meet the eligibility criteria.
  • 1 April 2021: EURid notified all UK registrants and their registrars that their domain names were moved to the “WITHDRAWN” status, meaning the domains were no longer in the zone file and could not support any service.
  • 1 January 2022: All domain names in the “WITHDRAWN” status, formerly assigned to UK registrants, were REVOKED and subsequently became AVAILABLE for general registration in batches for security reasons.

Please Note:

  • European Union citizens residing in the United Kingdom will remain eligible to hold a .eu domain name after the transition period if they update their registration data with their EU citizenship. Please consult the FAQ: How can I update my registration based on my citizenship?
  • United Kingdom citizens residing in a European Union Member State will continue to be eligible to hold a .eu domain name after the transition period based on their residence. However, United Kingdom citizens residing outside of the Union Member States will no longer be eligible to hold a .eu domain name after the end of the transition period.

*Should the transition period be extended for up to 1 or 2 years in accordance with Article 132 of the Withdrawal Agreement, the specific dates of the present plan should be adapted accordingly.