Registering an NL domain name: costs and what to check

You want to register a .nl domain name, so you first check what it costs. Then you see prices from a few tens of euros per year to “first year for one euro”. That difference says little about what you end up paying, and even less about what you get.

A domain name is a small product with a few places where things can go wrong: the renewal price, who is listed as the owner, and what you can do with the DNS settings. This article walks through them, so you know what to look out for before you pay.

First the price. At Netslim, a .nl domain costs € 9.95 per year. That price stays the same, also when you renew next year.

What a .nl domain name costs per year

You rent a domain name per year. So you don't buy it forever, you keep the name for as long as you renew it. For a .nl you pay € 9.95 per year with us. For comparison, the other extensions many business owners consider:

• .nl: € 9.95 per year
• .com: € 14.95 per year
• .eu: € 9.95 per year
• .be: € 9.95 per year
• .net and .org: € 16.95 per year

For a business that mainly works in the Netherlands, .nl is almost always the logical choice. Customers expect it, and it feels familiar. There is also no requirement that you live in the Netherlands or have a Dutch company, so even if you serve Dutch customers from abroad, you can register one.

Is the name you want still available? You can check with our domain check. It looks up the registry live, for .nl, .be, .com and more at once, so you see right away whether an alternative is available.

What you get for that price

The price of the name itself is one thing. What comes with it is another. This is part of a good registration:

• You are listed as the registrant (owner) under your own name or company name.
• You can edit DNS records yourself, without having to open a support ticket.
• You can transfer the name later with a transfer code, without having to negotiate.
• You see renewals and the status of your domain in a portal.

At Netslim, you manage this in your customer portal. If you also want hosting or email on the name, that is a separate choice. Sometimes you get a domain for free with a hosting plan. You can read how that works in free domain name with hosting or a server.

Teaser prices: where is the catch

A domain for one euro in the first year is not a scam, but it is a sales trick. The math only works out when you look at it over several years. Watch out for these points:

• The renewal price. It is often in small print and sometimes much higher than the offer. Look up the price for year two before you pay.
• Required extras. A domain that is only cheap together with a hosting plan or email subscription that you don't need is not cheap.
• Paid basic features. Sometimes DNS management, a transfer code or a redirect costs extra. These belong with a domain, not with a more expensive plan.
• Prices with or without VAT. As a business owner you deduct VAT, but do compare like with like.
• A low price for the first year, then automatically a more expensive subscription. Read what happens after the promotional period.

A simple test: calculate what you pay over three years. If the amount for an offer is clearly lower than for a fixed price, good. If it is about the same, you know you were mostly lured in.

Register the domain in your own name

This is where things go wrong most often, and you only notice when there is a problem. If you let a web builder, friend or hosting provider arrange the domain, the name is often registered in their name. You use it, but they are the owner.

It usually goes well, until the working relationship ends. Then it turns out you can't get the transfer code, or that you first have to pay a fee to get your own address back. With your company name on the domain, that is no longer a discussion.

Here is how to do it:

1. Register the domain yourself, with your own details or those of your company.
2. Use an email address you read yourself, preferably not an address that runs on the domain itself. If the site is down, you still want to receive your renewal emails.
3. Only give a web developer access where needed. How to do that properly is explained in giving your web developer temporary access.

An added benefit: for a .nl domain held by a private individual, personal data is not simply shown in public. So you don't need to worry that your home address appears in every search.

DNS and DNSSEC: what you need to know

DNS is the address book of your domain. It states which server runs your website, where your email goes and which services may send email on behalf of your domain. You change it when you switch hosting, connect a mail package or need to verify a service.

The records you will come across most often:

• A: connects your domain to the IP address of your web server.
• MX: determines where your email is delivered.
• TXT: for SPF, DKIM and DMARC, among other things. These are the settings that keep your email out of spam and stop others from faking it.

You can see how to change those records in managing DNS records in your portal. It takes a few minutes, as long as you know what you want to change. Don't change a record on a hunch, because a wrong MX record means email gets lost.

What DNSSEC does

DNSSEC adds a digital signature to the answers from your domain. A computer that looks up the address of your site can then check that the answer really comes from you and was not tampered with along the way. The .nl registry supports this.

For an ordinary business site, it is a nice extra, not a must. There is one warning: if you turn on DNSSEC and later move the DNS to another provider, the old key must first be removed properly. If you don't, your domain may become unreachable for some visitors. If you want to use it, first ask whether your provider supports it. If you have a question about your situation, you can just contact us.

Renew, cancel and transfer

A domain expires per year, and with most providers it renews automatically. That is handy, because you won't forget. Do make sure your payment details are correct. An expired credit card is the classic reason a business site suddenly disappears.

If you cancel a .nl domain, it does not disappear straight away. The name first goes into quarantine at SIDN, the organisation that manages the .nl registry. During this period of a few weeks, the original holder can still get it back. After that, it becomes available to anyone. So don't cancel anything you may still want to use later.

If you want to move to another provider, you need a transfer code. You request it from your current provider, and if you follow the right order, visitors won't notice anything. The steps are in transferring a domain name without downtime. At Netslim, you manage renewals and transfer codes in the portal.

What to do now

1. Check if your name is available and look at one or two alternatives right away.
2. Ask every provider for the renewal price, not just the price for year one.
3. Register in your own name or company name, with an email address you read yourself.
4. Write down where you manage your DNS and who has access.
5. Turn on automatic renewal and check your payment method.

On our register a domain name page you can get a .nl for € 9.95 per year, registered in your name, with DNS you manage yourself. If you want hosting or email with it, you can link that to the same domain.

Frequently asked questions

What does a .nl domain name cost per year?

At Netslim, it is € 9.95 per year. Always compare the price for the second year, because some providers charge a much higher amount after a promotional period. Work out the total over three years for yourself.

Can I register a .nl domain if I don't live in the Netherlands?

Yes, there are no residency requirements. You don't need a Dutch company. You do have to provide correct details, because you will use them later to prove the name is yours.

What happens if I forget to renew my domain name?

Your website and email stop working as soon as the name expires. A .nl domain then first goes into quarantine, during which you can usually still get it back. Don't wait for that. Turn on automatic renewal instead.

Do I need DNSSEC for my .nl domain?

For a regular business website it is not required, but it makes it harder to forge responses from your domain. Only turn it on if your provider supports it well. When you move your DNS, you must turn it off properly first.

How do I know if my domain name is registered in my own name?

Check in your account with the provider who is listed as the registrant. If the name of your web builder or hosting party is listed there, ask them to change it to you. Without your name as registrant, you have little say over your own address.