Key facts
- .uk transfers: change the IPS tag, no auth code, ownership unchanged
- A .uk tag change does not add a year to the registration
- gTLD transfers: remove the lock, get the auth code, approve the move
- A gTLD transfer normally adds one year to the expiry date
- Registrars may refuse gTLD transfers within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer
- Transferring the registration doesn't move the website or email
Two different processes
| Step | .uk, .co.uk, .org.uk | .com, .org, .net |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | The receiving registrar's IPS tag | An auth code (EPP code, being renamed TAC) |
| Who acts | Old registrar changes the tag | You remove the lock, request the code, approve |
| How long | Usually quick once the tag changes | Usually within 5 days |
| Expiry date | Unchanged | Normally one year added |
| Can it be refused? | Old registrar should do it free | Yes, within 60 days of registration or transfer |
Transferring a .uk domain
- Start the transfer in the dijitul client portal. We'll tell you the IPS tag to use.
- Ask your current registrar to change the tag. Many have a setting in their control panel.
- Once the tag changes, the domain appears in your account.
Registrars should do this free. If yours won't, the registrant can change the tag through Nominet's online services for a small fee. Ownership never changes in a tag change. Full detail in how to transfer a .co.uk domain.
Once the tag has changed, check the domain shows in your portal account with the right expiry date and registrant. If anything looks wrong, raise it straight away rather than at renewal time.
Transferring a .com, .org or .net
- Check the domain wasn't registered or transferred in the last 60 days, and that the registrant hasn't changed recently, as many registrars apply a 60-day lock after a registrant change.
- Remove the transfer lock at your current registrar.
- Request the auth code and enter it when you start the transfer in the portal.
- Approve any confirmation email.
ICANN approved revised transfer rules in 2026, but they're not yet in force, so today's 60-day rules apply. See finding your domain transfer auth code.
Approval emails go to the registrant contact on file, so make sure it is current before you start. If the transfer stalls, the usual cause is a lock still in place or a mistyped code.
Keep the website and email running
A transfer moves the registration, not the services. The question that matters is where the DNS is hosted:
- If your nameservers point to a third party such as Cloudflare, the transfer doesn't touch DNS and nothing changes.
- If the old registrar hosts your DNS, copy every record (A, CNAME, MX, TXT and the rest) to the new DNS provider and switch nameservers before you cancel anything there.
- If DNSSEC is on and the DNS provider is changing, remove or replace the DS record first, or validating resolvers will fail to resolve the domain.
See DNS migration and DNSSEC.
Before you start
Make sure the registrant contact email works, because approvals and notices go there. Check the expiry date: a domain that is about to expire is safer renewed first. And confirm you are the registrant. If someone else is, they will need to approve the move.
Keep a note of your current nameservers and a full list of DNS records. If something does go wrong, you can put it back exactly as it was.
How dijitul helps
Start transfers at clients.dijitul.uk. If an old supplier won't co-operate, the domain is in someone else's name, or the DNS needs rebuilding, we can do the hands-on work at £45 an hour + VAT. Get in touch with the domain name and we'll tell you what's involved.
How it works and what it costs
Domains are priced live in the client portal. DNS management and 10 mailboxes are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. On their own, DNS and email set-up is £45 an hour + VAT or a fixed quote.
Tell us what you have
Your domains, who they are registered with, where your DNS and email live today, and what you want to change.
Plan the change
We list every DNS record and mailbox first, so nothing is forgotten, and agree a time to switch.
Make the switch
Transfers, nameserver changes, DNS records and mailbox moves, done carefully with low TTLs and a rollback plan.
Check it works
We test the website, email delivery, SPF, DKIM and DMARC from the outside before calling it done.
Look after it
Renewals, records and email stay looked after, and you can call a person when something changes.
Frequently asked questions
Do .uk domains have an auth code?
No. .uk, .co.uk, .org.uk and other UK names move by changing the Nominet IPS tag to the receiving registrar's tag. If someone asks you for an auth code for a .co.uk, they are thinking of .com rules.
How long does a domain transfer take?
A .uk transfer is usually quick once the old registrar changes the IPS tag; delays come from waiting for them. A .com, .org or .net transfer usually completes within five days after you approve it.
Will my website go down during a transfer?
Not if the DNS stays in place. The transfer moves the registration only. Problems happen when the old registrar also hosted the DNS and it is cancelled before the records are copied elsewhere. Move DNS first, then the domain.
Why can't I transfer my new .com?
Registrars may refuse a transfer within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer, and many lock a domain for 60 days after a registrant change. Wait until the period ends, then remove the lock and request the auth code.
Does transferring a domain change who owns it?
No. A transfer changes which registrar manages the domain. The registrant, who is the legal owner, stays the same. Changing ownership is a separate process, and for gTLDs it may trigger a 60-day transfer lock.
What if my old registrar won't change the IPS tag?
Registrars should change the tag free. If yours refuses or has gone quiet, the registrant can change the IPS tag through Nominet's online services for a small fee. dijitul can help with this at £45 an hour + VAT.
Related
Find and register your domain
Live prices, registration and renewals in the dijitul client portal. Or call us and we will do it for you.