Transferring International Domains

This is an endeavour to explain a non-standardised process. The thoughts conveyed outline how International domain transfers work for most registrars, but may not cover all.

To initiate an International domain name transfer, you need:

1. The Domain Name.
2. An Auth Code, alternatively known as an EPP Key. You will have to get this from the current registrar you use to manage the domain.

Once you have these details you can then follow the instructions on Transferring Domains to SiteHost using the Control Panel.

The Transfer Process

There are a few steps involved in transferring an International Domain. While each registrar will differ slightly they all follow basically the same process.

Step 1: The new registrar will send a confirmation email to the domain registrant (you) using the contact details you specified when you initiated the domain transfer. This confirmation MUST be given before the transfer will proceed, and if it is not given within a given timeframe, the transfer will fail and you will need to try again.

Step 2: The old registrar will then send an email to the registrant using the contact address recorded against the domain. This step gives you an opportunity to cancel the transfer or to reconfirm it. If you ignore the email and do nothing, the transfer will occur regardless as it was already authorised in Step 1 above. However we recommend that you click confirm to expedite the process.

Step 3: After the transfer is completed you will see the domain appear in your list of domains in the SiteHost Control Panel. You will then be able to administer the domain and the dns settings. Your domain name will be renewed for an additional 12 months on transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions

I received an email from do_not_reply@myorderbox.com about my domain. Is this a spam or a phishing email?

No these are not spam or phishing emails. These emails are from our international domain provider and usually contain links to verify contact details or confirmation of other actions asoociated with the domain, such as transfers or Regsitrant details changes. The links are good for 10-14 days and if not clicked on may result in the domain being suspended or the transfer failing. Suspension of a domain will mean your website and email services are not accessible by the internet in general.

I received a "Reminder to verify the accuracy of Whois data" from support@sitename.co.nz. Is this a spam or a phishing email?

No these are not spam or phishing emails. They are an important part of checking that the contact details of a domain are correct, and if ignored, may result in your domain being suspended. Suspension of a domain will mean your website and email services are not accessible by the internet in general.

Can I transfer expired domains?

If the domain name has expired, you will likely need to renew it with your current provider before it can be transferred. If you just renewed your expired domain with the current provider, and then immediately transfer it to SiteHost within a set period (eg 60 days), you will need to pay a transfer fee. In this specific instance the domain expiry will not be extended - the fee only covers the transfer. This differs from the transfer of domains that have not expired, in which case the transfer fee will also add 12 months to the expiry date.

Why is the transfer taking so long?

There are two possible reasons for a domain transfer taking a long time:

1. You failed to respond to one of the emails sent to authorise the transfers of your domain. This will delay the processing of the transfer. These emails are part of the transfer process as outlined above.
2. If you did indeed confirm the transfer, it is possible the transfer may have subsequently rejected. See the next FAQ.

Why did the transfer fail?

There are a few reasons why a domain transfer could fail, including:

1. In order to complete the transfer, an e-mail is sent to the registrant e-mail address for confirmation. If you did not receive this email, or failed to confirm the transfer, then the authorisation has likely timed out. You will need to check your domain contact details are correct and try again.
2. If you have recently registered or transferred your domain-name to your current registrar, it may not be able to be transferred to SiteHost until it has been with the current registrar for 60 days. Try again later.
3. Your domain-name may have expired during the transfer process. If so, you will need to renew the domain with your old registrar and try again. You may transfer it after you renew it, but if you transfer it within 60 days of renewing an expired domain-name, it will not be renewed for another 12 months on transfer, and you will still need to pay for your renewal for an additional 12 months.
4. Your contact information may be considered to be invalid or incorrect.
5. The e-mail address on record for the registrant with the old registrar is out of date, so the authorization e-mail could not be sent. You will need to make sure the e-mail address on record with your old registrar is correct before attempting the transfer.
6. If you have recently changed the contact details against the domain, registrars will often not let you transfer the domain within the first 60 days.
7. Some registrars require the EPP to have been valid for a minimum of 48 hours before they initiate the transfer. Thus you may allow at least 24 hours if the newly generated EPP is rejected as invalid.