China Domains: .cn, .com.cn, .xin and More
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China Domain Extensions and Real-Name Verification
China's country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is .cn, administered by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) and in the root zone since 28 November 1990; a .cn name does not activate until its registration data passes real-name verification against identity documents. Natural persons, legal persons and unincorporated organisations may apply, and names are allocated first come, first served. Two extensions outside CNNIC complete the China domains: .xin, a generic top-level domain aimed at Chinese-speaking audiences, and .cn.com, an address under the .com register.
Under .cn sit nine category domains and 34 administrative-region domains, and the registry expects the suffix to match the applicant. .com.cn is for commercial activity, .org.cn for not-for-profit organisations, and .net.cn is another of the category names. The regional names mark a province-level location: .sh.cn stands for Shanghai and .bj.cn for Beijing. All of them follow the .cn rules: the domain does not activate until real-name verification is complete.
Real-name verification decides when a .cn name goes live. Individuals submit an identity document such as a passport, organisations a business licence or organisation registration certificate; the registrant name must match the document exactly, including the company type such as LTD., and individuals also sign a letter of commitment. After registration, changes to your details must be reported within 30 days. If you prefer not to register in your own name, our trustee service registers the domain in our representative's name and makes it available to you.
.xin and .cn.com work differently because they sit outside CNNIC. .xin is not a country extension: IANA lists it as a generic top-level domain, its registry belongs to the Alibaba group, and the registry states that .xin names can carry the ICP filing a website hosted in mainland China needs. .cn.com is a name under cn.com in the .com register, operated by 8 Inc., and asks for no nationality, residence or documents. Domain name search shows which China domains are still available.
A .cn address does not open until it is verified: Registration can complete while the domain stays inactive: the site will not open and email on the name will not work until your details are confirmed against the documents. Matching the registrant name to the document letter for letter is the most concrete preparation for shortening this step. .cn.com and .xin set no such document requirement.
- By registering China .cn domain name extension, you can prevent your company name, your brand name from being purchased and misused by others. China .cn domain name address serves your growth, not others.
- If you register China .cn domain name extension, your company name will be protected in your brand China and its territory.
- China .cn domain name registration will strengthen sales and marketing for your real and potential customers in China and the region.
- A .cn domain shows both visitors and search engines that your site is aimed at users in that country.
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.cn Domain Informations
Domain Name Registration, Renewal and Deletion Periods
| .cn Domain Registration | |
|---|---|
| Document Requirement | |
| Country | China |
| Character Length | 1 - 63 character |
| Registration Period | 1 - 10 Year |
| Name Server | 2 - 13 number |
| .cn Domain Support | |
|---|---|
| IDN Support | Yes |
| Transfer Support | Yes |
| Auto Renewal Support | Yes |
| .cn Domain Registration Periods | |
|---|---|
| Registration Periods | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 years |
| Renewal Periods | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 years |
| Pre-registration | 1 days |
| Accounting Period | days |
| Finalization Period | 1 days |
| Failure Period | 30 days |
| Payment Period | days |
| Deletion Restorable Period | 15 days |
| Deletion Hold Period | days |
| Explicit Renewals | Day |
China Domains: Frequently Asked Questions
China's country code extension is .cn, with category names such as .com.cn, .net.cn and .org.cn and regional names such as .sh.cn and .bj.cn beneath it. Two further options target Chinese audiences without being part of .cn: .xin, a generic top-level domain run by an Alibaba company, and .cn.com, an address under the .com register. All .cn names share CNNIC's verification rules, while .xin and .cn.com set no document requirement. Compare them on domain name search.
Yes, .cn is open to natural persons, legal persons and unincorporated organisations, and the condition is a verifiable identity rather than nationality. A foreign individual applies with a passport, a company with its company registration certificate, and the registrant name must match that document exactly. If you would rather not register in your own name, our trustee service registers the domain in our representative's name and makes it available to you; this is a paid option.
Individuals need an identity document such as a passport, and organisations need a business licence or organisation registration certificate. The registrant name has to match the document exactly, including the company type such as LTD., and individuals also sign a letter of commitment. You can upload the documents in your customer panel or send them with a support request. Until the registry has verified your details against them the domain does not activate, so have the papers ready when you order.
Choose .com.cn for a business, .org.cn for a not-for-profit organisation and .cn when you want a short address with no category. The registry expects the second-level suffix to match the nature of the applicant, so the document you submit should support the suffix you pick. Holding the same name as both .cn and .com.cn is a common approach: one gives you the short address, the other shows commercial identity in the address itself.
.sh.cn and .bj.cn are administrative-region domains under .cn for Shanghai and Beijing, two of the 34 regional names that match China's provincial-level divisions. They tell a visitor where the organisation is based before the page even opens. Registration follows the .cn rules: first come, first served, identity documents, verification before activation and a 30-day deadline for reporting changes. Check a Shanghai name on the .sh.cn page or a Beijing name on the .bj.cn page.
No, .xin is a generic top-level domain from ICANN's new gTLD programme, and IANA's root zone record lists it as generic, not as a country code. The string is the pinyin reading of 信, meaning trust, and the registry is Elegant Leader Limited, an Alibaba company based in Hong Kong. The registry sets no residency or document requirement and states that .xin names can carry an ICP filing for a site hosted in mainland China. See the details on the .xin page.
Choose the .cn family for China's own address if you can complete real-name verification; choose .xin or .cn.com for a Chinese-facing name without a document process. In short:
- .cn: the short national address; CNNIC real-name verification before activation.
- .com.cn and .org.cn: the same verification, plus commercial or not-for-profit identity in the address.
- .sh.cn and .bj.cn: the same verification, plus a Shanghai or Beijing location.
- .xin: a generic extension from an Alibaba company; no documents, and the registry says it can carry an ICP filing.
- .cn.com: a name under .com run by 8 Inc.; no documents, but one more layer between you and the registry.
For Google, only the .cn family is a country code tied to China: its documentation uses .cn as the example of a country-code domain, while .xin and .cn.com are not country codes. Check your candidates together on the domain name search page.
Yes, if the website is hosted on a server in mainland China, it needs an ICP filing to stay online legally. The filing is only possible with extensions approved by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; the .xin registry publishes that approval and states that .xin names qualify. The filing itself and its identity checks belong to the hosting side, not to domain registration. Secure the domain first on domain name search, then start the filing with your hosting provider.
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