.sv Domain: El Salvador's Direct Country Extension
The country code extension of El Salvador, .sv, has been in the root zone since 4 November 1994 and is administered by Asociación SVNet. SVNet is a private non profit association whose founding members include the Central American University José Simeón Cañas, Universidad Don Bosco and the national Science and Technology Council. There is no accredited registrar layer: registrations are made directly with SVNet. Names can be taken both at the second level and under com.sv, org.sv, edu.sv and gob.sv; the registry's fee table carries a separate line for direct .sv names.
The decisive condition of this extension applies not to the holder but to the administrative contact: SVNet's rules in force require the person acting in that role to reside permanently in El Salvador. The application form turns this into documentary evidence — it asks for that person's DUI (national identity document) or residence card number, the expiry date of the document, and a handwritten signature. If you apply from abroad, someone resident in the country has to take the role; the same applies to the sibling zone com.sv.
Registrations run from one to five years, and payment is made by deposit into a local bank account or through the country's online payment platform; the receipt goes to SVNet's receiving office together with the signed form. When the term ends, a one month grace period applies, during which the name is not released to anyone else, though the new term counts from the old expiry date rather than the payment date. Your name servers do not have to sit inside the country. Check whether your name is free on the domain search page.
.SV Domain at a Glance
- Registry Asociación SVNet, San Salvador (private non profit association)
- Root zone registration 4 November 1994 (IANA record)
- Registration model Direct with SVNet; signed paper form plus bank receipt
- Administrative contact Must reside permanently in El Salvador
- Name servers Do not have to be located inside the country
- Dispute procedure SVNet's own Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy
- Document Requirement View required documents
- Country El Salvador
- Character Length 3 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 5 years
- Name Server Count 2 - 10 servers
.sv Domain Prices — No Surprise Fees
Registration, transfer and renewal fees are listed separately. The renewal price can differ from the first-year price, so you see both up front.
-
New Registration
$149.90 /year -
Transfer
$162.49 /year -
Renewal
$174.99 /year -
Restore
$499.90 -
Trustee Service
$59.00
Included With Every .sv Domain
-
Free DNS management
Change A, MX, TXT and CNAME records yourself from the panel — no waiting on anyone when you move a site or mailbox.
-
Domain forwarding
Point the domain at your existing site, a campaign page or a social profile — at no extra cost.
.sv Domain Lifecycle
What happens day by day after it expires
Day 0 is the domain's expiry dateIn short: for .sv the post-expiry timeline is set by the registry, so it differs from one extension to the next. The diagram below shows the windows that actually apply to .sv, day by day. One thing never changes, whichever extension you hold: renewing before the expiry date is always the cheapest and safest route.
Domain Is Available (Available)
A .sv address at this stage has not been taken yet, and it goes to whoever registers first. Check the name you have in mind — if it is free, it can be yours within minutes.
Domain Is Active (Active Period)
Once registration is complete, the domain is registered to you for the term you selected. You can renew at any point before it expires to keep it active, or switch on auto-renewal so you never have to watch the date.
Domain Is Available Again
Once deletion completes, the domain leaves the system and anyone can register it — popular names are often taken the same minute by someone watching. Keep auto-renewal on so a name you care about never gets this far.
.sv Domain Specifications and Registration Rules
Registration conditions, supported features and the registry's own timelines in a single table.
.sv Domain Registration
- Document Requirement View required documents
- Country El Salvador
- Character Length 3 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 5 years
- Name Server Count 2 - 10 servers
.sv Domain Support
- IDN Support No
- Transfer Support Yes
- Late Renewal Support No
Documents Required for a .sv Domain
To register a .COM.SV or .SV domain, the domain owner must have a legal contact residing permanently in El Salvador.
If you do not meet this requirement, we can register the domain in the name of our local representatives and then transfer it to you. This option requires an additional fee (Trustee Service).
The average registration time for all .SV domain extensions is 21 days.
Trustee ServiceServices that can be ordered along with or after your domain registration:
| Extension | Trustee Service Price |
|---|---|
| .sv | $59 |
| .com.sv | $59 |
Frequently Asked Questions About .sv Domains
The questions people actually ask before registering — answered plainly.
-
The holder does not have to live in the country, but the administrative contact does. SVNet's rules in force require the person taking that role to reside permanently in El Salvador, and the application form asks for that person's national identity or residence card number, the expiry date of the document and a handwritten signature. If you apply from abroad you will need someone resident in the country for the role; the current terms of a trustee service appear at the order step.
-
The process runs on paper. The completed application form asks for the administrative contact's handwritten signature, their identity or residence card number and the expiry date of that document. The same form carries two further declarations: a sworn statement that the funds used come from a lawful source, and a question on whether the applicant or close relatives have held public office in the past five years. The registry also reserves the right to request additional legal documents in trademark matters.
-
Between one and five. The rules require at least one year to be paid and state that two, three, four or five years may be paid in advance with a discount applied; the registry's fee table lists the same five options. Payment is made by deposit into a local bank account or through the country's online payment platform, and the receipt is submitted together with the signed form. Amounts paid are not refunded under any circumstances.
-
One month. The rules give the administrative contact a one month grace period once the paid term ends, and during that window the name is not treated as available to anyone else. Two details matter: the new term counts from the date the previous term ended, not from the day you pay, and payments from third parties are not accepted for a name inside its grace period. After the window closes the name is released and a new applicant starts from scratch.
-
No. The rules answer this directly: a permanent dedicated Internet connection is not required to hold a name, but a primary name server able to resolve it must be configured — and that server does not have to be located in the country. The same text leaves your provider choice free: you may work with any national or foreign provider, and you keep the name even if you change provider.
-
The rules are shared: the residence requirement for the administrative contact, the document and signature regime, the terms and the grace period are identical in both zones. The difference lies elsewhere. First, in form — direct .sv gives a shorter address and appears as its own line in the registry's fee table. Second, in use: the rules state explicitly that registrations of personal names and surnames are made under com.sv, which makes it the general purpose zone as well.
Ready to Claim Your .sv Domain?
Type a name and see in seconds whether it is free on .sv. If it is taken, we list close alternatives right away.
Get Help for .sv Domain Registration
Need help registering a .sv domain? Our team is ready to assist.