.eu Domains: The European Union's Shared Address
.eu belongs not to one country but to the European Union and the European Economic Area together. The IANA root zone database classifies it as a country-code top-level domain and records its registration on 28 April 2005. The registry operator is EURid vzw, based in Diegem, Belgium. The extension is governed within a European Union legal framework rather than by a registry's commercial choice.
That legal footing produces a direct eligibility requirement. Under EURid's rules a .eu registration is possible where one of four conditions holds: you are a citizen of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway regardless of residence; you are resident in one of them; you are an undertaking established in one of them; or you are an organisation established in one of them. If you do not qualify, .com is the unrestricted alternative.
.EU Domain at a Glance
- Registry operator EURid vzw (Diegem, Belgium)
- Entered the root zone 28 April 2005
- Area covered EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
- Eligibility Citizenship, residence or establishment link required
- Legal framework Regulation (EU) 2019/517 and 2022/1862
- Document Requirement View required documents
- Character Length 3 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 10 years
- Name Server Count 2 - 10 servers
.eu 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
$8.99 /year -
Transfer
$18.99 /year -
Renewal
$12.99 /year -
Restore
$35.38 -
Late Renewal
$2.60
Included With Every .eu 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.
.eu Domain Lifecycle
What happens day by day after it expires
Day 0 is the domain's expiry dateIn short: for .eu 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 .eu, 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 .eu 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.
Redemption Period (Redemption Period)
The domain is not released the moment it expires — during this window it is still yours and can be recovered. Some extensions charge an extra restore fee at this stage, so renewing before expiry is always the cheaper route.
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.
.eu Domain Specifications and Registration Rules
Registration conditions, supported features and the registry's own timelines in a single table.
.eu Domain Registration
- Document Requirement View required documents
- Character Length 3 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 10 years
- Name Server Count 2 - 10 servers
.eu Domain Support
- IDN Support No
- Transfer Support Yes
- Late Renewal Support Yes
Documents Required for a .eu Domain
In order to register a .EU domain, the domain owner must be
a company or natural person from from the European Union, Iceland, Norway or
Liechtenstein.
If you do not meet this requirement, we can register the
domain in the name of our local representatives and then make it available to you.
This option has an additional cost (Trustee Service)
Frequently Asked Questions About .eu Domains
The questions people actually ask before registering — answered plainly.
-
Only if one of EURid's four eligibility conditions applies to you. If you are a citizen of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, your country of residence does not matter. If you hold none of those citizenships, you must be resident in one of those countries, or be an undertaking or organisation established in one. Selling into the European market does not by itself make you eligible.
-
Not to any single country, but to the European Union. The IANA root zone database classifies .eu as a country-code top-level domain, yet the party behind it is not a state. The extension is operated by EURid vzw in Belgium, with the framework set by Regulation (EU) 2019/517 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1862. It therefore carries a shared European identity rather than a national one.
-
Eligibility is the basis a .eu registration rests on. Closing your European establishment or moving your residence outside the region removes that basis. If your circumstances change that way, keep your registration records current and review whether another qualifying ground still applies. The requirement comes from the European Union regulation the extension operates under, not from a registry preference.
-
Transfers are possible, but the eligibility requirement continues to apply afterwards. Obtain the necessary authorisation details from your current registrar and start from the domain transfer page. If your registration record carries address or organisation data supporting your eligibility, keep it accurate through the move. You can review the current record with whois search.
-
If your activity is concentrated in Europe and you meet the eligibility requirement, .eu signals regional belonging. If you address a global audience, or you do not qualify, .com is more flexible because it carries no restriction. Companies established in Europe commonly register both and use .eu for regional campaigns; check free pairings with a bulk domain name search.
Ready to Claim Your .eu Domain?
Type a name and see in seconds whether it is free on .eu. If it is taken, we list close alternatives right away.
Get Help for .eu Domain Registration
Need help registering a .eu domain? Our team is ready to assist.