Enter Hong Kong market with a .HK.COM Domain

They are in different hands. .hk is Hong Kong's official country code extension and is administered, together with the .com.hk space beneath it, by HKIRC. .hk.com is a private namespace opened underneath a registration held in the .com registry, and its registry is operated by UDR Limited. The split is visible in measurement too: the two zones have entirely different name servers and authority records. The practical consequence is that registering a .hk.com address gives you no standing in Hong Kong's official domain system — UDR positions itself as the alternative to it.

Three characters. The published rules and the working system say different things here, so both were measured. The text bars only single-character labels, which on its wording would leave a two-letter name possible. When the registry's own lookup server was queried in August 2026, however, both one and two character names came back not as «not found» but as invalid format, while three-character names were processed normally. The binding lower limit at the moment of ordering is therefore three, and a two-letter .hk.com address cannot be obtained. At the top end, measurement accepted a 63-character label.

No. The name structure clause lists the permitted characters: only the letters A to Z (case insensitive), the digits 0 to 9 and hyphens; a name may begin and end only with a letter or digit and may not carry hyphens in the third and fourth positions. Because that last condition technically excludes the mandatory «xn--» prefix of the punycode form, internationalised names cannot be registered in this zone. The rules contain no provision at all about an IDN table or supported scripts. For a Hong Kong-focused namespace that is a notable limit: the official .hk extension supports Chinese-script names, .hk.com does not.

Yes, they are — and that is a deliberate rule. The rules frame it as a matter of consent: by applying, you agree that the registry and the registrar may publish your name, the administrative contact's particulars, the dates relating to the registration and the results of any dispute proceedings. The same clause states plainly that organisations other than the registry and registrar, as well as members of the public, will have access to that information. Measurement in August 2026 confirmed it: real names held at independent registrars returned the holder's name unmasked. If you would rather not expose a private address, consider registering under company details.

There are two separate operations and they are easily confused. For a change of registrar you request an authorisation code; it is sent only to the email address recorded with the registry, and you pass it to the new provider. Your existing registrar may not refuse the request or delay it unreasonably. If a change was made without your knowledge, you can object with a signed letter and documentary proof of your legal status, and the registry will roll the name back if it accepts the objection. A change of holder is a separate procedure: transferor and transferee jointly execute a transfer form. Start on the domain transfer page.

Yes, the registry operates a «controlled words» rule. The rules state that an application may be refused where the name consists of or refers to the words «government», «bank», «insurance» or «assurance», or carries any other word restricted under Hong Kong legislation. The critical detail is what the same clause adds: neither the registry nor the registrar accepts responsibility for vetting names for controlled words. So the rule is not an automatic block — it operates at application review and through later cancellation. A name containing such a word may well show as available in a lookup, but keeping it depends on your being satisfied that the use breaks no legislation.

You are expected to list at least two independent name servers in the application, and they must be operational, connected to the internet and able to answer queries for the name. The timing binds too: if the servers listed are not fully set up, operational or connected within thirty calendar days of the activation date, or persistently fail to answer queries, the registration may be cancelled. If you register without supplying valid server details, the registry or registrar may park the name on temporary records. The upshot is that registering a name and postponing setup for months risks more than an unreachable address — it risks the registration.