This article covers changing the domain owner in the registry. To edit the owner’s details only, except for a personal or company name, which requires an owner change, follow the guide Domains – Editing a Contact. To transfer a domain to WEDOS, follow the guide Domains – Transfer.
Changing the domain owner updates only the registry’s owner details. It does not move the service to another customer account or change billing details. To hand a domain over completely to a new owner, follow the guide Services – Handover to Another Customer.
Select a domain:
In this article, you will learn:
- When to use this guide
- What to prepare before changing the owner
- How to change a domain owner in the registry
- How to change domain owners in bulk
- Common issues
- Frequently asked questions
When to use this guide
- You want to transfer a domain to another owner, or change an individual to a company or change the company name. See Preparing to change the owner and Changing a domain owner in the registry.
- The system reports “The existing contact is not registered with us”. See The existing contact is not registered with VEDOS.
- You cannot find the new owner’s contact in the directory, or it is not offered. See The new owner’s contact is not offered.
- When you confirm the change, the system asks you to log in to MojeID. See The system asks for MojeID verification.
- You do not have access to the original owner’s email, or the original owner is not cooperating. See Owner’s email unavailable and Original owner unavailable.
- You need to transfer multiple domains at once. See Bulk domain owner change.
Preparing to change the owner
Before changing a domain owner, make sure the service has not expired. Registries block owner changes for expired domains.
To change the owner of an expired domain, first renew it.
For an owner change, prepare:
- The new owner’s domain contact. This is a special identifier for the domain owner in the relevant registry, for example WEDOS-ABC-123456.
- Email access. Both the current and new owners generally need access to the email accounts listed in their domain contacts.
Domain contact
If the future owner does not have a contact for the relevant registry in their customer account, agree with them to create a new one following the guide Domains – New Domain Contact.
Create a registry contact:
An online owner change is possible only if both the original and new owners’ contacts are registered with VEDOS. A CZ domain contact can also be registered with MojeID.
If the future owner already has a contact, obtain its identifier: usually a combination of letters and numbers, sometimes separated by hyphens, such as c123456789 or WEDOS-ABC-123456.
A domain contact identifier is valid only within its domain registry.
For example, a CZ domain contact can be used only for another CZ domain, not another extension. If you need a contact for a registry/extension where the new owner has none, create one.
Email access
If you cannot access the domain owner’s email, follow the guide Domains – Owner’s Email Unavailable.
For CZ domains, you need access to the owner’s email and phone only for an online owner change. If you cannot access the domain holder’s email, you can change the owner using a form with officially certified signatures.
Changing a domain owner in the registry
Once you have everything ready to request a domain owner change, first open the owner change interface as follows:
- Log in to Customer Administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, select Domains.
- Select the domain whose owner you want to change.
- In the left menu, select Changing the owner.
The next steps vary by domain extension.
Once all requirements are met, the owner change usually takes place within 1 hour. Domains registered through Ascio or Subreg are an exception: changes usually take up to 10 days. To speed up the process, transfer these domains directly to VEDOS ⧉.
CZ domain
There are two ways to change a CZ domain owner:
- Online email and SMS verification of the original and new owners. Both owners need access to the email and mobile phone listed in their domain owner contacts. You also need both contacts’ authorization passwords.
- A written request with officially certified signatures. If you cannot make the change online for any reason, submitting a request with officially certified signatures is the only alternative.
In the owner change interface, first enter the new owner’s contact identifier. If the contact is saved in your account, find it using the button select, but you can manually enter any contact in the registry CZ.NIC ⧉, including contacts from the service MojeID ⧉.
After entering the contact, select an owner change option, select the consent checkboxes and click the button Create request.
The request is valid for 14 days, unless otherwise stated for the specific domain. If both owners do not complete it within that time, including delivery of any required documents, the system cancels it. You must then create a new request.
Changing the owner online
Online owner changes work only for contacts registered with VEDOS or MojeID. If a contact is registered elsewhere, either transfer it to us, at least temporarily, or change the owner by submitting a request with officially certified signatures.
If you select an online owner change, both the original and new owners receive an email within 10 minutes of submission. Its link leads to a page where they enter the code from the corresponding text message and their domain contact’s authorization password, which can be requested following the guide Domains – Authorization Password.
You can request the email or SMS again through administration, up to 3 times.
If at least one contact is a MojeID contact, enter an email address where we can send the domain owner an email to authorize access to mojeID. We send the owner an SMS authorization code after they successfully log in to their MojeID account on the owner change confirmation page.
Once both the original and new owners complete confirmation, the owner change takes place within 1 hour.
Changing the owner with a request bearing officially certified signatures
For this request method, enter an email address to receive the request form. You can use any accessible email address, not just the domain owner’s.
Ideally, have both parties (original and new owners) sign the same request, but they can also confirm and send it separately.
We accept only requests confirmed by officially certified signatures of the domain owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf. Send the signed request and any proof of authority, such as an officially certified copy of a power of attorney, by post to:
WEDOS, a.s.
Domain Department
Masarykova 1230
37341 Hluboká nad Vltavou
You can replace the officially certified signature with an electronic signature. Send electronically signed requests by replying to the email containing the generated request.
Avoid sending documents through a data mailbox. Such submissions usually slow request processing significantly.
SK, EU and PL domains
SK, EU and PL domain owners can be changed only online. Follow these steps:
- Enter the domain owner’s contact in the owner change interface.
If the contact is saved in your account, find it using the button select, but you can manually enter any contact in the relevant registry (SK.NIC ⧉ for SK, EURid ⧉ for EU, or NASK ⧉ for PL) registered with VEDOS.
If the contact does not exist, create it directly in administration by selecting Create and set a new contact.
- Use the link send password to request the domain’s authorization password and enter it in the corresponding field.
- Accept the terms and click the button Submit.
After submitting the request, the owner change takes place within 1 hour.
gTLD and nTLD domains
Generic domain owners can be changed only online. Follow these steps:
- Enter the domain owner’s contact in the owner change interface.
If the contact is saved in your account, find it using the button select. Alternatively, create a new contact by selecting Create and set a new contact.
If you are assigning a contact saved in another WEDOS customer account, make sure both are in the same registry. Find the registry name by clicking Create and set a new contact.
- Use the link send password to request the domain’s authorization password and enter it in the corresponding field.
- Accept the terms and click the button Submit.
The request is valid for 5 days. If both the original and new owners do not complete it in time, the system cancels it. You must then submit a new request.
After submission, the original owner receives an email with a link to a summary of domain changes and options to confirm or reject them. You can also request removal of the 60-day lock on transfers or further domain owner changes here.
If the original owner approves the request, the system sends the same message to the new owner. If they also confirm it, the domain owner change takes place within 1 hour. This confirmation also verifies the domain owner’s email.
Transfers of domains with contacts at Ascio or Subreg may take up to 10 days. To speed up the process, transfer the domains directly to VEDOS ⧉.
Bulk domain owner change
If you have the contacts ready for the domains you want to transfer, send us the domain list and contact IDs using the form ⧉. The authorization department will contact you about the next steps.
Common issues
Common domain owner change issues include:
- Owner change unavailable in the menu
- The existing contact is not registered with VEDOS
- The new owner’s contact is not offered
- The system asks for MojeID verification
- Owner’s email unavailable
- Original owner unavailable
- The domain is part of inheritance proceedings
- SMS verification not working
- No WEDOS customer account
Owner change unavailable in the menu
Problem: The item Changing the owner is not in the navigation.
Cause: The domain has probably expired. You cannot change the owner of an expired domain.
Solution: If you can see the domain in Customer Administration, it has not yet been deleted and you can renew it by paying the latest invoice. If it is not visible, it needs restoration for expired gTLD and nTLD domains, or re-registration after deletion from the registry.
Restoring gTLD and nTLD domains that expired more than 30 but less than 60 days ago is a paid service according to the domain Add-on Service price list ⧉. Request it using the form ⧉.
The existing contact is not registered with VEDOS
Problem: The following error is displayed: The existing contact is not registered with us. The contact must first be transferred to us.
Cause: An online owner change can only be performed if the contacts of both the original and the new owner are registered with VEDOS. The error often concerns the current owner’s contact, even if the new contact is registered with VEDOS.
Solution: Transfer the current owner’s contact to VEDOS by following the guide Domains – Contact Transfer. It only needs to be registered with us for the duration of the owner change. If you do not want to transfer the contact or do not have access to its email, change the owner of the CZ domain by a request with officially certified signatures.
The new owner’s contact is not offered
Problem: The new owner’s contact is not offered in the owner change interface, or the system does not accept it.
Cause: The owner can only be changed to a contact from the same registry in which the domain is registered. A CZ.NIC registry contact, for example, can only be used for CZ domains.
Solution: Create a new contact in the domain’s registry by following the chapter Domain contact and set it as the owner.
The system asks for MojeID verification
Problem: When you confirm the change of a CZ domain owner, the system asks you to log in to a MojeID account that you do not have.
Cause: The current domain owner is listed in the CZ.NIC registry as a MojeID contact. This contact must confirm the change, even if you create a new contact for the new owner.
Solution: Get access to the current owner’s MojeID contact, or contact the CZ.NIC registry. The other option is to change the owner by a request with officially certified signatures.
Owner’s email unavailable
Problem: The current domain owner’s email is unavailable.
Solution: Follow the guide Domains – Owner’s Email Unavailable.
Original owner unavailable
Problem: The original domain owner cannot be contacted.
Cause: The domain is registered to an administrator who stopped cooperating or to a deceased person.
Solution: If a company domain administrator is unavailable, you can still change the owner with a request bearing officially certified signatures. For a domain other than CZ, follow the guide Domains – Owner’s Email Unavailable.
If the domain is registered in the unavailable administrator’s personal or company name, contact the police. We can act only based on a decision by a court or another competent authority.
If the original owner has died, follow the solution for Acquiring a domain through inheritance proceedings.
Acquiring a domain through inheritance proceedings
Problem: The original owner of the domain and related services has died.
Solution: If a domain owner dies, these services must be included in inheritance proceedings. Only after a legally binding inheritance decision can we transfer the service or give access to the new authorized person.
If you are unsure whether the domain belonged to the deceased or whether you are its lawful heir, contact us first. Based on this information, we can explain the next steps before you open inheritance proceedings.
To resolve this situation, contact us using the contact form ⧉ – describe the situation and provide as much information as possible about the domain and any other affected services. The authorization department will check the relevant account and services and reply to your email with further information.
SMS verification not working
Problem: The contact phone number does not work or cannot receive text messages.
Solution: Edit the contact and change the number following the guide Domains – Editing a Contact.
Customer account does not exist
Problem: The new owner does not have a WEDOS customer account.
Solution: Changing a domain owner does not move the service, so the new owner does not need an account if they want you to keep managing it. To hand the domain over completely, follow the guide Services – Handover to Another Customer.
Frequently asked questions
I received an authorization password by email. Does this mean someone is trying to steal my domain?
For a CZ domain, anyone can request the authorization password through the registry or any registrar, even without logging in. However, CZ.NIC always sends it exclusively to the email address in the domain owner’s contact details. If only you have access to that mailbox, you do not need to worry about misuse of the password.
If you are concerned about domain theft or misuse, consider its insurance.
How do I find out which registry holds my domain?
For ccTLDs (country-code domains), registries are clearly defined: CZ.NIC for CZ, SK.NIC for SK, EURid for EU and NASK for PL. Generic domains may be less clear; for instructions on identifying the registry, see the section gTLD and nTLD domains.
Why is the CZ domain owner change process so complicated?
We do not offer, and will not offer, a simpler way to confirm an owner change. Authorization without at least two verification methods (phone and email) is easy to abuse and very difficult to prove and trace afterward.
How can I check and update domain contact details?
You can view and manage contacts following the guide Domains – Editing Contacts.
Who sends the emails with links?
The sender is usually WEDOS (@wedos.com); for some gTLDs, it may be Ascio or Subreg.
How do I change the name or company name of the domain owner, for example from an individual to a company?
Create a new domain contact with the correct details by following the guide Domains – New Domain Contact and change the domain owner to this contact according to this article. The name or company name of an existing contact cannot be changed.
How long does a domain owner change take?
Once all conditions are met, usually within 1 hour. For domains registered with Ascio or Subreg, usually within 10 days.
By when must both the original and the new owner confirm the owner change request?
For a CZ domain within 14 days, for generic domains within 5 days. After that, the system cancels the request and you must submit it again.
How many times will the system send me an email or SMS when I change the owner of a CZ domain online?
At most 3 times. You can request resending repeatedly in the administration, but after the third time no further message will arrive.
Can I set a contact from a different registry as the new domain owner?
No. The contact must be in the same registry as the domain; for example, a CZ.NIC contact can only be used for CZ domains. If the contact is missing, create it by following the chapter Domain contact.