You can find the video tutorial in the article Video Tutorials - Change Domain Owner.
This article deals with changing the owner of a domain in the registry. If you only want to edit the domain owner's details (except for the name or company name, which you must address by changing the owner), follow the instructions in Domains - Edit Contact. To re-register a domain to WEDOS, follow the instructions in Domains - Re-registration.
Changing the owner of a domain only changes the owner's details in the registry. It does not transfer the service to another customer account or change billing information. To completely transfer the domain to a new owner, follow the instructions in the Service - Transfer to New Owner.
Select a domain:
In this article you will learn:
- What to prepare before the change of ownership
- How to change the owner of a domain in the registry
- How to change domain owners in bulk
- Common problems
- Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing for a change of ownership
Make sure the service is not expired before changing domain owners. For expired domains, the registries block the change of ownership.
To change the owner of an expired domain, first renew the service.
For the change of owner, prepare:
- Domain contact of the new owner. This is a special identifier of the domain owner in the registry, for example WEDOS-ABC-123456.
- Email access. Both the current and new owner usually need access to the email accounts held by their domain contacts.
Domain contact
If the prospective owner does not have a contact of the registry ready in his customer account, create a new contact for him by appointment according to the Domains - New Domain Contact instructions.
Establish a registry contact:
You can only change the owner online if the contacts of the original and new owner are registered with VEDOS. The CZ domain contact can also be registered with MojeID.
If the prospective owner already has a contact ready, find out its identifier (usually a combination of letters and numbers, sometimes separated by dashes, e.g. c123456789 or WEDOS-ABC-123456).
The domain contact identifier is valid only within the domain registry.
For example, you can only use a CZ domain contact for another CZ domain, but not for any other extension. If you need a contact for a registry (extension) for which the new owner does not have a contact yet, create one.
Accesses to email
If you do not have access to the domain owner's email, follow the instructions in Domains - Unavailable owner email.
For a CZ domain, you only need access to the owner's email (and phone) if you want to change the owner online. If you don't have access to the domain holder's email, you can make the change of ownership via a form with certified signatures.
Changing the owner of a domain in the registry
If you are ready to enter a domain owner change, first enter the following steps in the change owner interface:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- Select Domains from the top menu.
- Select the domain whose owner you want to change from the menu.
- Select Change Owner from the left menu.
The next procedure is specific to different domain extensions.
Once all conditions are met, the change of ownership usually takes place within 1 hour. Exceptions are domains registered with Ascio or Subreg, where the change of owner usually takes up to 10 days. To speed up the process, re-register these domains directly under VEDOS ⧉.
Domain CZ
There are two ways to change the owner of a CZ domain:
- Online email and SMS verification of the original and new owner. This method requires both owners to have access to the email and (mobile) phone listed with the domain owner's contact. In addition, you need to know the authorization passwords of both contacts.
- By written application with officially certified signatures. If for any reason you are unable to make the change online, the only option is to submit an application with certified signatures.
In the domain owner change interface, first fill in the contact identifier of the new owner. If the contact is stored in your account, you can search for it using the select button, but you can manually enter any contact in the CZ.NIC ⧉ registry, including contacts of the MojeID &box; service.
After entering the contact, select one of the change of owner options, tick the consents and click Create Request.
The validity of the application is 14 days, unless otherwise specified for a specific domain. If it has not been processed by the original and new owner by that time (including any delivery of any documents), the system will cancel it. If this happens, you must re-file the application.
Change of ownership online
Online change of ownership only works for contacts registered with VEDOS or MojeID. If the contact is registered elsewhere, either re-register it with us at least temporarily, or change the owner by submitting a request with certified signatures.
If you choose to change the owner online, both the original and new owner will receive an email within 10 minutes of submission with a link to enter the code from the corresponding SMS message and the authorization password of their domain contact, which you can have sent to you according to the Domains - Authorization Password instructions.
You can request an e-mail or SMS to be sent repeatedly via the administration, but no more than 3 times.
If at least one of the contacts is MojeID, fill in the email address to which we will send an email to the domain owner to authorize them to the MojeID service. We will send an SMS with the authorization code to the owner after successful login to the MojeID account on the owner change confirmation page.
Once both the original and new owner have completed the confirmation, the change of ownership will take place within 1 hour.
Change of ownership of applications with certified signatures
For this application form, please enter an email to send the application form. You can enter any email you have access to, not just the domain owner's email.
Ideally, have both parties (original and new owner) sign the application at the same time, but you can confirm and send it separately.
We only accept applications confirmed by the certified signatures of the domain owner or a person authorized to act for that person. Please deliver the signed application and any proof of the applicant's authority (for example, a certified copy of the power of attorney) by mail to:
WEDOS, a.s.
domain department
Masarykova 1230
37341 Hluboká nad Vltavou
You can replace the officially certified signature with an electronic signature. Please send the electronically signed application in reply to the email with the generated application.
Avoid sending documents via data mailbox. Such submissions will usually significantly slow down the processing of your application.
Domain SK, EU, PL
SK, EU and PL domain owners can only be changed online. Follow these steps:
- In the change owner interface, enter the contact of the domain owner.
If the contact is stored in your account, you can search for it using the select button, but you can manually enter any contact in the corresponding registry(SK.NIC &boxboxbox; for SK, EURid &boxboxbox; for EU, or NASK &boxboxbox; for PL) registered with VEDOS.
If the contact does not exist, you can create it directly in the administration by selecting Create and set up a new contact.
- Use the send password link to send your domain authorization password and fill it in the corresponding field.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and click Submit.
After sending the request, the change of owner will take place within 1 hour.
gTLDs and nTLDs
Generic domain owners can only be changed online. Follow these steps:
- In the change owner interface, enter the contact of the domain owner.
If the contact is stored in your account, you can search for it using the select button. Alternatively, create a new contact by selecting Create and set up a new contact.
If you are setting up a contact stored in another WEDOS customer account, make sure they are both in the same registry. To find out the name of the registry, click on Create and set up a new contact.
- Use the send password link to send your domain authorization password and fill it in the corresponding field.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and click Submit.
The application is valid for 5 days. If it has not been processed by the original and new owner by then, the system will cancel it. In this case, you must re-enter the application.
Once the request is submitted, a message will be sent to the original owner's email with a link to a summary of the changes to the domain and the option to confirm or reject them. You can also request a cancellation of the 60-day re-registration lock setting or other changes to the domain owner.
If the original owner approved the request, the system sends the same message to the new owner. If the new owner confirms the request, the domain owner will be changed within 1 hour. This confirmation also verifies the email of the domain owner.
It can take up to 10 days to re-register domains with Ascio or Subreg contacts. To speed up the process, re-register domains directly under VEDOS ⧉.
Bulk change of domain owner
If you have ready contacts to which you want to transfer domains, send us a list of domains and contact IDs via the form &boxboxbox;. The authorization department will contact you about the next steps.
Common problems
Common problems when changing domain owners include:
- Change of owner unavailable in menu
- Owner's email unavailable
- Unavailable original owner
- The domain is included in the inheritance procedure
- SMS authentication not working
- Non-existent WEDOS customer account
Change of owner unavailable in menu
Problem: The change of owner item is not in the navigation.
Cause: the domain is probably expired. You cannot change the owner of an expired domain.
Solution: If you see the domain in the customer administration, the system has not yet deleted it and you can restore it by paying the last invoice. If you don't see the domain in the administration, you will need to renew it (in case of expiration of gTLD and nTLD domains) or register it again after deleting it from the registry.
Restoration of gTLDs and nTLDs expired more than 30 but less than 60 days ago is a chargeable service according to the price list of additional domain services ⧉. Please request it via the form ⧉.
Owner's email unavailable
Problem: The email of the current domain owner is unavailable.
Solution: Follow the instructions Domains - Unavailable owner email.
Unavailable original owner
Problem: Unable to contact the original owner of the domain.
Cause: the domain is registered to an administrator who has stopped cooperating or to a deceased person.
Solution: In case of unavailability of the company domain administrator, you can still change the owner of requests with certified signatures. If you are dealing with a domain other than CZ, follow the instructions Domains - Unavailable owner email.
If the domain is registered to a person or company with an unavailable administrator, contact the police. We can only act on our part following a decision by a court or other competent authority.
If the original owner is deceased, follow the Getting a domain through the inheritance process problem.
Obtaining a domain in the context of inheritance proceedings
Problem: The original owner of the domain (and related services) has died.
Solution: In the event of the death of the domain owner, these services need to be included in the succession proceedings. Only after a final decision on inheritance can we transfer or make the service available to a new beneficiary.
If you are not sure whether the domain actually belonged to the deceased or whether you are the rightful heir, please contact us first. Based on this information, we will advise you of the next steps to take before you possibly open the succession proceedings.
To resolve such a situation, please contact us using the contact form ⧉ - please describe the situation and provide as much information as possible about the domain and any other services that might be involved. Our colleagues in the Authorization Department will check the status of the relevant account and services and contact you by email with further information.
SMS authentication not working
Problem: The contact's phone number is not working or cannot receive SMS.
Solution: Edit the contact and change the number according to the Domains - Edit Contact instructions.
Non-existent customer account
Problem: The new owner does not have a WEDOS customer account.
Solution: Changing the owner of the domain does not move the service anywhere, so the new owner does not even need an account if he wants to leave the service in your administration. If you want to completely transfer the domain to the new owner, follow the instructions in Service - Transfer to new owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
I received my authorization password by email, does this mean someone is trying to steal my domain?
As far as the CZ domain is concerned, anyone can request an authorization password through the registry or any registrar, even without logging in. However, the CZ.NIC registry always sends the authorization password exclusively to the e-mail address specified in the domain owner's contact details. Therefore, if you are the only one who has access to this e-mail box, you do not have to worry about misuse of the authorization password.
If you are concerned about theft or misuse of your domain, consider domain insurance.
How do I find out which registry my domain is in?
For ccTLDs (national domains), the registries are clearly defined: for the CZ domain it is CZ.NIC, for SK SK.NIC, for the EU EURid, for PL NASK. Generic domains may not be completely unambiguous, for guidance on how to determine the registry, see the chapter Domains gTLDs and nTLDs.
Why is the process of changing the owner of a CZ domain so complicated?
We do not and will not offer a simpler way to confirm a change of ownership. Authorization without involving at least two methods of verification (phone and email) is easily abused and subsequently very difficult to prove and trace.
How can I verify and update my domain contact information?
You can view and manage your contacts by following the instructions in Domains - Edit Contacts.
Who are the emails with links coming from?
The sender is usually WEDOS (@wedos.com), in the case of some gTLDs it may be Ascio or Subreg.