Domain transfer between registrars takes 5-7 days. No downtime if DNS configured correctly. Transfer adds 1 year to registration (you don't lose renewal period).
Why Transfer Domains
Lower renewal costs elsewhere (save £5-10/domain/year), better management interface, consolidate domains at single registrar, escape bad customer service.
Transfer Eligibility
Domain must be: Registered 60+ days ago (ICANN rule), unlocked at current registrar, not expired or within 7 days of expiration, privacy protection disabled temporarily.
60-Day Lock
Newly registered or recently transferred domains can't transfer for 60 days. ICANN anti-fraud rule. Check registration date before attempting transfer.
Unlock Domain
Log into current registrar. Find domain settings. "Registrar lock" or "Transfer lock" setting. Disable it. Stays unlocked until you re-enable or transfer completes.
Security risk: Unlocked domain = vulnerable to unauthorized transfer. Only unlock when actively transferring. Re-lock immediately if transfer cancelled.
Get Authorization Code
Also called EPP code or auth code. Request from current registrar (usually in domain settings). String of letters/numbers (e.g. "Xy7#kL3m"). Valid 30 days typically.
Disable WHOIS Privacy
Transfer confirmation email goes to registrant email in WHOIS. If privacy enabled, goes to proxy email you may not monitor. Disable privacy, wait 1 hour for WHOIS update, then initiate transfer.
Initiate Transfer at New Registrar
Create account at new registrar. Find "transfer domain" option. Enter domain name and authorization code. Add to cart. Pay transfer fee (usually equals 1 year renewal cost).
Transfer Pricing
Transfer costs £8-15 (equals renewal). Adds 1 year to domain expiration. If domain expires Jan 2026, after transfer it expires Jan 2027. You're not paying extra, just renewing early.
Approve Transfer
Email sent to registrant email address. Subject: "Transfer authorization" or similar. Click approval link. If you don't approve within 5 days, transfer may auto-approve or cancel (depends on registrar).
Check spam folder. Transfer approval emails often filtered. Missing approval = transfer delays or fails. Whitelist both registrars' email domains before transferring.
Current Registrar Response
Losing registrar receives transfer notification. Can approve immediately (rare), do nothing and auto-approve in 5 days (common), or deny if problem detected (uncommon).
Denial Reasons
Domain locked, recently transferred (under 60 days), expired, payment dispute, fraud suspected. Fix issue and retry transfer.
DNS Doesn't Change
Nameservers stay same during transfer unless you change them. Website, email continue working. Zero downtime if you don't touch DNS settings.
Transfer Completion
Confirmation email from new registrar: "Transfer complete". Domain appears in new registrar dashboard. Old registrar removes it from your account. Total time: 5-7 days.
Post-Transfer Checklist
Re-enable registrar lock at new registrar. Enable WHOIS privacy if desired. Verify DNS settings correct. Test website and email. Enable auto-renewal. Update payment method.
Bulk Transfer
Transferring 10+ domains? Most registrars offer bulk transfer tool. Upload CSV of domains and auth codes. Processes all simultaneously. Faster than one-by-one transfer.
Trademark Lens checks domain availability when choosing registrar - transfer existing domains to same registrar as new registrations for unified management.