Frequently asked questions

Who can hold a Norwegian domain name?: Norwegian organizations and private individuals over the age of 18, can hold a Norwegian domain name. Organizations must have an organization number and be registered in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities. Private individuals must be registered in the National Population Register with a national identity number. All domain name holders must have a Norwegian mailing address.
These types of organizations can register a domain name

How do I order a domain name?: You order a domain name by contacting a registrar. The registrar will help you get started and handle everything necessary to follow up on your subscription. More about registering a new domain name.

How long does it take to register a domain name?: When you request a domain name from a registrar, the registrar will make sure it is registered in our systems. Our processing is automatic and only takes a couple of seconds. You will receive a response from the registrar. Their processing times and procedures may vary.
If you are a private individual, you must create a personal ID via a separate service on our website. Only then can the registrar register the domain name on your behalf. The next time you apply, your registration will be processed immediately.

Can I order a domain name directly with Norid?: No, you have to go through a registrar. We do not accept direct registrations.

How much does a domain name cost?

The registrar pays a set rate to us to register a domain name. In addition, you will have to pay your registrar for his part of the job. Rates vary depending on the types of services you order, rates also vary between registrar.

Our price to the registrar for the registration of a domain name is NOK 65 plus VAT. The registration fee also covers the annual fee for the first year. The annual fee after that is NOK 65 plus VAT from us to the registrar.

The registrars have different price models, and some also have special offers that might result in a lower price. It can therefore be worth while to check prices from several registrars.

How do I pay for the domain name?: You pay to the registrar.

Do I have to provide a street address, or is a PO box acceptable?: A PO Box address is sufficient, as long as it has a Norwegian postcode and city.

How many domain names can I have?: An organization can register up to 100 domain names per organization number in the format  mydomain.no. In addition, domain names can be registered under relevant categories and under geographical areas associated with the organization. Read more about the number of domain names allowed.
A private individual can register up to five domain names in the format mydomain.no. In addition, a private individual can register domains under priv.no and geographical areas with which the individual has some association. Please see the policy for more details.

I have used up my quota. Can I increase the number of domain names I can have?: The caps on registered domain names are regulated by the domain name policy. We cannot make exceptions. If you have used up your quota, you must request to have an existing domain name deleted before you can register a new one.

Which domain names can I choose?

In principle, you are free to choose whatever domain name you want. However, you cannot choose a domain name already registered to someone else, or domain names that, for other reasons, are prohibited or reserved. You have an obligation to make sure that your registration does not infringe upon any rights to the name held by another party.

Continue the subscription

How can I know that my subscription is continued?: As long as the annual fee for the domain name is paid, the subscription will continue until it is cancelled. You will receive an invoice for the annual fee directly from your domain name registrar. Every year, your registrar will make sure that your subscription is continued in our systems.  Read more about continuing the subscription.

Who is responsible for continuing my subscription?: The responsibility is yours, as the domain name holder, but the domain name registrar will make sure it is continued.

What does it cost to hold a domain name?

Our price to the registrar for the registration of a domain name is 75 NOK including VAT. The registration fee also covers the annual fee for the first year. The annual fee after that is NOK 75 including VAT from us to the registrar.

The registrars have different price models, and some also have special offers that might result in a lower price. It can therefore be worth while to check prices from several registrars.

How do I pay to continue the subscription?: You pay to the registrar. If you haven’t received an invoice, you should contact your registrar and find out why.

Can I pay the annual fee directly to Norid?: You always pay the annual fee to the registrar, never to us.

What happens if the annual fee is not paid?: Your registrar is responsible for making sure your subscription is continued in our systems. This this is not done in time, it will initiate an automatic process to delete the domain name. If this happens, we will send you several notices by e-mail, so that you have time to stop the process if you want. From the time the first notice goes out, you have 90 days to contact your registrar to stop the deletion and continue your subscription.
If you receive a notice despite having paid your annual fee, there may be some misunderstanding, and you must contact your registrar as soon as possible to resolve the issue.

I paid the invoice from the registrar, but I still received a notice that my subscription had not been continued. What is going on?: This means that the registrar has not continued the subscription in our systems. Contact your registrar as soon as possible to clarify the situation. You can also contact a new registrar and have them transfer the domain name to them and make sure the subscription is continued.

I have received a notice that my subscription has not been continued, and Norid has started a process to delete my domain name. What does that mean?: Contact your registrar as soon as possible to clarify the situation. You can also contact a new registrar and have them transfer the domain name to them and make sure the subscription is continued.

I have received notice that my domain name is no longer associated with a registrar. What does that mean?: All domain names must be associated with a registrar. If your domain name is no longer associated with a registrar, the subscription will not be continued. You must immediately contact the registrar you have been using, or a new registrar, to find out what has happened.

I have received a notice that my subscription has not been continued, and I no longer want the domain name. What do I do?: If you no longer want the domain name, you do not have to do anything. You can also disregard any future notices about the matter. The domain name will be deleted after a while.

But I never ordered a domain name!: If a domain name has been registered to your organization or you as a private individual, you must, at some point in time, have ordered the domain name. You can find the date of registration by searching in our lookup service.

Update contact information

How do I update the contact information for my domain name?: Contact your registrar. Tell them which changes that need to be made, such as a change of e-mail addresses, phone numbers or contact persons, and the registar will make sure the contact information is updated on our end. Check our lookup service to see which information is registered.

Can I change the domain name?: A domain name cannot be changed. If you want to change domain names, you have to delete the old domain name and register a new one. Your registrar can do this for you. Changing domain names is considered a standard registration, and you must pay the registration fee. In addition, you can expect the registrar to charge you for their part of the job.

How do I change the organization number for the domain name?: Contact your registrar. They will transfer the domain name to the new organization number.

Can I update the information directly with Norid?: No. All updates must go through the registrar, who will make sure the information is updated on our end.

Why do I have to update my contact information?: Both we and others may need to contact you, and it is therefore important that the contact information is up to date. The e-mail address is especially important, as we use e-mail to contact you in the event of a problem with your subscription, e.g. that the annual fee has not been paid. In the worst-case scenario, such a situation may lead to your subscription being cancelled and your domain name being deleted.
You are the domain name holder, and therefore responsible for keeping the information up to date, but the registrar will handle the actual update. Read more about why and how to update information.

What does it cost to update the contact information for my domain name?: We do not bill the registrar for changes to registered contact information, but your registrar may charge a fee for their part of the job.

Transfer the domain name to another domain name holder

Can I transfer the domain name to another organization number without going through the registrar?: No. All registrations and transfers must go through a registrar. We do not accept direct requests.

We have closed our operations in Norway and moved to another country. Can we have the domain name transferred there?: No. Organizations must be registered in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities in Brønnøysund in order to hold a Norwegian domain name.

We have closed down our organization and deleted it from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities. Can I transfer the domain name to myself as a private individual?: You can, provided you have not yet filled your quota of five domain names.

How quickly does a domain name become available when an organization has been deleted from the Brønnøysund Register Centre?

When an organization is deleted from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, the domain name does not necessarily become available. Domain names are often transferred to new organizations, such as in mergers or take-overs. If you want to take over an existing domain name, you can try contacting any of the following:

the organization directly or the administrator in the event of bankruptcy, etc., see the Brønnøysund Register Centre’s announcements
contact persons listed in our lookup service
the domain name’s registrar, who may have more up-to-date contact information than we do

What does it cost to transfer a domain name?: The old subscription is cancelled, and a new subscription is created for the new subscriber. The registrar pays a fixed rate to us for transferring a domain name. In addition, the registrar will also charge a fee for their part of the job.

Cancel the subscription

I have requested that a domain name be deleted, but now I have changed my mind. What can I do to stop the process?: Contact us immediately, either via e-mail (info@norid.no) or telephone (+47 73 55 73 55). Be om at slettingen stoppes. Request that the deletion process be stopped. We will send you confirmation via e-mail as soon as the process has been stopped.

I have not paid the annual fee for the domain name. How long does it take before the domain name is deleted?: That depends on the procedures of your registrar. Our procedure is that domains that are not continued, are put in quarantine after 60 days and deleted after 90 days.

I have requested that the domain name be deleted, but I am still receiving invoices for the annual fee. What should I do?: Contact your registrar and ask them to delete it. Invoicing procedures vary between registrars. Some bill in advance, others in arrears. In any event, you should expect to have to pay for the time you have had the domain name.

I have received notice that my domain name is associated with an organization that is no longer registered in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, and that it therefore may be deleted. What do I need to do to keep it?: Contact your registrar and ask them to help you transfer the domain name to an organization with a valid organization number.

I have received a notice that the annual fee for the domain name has not been paid and that the domain may be deleted. What do I need to do to keep it?: Contact your registrar and ask them to help you continue the subscription.

I have received notice that my domain name has been deleted. What can I do to get it back?: If you want the domain name back, you must contact a registrar and have them re-register it. Be prepared that they most likely will charge the same fee as for a new registration. If somebody else has registered the domain name in the meantime, you can file a complaint to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee if you believe you hold the rights to the name and the person who registered the domain ought to have understood this.

I rent a domain name that is actually registered to somebody else. All of a sudden, the domain name no longer works. What has happened, and what do I do?: There may be several reasons why the domain name no longer works. Check if the domain name still exists in our lookup service. If you find it there, contact the person listed as the contact person for the domain name. If the domain name is no longer registered, we recommend you apply to register it yourself.
It is possible to borrow or rent a domain name from others, but there is a certain risk associated with such an arrangement, both for the domain name holder and for the person or organization renting the domain name. The holder will always be the one who is responsible for and in control of the domain name, and holders will therefore have the power to cancel the subscription or transfer it to others. On the other hand, the holder is also the one who will be held liable if the domain name is used for illegal activity. We do not recommend any such arrangement.

I want a domain name for personal use

I have seen that I can register a domain name at various levels in the domain structure. What are my options?

As a private individual, you have three options in terms of level:

directly under .no (mydomain.no)
as a subdomain under priv.no, which is reserved for private individuals (mydomain.priv.no)
under one or several of the geographical domains administered by Norid (mydomain.selbu.no, mydomain.odda.no etc.)

How many domain names can I have?: You can register up to five domain names in the format mydomain.no, five subdomains under priv.no and five subdomains under each geographical domain name.

What is a personal ID?: When you register a domain name as a private individual, we need to know your national identity number in order to know who you are. To protect your national identity number going forward, you can create your own personal ID with us. Use this personal ID instead of your national identity number when you register a domain name and in any future follow-up concerning your subscription.
Request a personal ID from our dedicated service. Your personal ID will be sent to your email within one hour.

What do I use a personal ID for?: You use your personal ID when you register a domain name or if you later need to update the contact information for your domain name or make other changes.

How do I find out if anybody else holds the rights to the name I want?: The lookup service navnesok.no ets you search the domain name register, the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities and the trademark register in one single search. Doing a search here can give you an indication of potential rights. In addition, you can also search the patent register. Some parties may also hold rights to names that are not registered. For example, a name can be protected because it has been in use for a long time.

I have a domain name. How do I use it for email and web pages?: Your registrar can help you set up the services you want. Many registrar also offer access to simple tools for building and maintaining your own website.

I have moved abroad. What happens to my domain name?: If you are registered as “emigrated” in the National Population Register, you can both keep your existing domain names and register new ones. The condition is that you must have a Norwegian mailing address registered in our database.

I have changed my name in the National Population Register. What do I have to do?

You need to link your new name to your personal ID. You can do this in the same place as where you created the personal ID. Remember to also ask your registrar to update your name in our domain name database. This is how you proceed:

Enter your national identity number and your new name
The change is added to the queue of information to be checked against the National Population Register. If your new name matches what is registered in the National Population Register, the link between your personal ID and your new name is updated
Contact your registrar and state your personal ID, so that they can update your contact information in our systems

About registrars

What is a registrar?: A registrar provides services associated with domain names. The registrar will actually register the domain name you requested, and they will help you with any changes to your subscription, such as updating your registered contact information. The registrar will make sure your subscription continues for as long as you want it to, provided you pay the annual fee.

Why do I have to contact a registrar?: You must be a customer of a registrar in order to register a domain name; you cannot register directly with us.

What does a registrar do?: The registrar will actually register the domain name you requested, and they will help you with any changes to your subscription, such as updating your registered contact information. The registrar will make sure your subscription continues for as long as you want it to, provided you pay the annual fee. All registrars on our list have a contract with us. Read more about registrars.

How do I find a registrar?: You can choose any registrar who has a registrar contract with us. Please note that not all of them offer services to private individuals (this is specified in the list). List of registrars.

Which registrar should I choose?: It is a good idea to check references and compare the rates and conditions of several registrars before you decide. Always ask which services are included in the price. We cannot recommend one registrars over another.

Can I switch to a new registrar?: You can switch regitrars any time you want. Contact one of the other registrars on the list and ask them to move your domain to them.

How do I find the registrar for my domain name?: Find your registrar by searching our lookup service.

I have received notice that my domain name is no longer associated with a registrar. What does that mean?: It means that your registrar is no longer operating the domain name. If you have received such a notice, you must immediately contact the registrar you have been using, or a new registrar, to find out what has happened.

I am not happy with my registrar, what can I do?

All registrars who offer Norwegian domain names, have a contract with us. Among other things, this contract requires that all registrations and changes related to a domain name take place at your request as the holder. If you believe your registrar has failed to comply with this requirement, you can contact us.

We can pursue matters covered by the contract between us and the registrar, for instance changes made to your domain name that you have not requested, transfer of the domain name to another holder that you have not requested or if your registrar is refusing to give you the transfer code when you want to transfer your domain name.

Matters in regard to price or problems with services like web hosting and email, or the way you feel you are treated as a customer, are outside of what we can help with. Please note that you can change to a new registrar at any time.

Norwegian domain name lookup service

What are the rules for using data from the lookup service?: These are the rules regulating use of data from the lookup service.

Can I download information from the lookup service?: In the domain name database, it is possible to extract data about individual domains, organizations, registrars and contacts, but we do not permit bulk downloads of this data. These are the rules regulating use of data from the domain name database.

How do I find out which domain names are registered to my organization?: You can find that information by looking up your organization number in our lookup service.

How do I find out who the registrar for a particular domain name is?: You can find that information by looking up the domain name in our lookup service.

How can I find out who the contact person for a particular domain name is?: Please read our page about domain name lookups and privacy for more information about which contact persons for a domain name you can find in in our lookup service.

Can I get a list of all Norwegian domain names?: To prevent abuse of the data we have on domain name holders, we do not give out lists of domain names, nor do we permit bulk downloads of the database. Our lookup service shows whether a particular domain name is registered, and if so, how to contact the domain name holder. See also the terms and conditions for domain name lookups and our page on domain name lookups and privacy.

Complaints

Somebody registered my company name as their domain name. Can I file a complaint?: If somebody else registered a domain name you believe you hold the rights to, and you believe the party who registered it ought to have realized that, you can file a complaint to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee or initiate legal action in the regular court system. Read more about how to file a complaint here.

I found a webpage under a Norwegian domain name with content I believe is illegal. What can Norid do about that as the operator of the domain name register?: If you suspect that the content of a website is illegal, you should contact the police. We do not monitor website content, and we do not have the authority to impose sanctions on domain name holders who appear to be engaged in illegal activity. The responsibility to respond to potential criminal activity lies with the police and the court system. Read more about  online content liability.

Published: 8 February 2016
Updated: 19 June 2024