.DE domain registration for Germany

What is a .de domain?

.de is the country code domain of Germany, from "Deutschland". It is managed by DENIC, the German registry in Frankfurt, and it is one of the largest country code domains in the world. A .de address tells visitors and search engines that your website is meant for Germany and for German-speaking customers, which is why most German companies, shops and public bodies use it.

What is a .de domain used for?

For websites aimed at Germany: company sites, online shops, practices, blogs and local services. German users know .de as their own domain and often trust it more than a generic .com when they buy from a local business.

Who can register a .de domain?

Anyone. Individuals and companies can register a .de domain whatever their nationality or place of residence. If the holder is not based in Germany, DENIC may ask for an authorised recipient in Germany – a person or company that can receive official or court documents about the domain. It must be named within two weeks of DENIC's request.

New rules for .de holder data

Since 6 December 2025, with the German law that implements the EU NIS2 directive, a .de holder must give a telephone number in addition to the name, postal address and e-mail address, and must say whether the holder is a person or a company. DENIC checks the name, address and legal form, and the e-mail address is verified. During 2026 DENIC also reviews the data of existing domains and sends a verification e-mail to holders. A domain whose data cannot be verified is first put on hold and then deleted, so keep your contact details correct in your client area and confirm verification e-mails promptly.

How to buy and register a .de domain

1. Check that the name is free with the search form on this page.
2. Add it to the cart and fill in the registrant's details (a person or a company), including a phone number.
3. Pay online; the domain is registered automatically and you receive a confirmation e-mail.
4. Manage DNS, contacts and renewal from your client area.

.de domain registration requirements

• Name: 1 to 63 characters, letters, digits and hyphens; it cannot start or end with a hyphen or have hyphens in both the third and fourth positions. Short names of one or two characters and names made only of digits are allowed.
• Umlauts: names with umlauts and other special characters from the DENIC list, such as ä, ö, ü and ß, are accepted.
• Contact details: the holder's name or company name, postal address, e-mail address and phone number, kept correct and up to date.
• Period: 1 year, renewed every year.

Transferring a .de domain to IPHOST

If your .de domain is registered elsewhere, ask your current registrar for the AuthInfo code and place a transfer order on our domain transfer page. Keep the same DNS settings during the transfer and your website and e-mail keep working.

What happens when a .de domain is deleted?

Renew it before the expiry date from your client area; we send renewal reminders by e-mail. After a .de domain is deleted, DENIC keeps it for 30 days, during which only the last holder can restore it. After that, anyone can register it.

Is a .de domain good for SEO in Germany?

Yes. A country code domain is one of the clearest signals Google uses to show a site to users in that country, and German visitors recognise .de as local. If you also sell in Austria or Switzerland, register the .at and .ch domains as well, or use the regional .eu with language versions.

Why register your .de domain with IPHOST

• Registration runs automatically as soon as the order is paid.
• A clear price for both registration and renewal, shown before you pay.
• DNS management included free of charge, even if your hosting is elsewhere.
• One client area for domains, hosting, VPS and SSL certificates.
• Support in English, Romanian and Russian.

Your .de domain works with any hosting. If you need a place for your website, see our web hosting plans. After registration, read how to connect a domain to hosting.

Terms and conditions

• Domains are registered for a minimum period of 1 year and cannot be cancelled after registration.
• .de domains are registered and renewed for 1 year at a time.
• .de holders must provide a telephone number and keep their name, address, legal form and e-mail address correct; DENIC may put on hold and then delete a domain whose holder data cannot be verified.
• Holders outside Germany must name an authorised recipient in Germany within two weeks if DENIC asks for one.
• After a .de domain is deleted, only the last holder can restore it during the next 30 days.
• Spelling mistakes in a domain name cannot be corrected. Once a domain name has been registered or renewed, the fees paid for it are not refunded.
• The customer is responsible for all data related to the registered domain name, including keeping the contact details current, complete and correct for the whole registration period. Only the data provided by the customer is considered valid; the provider is not required to act on anything other than the data given by the customer, nor to check its accuracy.