This article describes the procedures and requirements of .swiss domain names.
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Successful domain registration via RCP or API requires:
- Special requirements for the registrant applies
- Only Swiss public bodies or other public law organizations and bodies registered with the Swiss commercial register having their headquarters and an actual administrative site in Switzerland can register .swiss domains.
- The so-called UID / Enterprise ID, starting with CHE, should be submitted in the Company registration number field.
- Physical persons cannot apply for a .swiss domain.
- Registrants must have an objective relationship with the domain name.
- Two or more nameservers or a nameserver group
- Registrant e-mail address verification applies.
- Natural Person Social Security Number (UPI) should be in the format 756.dddd.dddd.dd - where d is a digit.
- Company registration number should be in the format CHE-ddd.ddd.ddd - where d is a digit.
Natural persons may only register a .swiss domain name if it contains at least one of the following designations:
- one of the official names or other names registered in the civil register,
- one of the forenames,
- a married name,
- a registered partnership name,
- a name received in a religious order,
- an artist's name under which the person has become known or
- a name attached to a distinctive sign (e.g. a registered trade mark) to which the applicant has rights.
A freely chosen designation may be added to any of these compulsory designations.
Names that are identical or similar to generic terms (such as Barbieri, Marchand, Metzger) cannot be assigned to an individual. However, these names may be assigned if they are accompanied by an additional identifier, such as a first name, a pseudonym, or a reference to a personal interest.
Swiss citizens residing abroad are not permitted to use a .swiss domain name for commercial activities outside of Switzerland. Their domain name is restricted to private, associative, or charitable purposes only.
The Swiss social insurance number (OASI/AHV/AVS), in the form of the UPI (Universal Person Identification), and the address provided in the registration application must belong to the domain name applicant.
A new registration will be put on hold for a period of at least 20 days in which the registry validates the application and other registrants can apply for the same domain name. Only after this validation, the domain will be activated.
Successful domain transfer via RCP or API requires:
- authorisation code
- Special requirements for the registrant applies
- Only Swiss public bodies or other public law organizations and bodies registered with the Swiss commercial register having their headquarters and an actual administrative site in Switzerland can register .swiss domains.
- Physical persons cannot apply for a .swiss domain.
- Registrants must have an objective relationship with the domain name.
- two or more nameservers or a nameserver group
- registrant e-mail address verification applies
During the transfer period which can take 6 days, the current provider or the owner can reject to the transfer.
The registration period after a successful transfer will extend with 1 year, unless the transfer is ordered within the domain's auto-renew grace period at the previous registrar.
Problems transferring your domain?
Please take a look at this extended article for possible solutions.
| Authorization code required | yes |
| Method of confirmation | authcode,email |
| Registration period after transfer | extends |
| Average transfer time | Max. 6 days |
| Advanced and simple transfers available | Contact our Sales department to check if easy transfer of 100 or more .swiss domains is available. |
Owner change (trade)
- requested as a normal domain update via RCP or API
- processed realtime
- both previous and new registrant will receive an e-mail. This is a notification only, no action is required.
- registrant e-mail address verification applies
Other update
- requested via RCP or API
- processed realtime
If as part of the update the domain owner’s e-mail address changes, we’re obliged to start a contact verification process if this new e-mail address was not verified before.
Delete
Explicit delete
- Requested via RCP or API
- processed realtime
- will directly result in quarantine (redemption period) (no soft quarantine applies)
Expiration
In case the domain expires (not renewed in time);
- will not be deleted directly at the registry
- will lead to soft quarantine, followed by regular quarantine
Restore / reactivate
| Registry |
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| Domain lifecycle | |
| Technical information |
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| Restrictions |
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| Policies |
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| Registration agreement |
The registry requires that a registration agreement is in place between the provider and the domain holder. The text of this registration agreement and any required supplements is the following: |
Due to the regular changes in registry rules and configuration or missing information from registry side, and despite our effort to keep our knowledge base up-to-date, information in the knowledge base may be outdated or incorrect. If you encounter some issue, please report it through the "HotJar" feedback collector on the bottom right, or (if it is blocked by your browser) by clicking the "Submit a request" link below. No rights can be derived from the information in this knowledge base. If there is discrepancy between the knowledge base and the process in Openprovider, the process in Openprovider is leading.
