To transfer a domain name in the UK, you unlock it at your current registrar, get its transfer code, copy your DNS records to the new provider, then start the transfer at the new registrar. For .co.uk and .uk domains there is no code. You ask your current registrar to change the IPS tag instead. Do the DNS step first and your website and email carry on throughout.
Most transfer horror stories share one cause. Someone moved the domain, the DNS records did not follow, and the office email stopped on a Monday morning. Done in the right order, a transfer is dull. That is the aim.
Why would you transfer a domain name?
Common reasons are cheaper renewals, a better control panel, bringing everything under one roof, or getting the domain out of an old supplier’s account. A web designer who registered it in their own name years ago is a classic case, and if that sounds familiar, our piece on who owns your domain and website explains how to check.
A transfer moves the registration only. It does not move your website files or your email. Those live with your hosting and email provider, which can stay exactly where they are. Keep that distinction clear and half the anxiety goes.
What do you need before you start?
Four things. First, access to the account at your current registrar, including the email address that receives admin notices. Second, access to the new registrar’s account, set up and paid. Third, a clear list of your DNS records. Fourth, a quiet day, not the Friday before a bank holiday.
Check the domain’s status as well. Most generic domains such as .com cannot be transferred within 60 days of first registration or of a previous transfer. Your registrar’s contact details need to be accurate, too, because confirmation emails go to them.
Look at the expiry date. Do not transfer a domain that expires in a few days. Renew it first if needed, so nothing lapses mid-move.
How do you copy your DNS records before transferring?
DNS records are the instructions that send visitors to your website and your email to the right inbox. If the new registrar’s DNS does not match the old one, things break.
Open the DNS zone at your current provider and copy every record: A records for the website, MX records for email, TXT records for SPF and verification, CNAME records, and anything else listed. Screenshot them or paste them into a document.
Now decide where DNS will live after the move. The simplest and safest approach is to leave your nameservers unchanged. If your nameservers point at your host or at a service such as Cloudflare, the transfer does not touch them and nothing changes. If the old registrar is also providing your DNS, recreate the full zone at the new provider first, check it against your list, and only then move the nameservers.
If you use DNSSEC, ask your registrar how to handle it before you transfer. Leaving it half set up can make a domain stop resolving for some visitors.
How do you get the domain transfer code?
For .com, .net, .org and most generic domains, log in to the current registrar, switch off the domain lock (sometimes called registrar lock or transfer lock), and request the transfer code. It is also called an auth code, EPP code or authorisation code. It is usually emailed or shown on screen.
Treat it like a password. Anyone holding it can start a transfer. It usually stays valid for a limited time, so request it when you are ready to proceed.
At the new registrar, choose “transfer a domain”, enter the name and paste the code. You will pay for it, normally a year’s renewal that is added to your expiry date. Approve the confirmation email from the old registrar if one arrives. Many transfers complete in a few hours to five days.
How does a .uk domain transfer work?
UK domains work differently. .uk, .co.uk, .org.uk and similar domains are run by Nominet, which uses a tag system instead of a code. Every registrar has a tag, and each domain carries the tag of the registrar that looks after it.
To move a domain, you ask your current registrar to change the IPS tag to your new registrar’s tag. Most registrars have a form or setting for this, and a few do it by support ticket. The new registrar will give you their tag, which you can usually find on their help pages. Nominet does not charge for tag changes, though some registrars have their own admin fees.
The change takes effect quickly, often within minutes to a few hours. A .uk tag change does not add a year to your renewal date, unlike a generic transfer. Your registration just continues with the new registrar. Then confirm the contact details, set up auto-renewal and check the DNS records still match your list.
What can go wrong, and how do you avoid email downtime?
The usual culprits are nameservers changing without a matching DNS zone, a locked domain, outdated admin email addresses, and expiry dates that are too close.
Email downtime nearly always comes from missing MX or TXT records. If you rebuilt the DNS zone, check MX records first, then SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, which keep your messages out of spam folders. Send a test email to and from every address the business uses on the day.
Lower your DNS TTL (the time records are cached) to 300 seconds a day or two before moving nameservers, and raise it again afterwards. It makes any mistake quicker to correct.
If something does break, restore the old records from your copy. That is why you made one.
Moving a domain at the same time as a website relaunch doubles the risk of confusion, so keep them apart where you can. Our website redesign checklist shows where the domain fits in a relaunch.
What happens after the transfer?
Log in at the new registrar and confirm the domain shows as active under your account, with you as the registrant. Turn on auto-renew and the transfer lock. Add a second contact email so renewal reminders do not die in one unattended inbox.
Check your site loads, your forms send and your email works. Then, do a quick review of what it all costs, including the full cost of running a website in the UK. If the build was on a platform you now want to leave, see how WordPress compares with Wix and Squarespace before you move.
If you would rather someone else handle the move, our domain management service does the DNS copy, the transfer and the test emails for you.
Frequently asked questions
Will my website go down during a domain transfer?
Not if the DNS stays the same. The website and email keep working because the transfer only changes who manages the registration.
How long does a domain transfer take?
A .uk tag change is often done within hours. A generic domain transfer can take up to five days, usually less.
Is it safe to transfer a domain to a cheaper registrar?
Usually, yes. Look at the renewal price rather than the first-year offer, because the cheap price often jumps.
Can I transfer a domain I did not register?
Only if you are the registered owner, or the owner gives you the details. If someone else’s name is on the registration, sort that out first, then move it.
What if my registrar refuses to release the domain?
They are generally obliged to act on a valid request. Check the lock, the contact email and any unpaid balance, then escalate in writing. For .uk, Nominet has a process for registrars that stall. Frustrating, but fixable.
If you want a second pair of eyes on your DNS records before you press the button, send them over and we will check them against what needs to survive the move.
