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    • .nl

    Country-code top-level domainsDNSSEC

    Overview

    • .nl is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the Netherlands.
    • Managed by Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland (SIDN).
    • Registrations are taken directly at the second level and the TLD is widely used and popular within the Netherlands.

    History

    • Introduced / implemented: 25 April 1986.
    • cwi.nl (Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica) was registered on 1 May 1986; this made .nl the first active ccTLD outside the United States.
    • Since 31 January 1996, SIDN has operated the .nl registry from Arnhem.
    • Registrars began paying SIDN a per-domain fee on 1 April 1996; prior to that, registration was free.

    Usage and Audience

    • Primary audience: entities and individuals connected with the Netherlands.
    • .nl is one of the most popular ccTLDs, with over six million registered domains (6,292,039 domains recorded as of 2022-12-24).
    • Typical registrars include ISPs, IT service providers and media bureaus; some large enterprises also operate as registrars/participants.

    Registration Rules

    • Open registration: anyone worldwide may register a .nl domain.
    • Structure: registrations are at the second level (example: example.nl).
    • Character rules:
      • Allowed characters: letters (a–z), digits (0–9) and hyphens (-).
      • If a hyphen is used, it must have a letter or number on each side.
      • Minimum length: 2 characters. Maximum label length: 63 characters.
    • Policy and enforcement:
      • SIDN may temporarily or permanently remove or terminate a .nl domain if it is used unlawfully or in breach of terms.
      • A dispute policy is in place for handling complaints about domain names.

    Technical Requirements

    • DNSSEC: supported for .nl.
    • Nameserver requirement: each nameserver must use a unique IP address; at least two nameservers (thus at least two distinct IPs) are required.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • As a widely adopted national TLD, .nl signals a Dutch presence and local relevance, making it well suited for businesses and organizations targeting the Netherlands.
    • The TLD's large adoption and SIDN's registry operations contribute to its trust and recognition within the Dutch market.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • cwi.nl: the early registration that made .nl the first active ccTLD outside the U.S.
    • Personal/third-level domains: SIDN permitted certain personal third-level domains (e.g., janjansen.123.nl) from 2000; individuals could register second-level .nl domains starting in 2003. Personal third-level registrations were suspended in 2006 and discontinued following SIDN's announcement in 2007 (discontinuance effective 2008).
    • Some private companies have registered names like co.nl and com.nl and sell third-level domains under them; these are not official SIDN second-level domains and are not affiliated with SIDN.

    Related ccTLDs under the Kingdom of the Netherlands

    • Other country-code TLDs associated with parts of the Kingdom: .an (former Netherlands Antilles), .aw (Aruba), .bq (Caribbean Netherlands), .cw (Curaçao), .sx (Sint Maarten).

    Operator

    SIDN (Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland)

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       NL

organisation: SIDN (Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland)
address:      P.O. Box 5022
address:      Arnhem 6802 EA
address:      Netherlands (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         Roelof Meijer
organisation: SIDN (Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland)
address:      P.O. Box 5022
address:      Arnhem 6802 EA
address:      Netherlands (the)
phone:        +31 26 3525500
e-mail:       admin@sidn.nl

contact:      technical
name:         Marc Groeneweg
organisation: SIDN (Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland)
address:      P.O. Box 5022
address:      Arnhem 6802 EA
address:      Netherlands (the)
phone:        +31 26 3525500
e-mail:       tech@sidn.nl

nserver:      NS1.DNS.NL 194.0.28.53 2001:678:2c:0:194:0:28:53
nserver:      NS3.DNS.NL 194.0.25.24 2001:678:20:0:0:0:0:24
nserver:      NS4.DNS.NL 185.159.199.200 2620:10a:80ac:0:0:0:0:200
ds-rdata:     17153 13 2 c5dfddc91e7532562a35f3c2cd30823894be08f20101f1abf45c8ab9739f3f49

whois:        whois.domain-registry.nl

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://www.sidn.nl/

created:      1986-04-25
changed:      2024-06-20
source:       IANA

    Registrars