With uncertainty looming over Brexit, many things remain undecided, however the European Commission and EURid (the .eu registry) have announced that there will be changes for .eu domains.
At this point we cannot tell you exactly what this means as the situation is still unclear, however, EURid and the European Commission are advising of two possible scenarios, which we will run through a little further on in this blog.
As yet, no dates have been confirmed, but we will keep you updated as best we can, so you can be prepared, whatever the outcome.
I hold a .EU domain – what does this mean for me?
As mentioned earlier, there are currently 2 scenarios:
Scenario 1: A ‘no deal’ Brexit:
Existing domains:
On 23 March 2019, the Registry will email all UK and Gibraltar registrants to advise that the registrant information is no longer compliant. At this point, they will allow 2 months to update this data to become compliant.
If the registrant information still shows a UK or Gibraltar address on 30 May 2019, the domain name(s) will be withdrawn, meaning it will no longer function. The domain can still be reactivated at this point, providing that you supply new registrant data.
On 30th May 2020, any domain name(s) that are still registered to a GB/GI address will be revoked and released back onto the market for general registration.
New registrations:
From 30 March 2019, EURid will not accept registrations of any new .eu domain name(s) where the registrant is based in the UK or Gibraltar.
Scenario 2: UK leaves the EU on 31 December 2020 following a planned transitional period:
Existing domains:
On 23 December 2020, the Registry will email all UK and Gibraltar registrants, to advise that the registrant information is no longer compliant. At this point, they will allow 2 months to update this data to become compliant. If the registrant information still shows a UK or Gibraltar address on 02 March 2021, the domain name(s) will be withdrawn, meaning it will no longer function. The domain can still be reactivated at this point, providing that new registrant information is provided.
On 1st January 2022, any domain name(s) that are still registered to a GB/GI address will be revoked and released back onto the market for general registration.
New registrations:
From 01 January 2021, EURid will not accept registrations of any new .eu domain name(s) where the registrant is based in the UK or Gibraltar.
You can find the full Brexit notice, here.
What do I need to do?
I have an address within the EU:
Please log into your Online Control Panel and update your domain(s) with the new address details. Once the registrant data is updated to an address in the EU, you will remain eligible for your .eu domain name(s).
I do not have an address within the EU:
If your main website currently sits on a .eu domain name, we recommend transferring this over to an alternative domain name, such as .com, .co.uk or .uk.
Please remember, this only applies to .eu domain names – no other extensions are affected.
