Domain registrars are competitive. Prices vary, renewal rates creep up after the first year, and some interfaces are genuinely painful to use. Switching registrars — transferring your domain to a new one — is a straightforward process once you know the steps, but it is easy to get stuck if you miss a prerequisite.
The process involves unlocking your domain at the current registrar, getting an authorisation code, and initiating the transfer from the new registrar’s side. It typically takes five to seven days. One thing most people overlook: the transfer extends your registration by one year in most cases, so transferring before you renew saves you paying twice.
This guide covers exactly what to check before you start, how to work through each step without losing access, and what to do once the transfer completes.
The Short Version
To transfer a domain, log in to your current registrar, unlock the domain, and request the authorisation (EPP/auth) code. Then start the transfer at your new registrar by entering that code when prompted. You will receive an approval email — confirm it. The transfer completes in five to seven days.
Why This Matters
Unlike moving your WordPress site to new hosting, which you can do without touching your domain settings at all, a registrar transfer moves the administrative control of your domain to a different company. If something goes wrong mid-transfer, your domain can become temporarily unresolvable. Domain names operate through a global system overseen by organisations like the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), and the transfer rules are standardised at that level.
Getting locked out, missing the approval email in your spam folder, or initiating a transfer too close to your expiry date are the three most common ways things go wrong. Each is preventable.
How to Transfer a Domain Name
Step 1 — Check Transfer Eligibility
Most domain registrars enforce a 60-day lock rule. Your domain must have been registered — or last transferred — at least 60 days ago before it can be transferred again. Log in to your current registrar and check the domain’s registration history if you are unsure.
Also check the expiry date. Do not transfer a domain within two weeks of expiry — some registrars will reject the transfer, and a failed transfer takes time to resolve. If your domain expires soon, renew it first, then initiate the transfer.
Step 2 — Unlock the Domain
Every domain has a transfer lock — sometimes called a registrar lock or domain lock — enabled by default to prevent unauthorised transfers. You will find this in your current registrar’s domain management panel, usually under settings or security. Disable the lock. Some registrars require a short wait before the unlock takes effect.
Step 3 — Request the Authorisation Code
The authorisation code — also called an EPP code, auth code, or transfer code depending on the registrar — is a unique string that proves you are the domain owner. Without it, the receiving registrar cannot initiate the transfer.
Request it from your current registrar’s control panel. It is usually delivered to the email address on your WHOIS record, which is why that address needs to be one you can still access.
Step 4 — Disable WHOIS Privacy Temporarily
If your domain uses WHOIS privacy protection, the masked email address associated with the record may not receive the authorisation code or the approval email. Disable privacy protection temporarily — you can re-enable it at the new registrar once the transfer completes.
Step 5 — Initiate the Transfer at the New Registrar
Go to your new registrar, find their domain transfer section, and enter your domain name. You will be prompted for the authorisation code from Step 3. Complete the order — in most cases this involves a small fee covering a one-year registration extension.
Step 6 — Approve the Transfer
After initiating, you will receive an email at the address on your WHOIS record from your current registrar, your new registrar, or both. The email contains a link or button to approve the transfer. Approve it promptly.
If you do not approve, the transfer sits in a pending state for up to five days before the current registrar may auto-approve or reject it, depending on their policy.
Step 7 — Confirm Completion and Update Nameservers
Most transfers complete in five to seven days. Once complete, you will receive confirmation from the new registrar. Log in and verify the domain appears in your account.
If you are also moving to new hosting at the same time, update your nameservers at the new registrar once the transfer completes. Nameserver changes happen at the registrar level, not the hosting level.
Practical Tips
Transfer when you have at least three months of registration remaining. This avoids the expiry risk and gives you time if anything delays the process.
The one-year extension that comes with most transfers resets from the current expiry date — not from today. A domain with eight months left becomes one year and eight months.
Keep access to your old registrar account until the transfer fully completes. You may need to approve the transfer there, re-request the auth code, or contact support if something stalls.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to unlock the domain. Most transfer failures happen for this reason. The new registrar cannot pull the domain if the lock is still active.
Missing the approval email. Check your spam folder immediately after initiating. The email often comes from an unfamiliar address and gets filtered.
Transferring too close to expiry. Some registrars reject transfers within 14 or 30 days of expiry. Renew first if needed.
Outdated WHOIS contact email. The auth code and approval email go to the address on your WHOIS record. If that address is outdated or forwarded somewhere you no longer check, you will not receive them. Verify and update it at your current registrar before starting.
Domain Transfer vs. Changing Nameservers
If you are moving your WordPress site to a new hosting provider but keeping the same registrar, you do not need to transfer the domain at all — you only need to update your nameservers. That takes minutes, not days, and is covered in detail in the guide to pointing your domain to your web hosting.
If you are unsure which hosting plan to move to, the comparison of shared hosting vs VPS vs managed WordPress covers the trade-offs in detail. A domain transfer is only necessary when you want to move administrative control of the domain itself — to a registrar with better pricing, to consolidate with your hosting account, or to move away from a provider you no longer trust.
For the broader context of setting up a new site from scratch — choosing a host, registering a domain, and installing WordPress — the step-by-step guide to building a WordPress website covers the full setup process from start to launch.
Conclusion
If your domain is eligible and your contact details are current, a registrar transfer is a routine task. Start by unlocking the domain and requesting the auth code at your current registrar — everything else follows from there. Build in a week before any planned hosting changes so the timing does not create pressure.
Etienne Basson works with website systems, SEO-driven site architecture, and technical implementation. He writes practical guides on building, structuring, and optimizing websites for long-term growth.