Nominet, the .uk domain name registry, has announced the date of their changes.
From 9th February 2027 the .uk namespace will change so that it’s better aligned with most other gTLD and ccTLD namespaces.
What on earth does that mean?
Essentially a lot of this is down to the technical stuff that’s going on behind the scenes.
Right now .uk domains operate a “push” domain transfer system, which is the polar opposite to how domain name transfers work everywhere else.
If you want to transfer a .com domain from registrar X to registrar Y you simply get the transfer code and present it to the new provider.
With Nominet right now there’s an entire process around “tags” which is fine if you’re an insider, but is completely opaque and confusing if you’re more used to dealing with non-UK domains.
What’s involved?
Is it going to benefit me?
Will it cost me more / less?
Are there any downsides?
Changes do not come without some pain, but being honest I don’t think what Nominet is doing and how they are doing it is bad. It’s going to cause *some* headaches for *some* people, but on balance I suspect it’ll work better for most registrars and registrants.
You can read more about the process here.
The “big ticket” items for me so far are related to transfers and I’d categorise both as beneficial.
Transfers will move to being aligned with “normal” EPP registries, so all domains will have an EPP code attached to them,. Without the EPP you cannot handle hte registration.
upside – they’ll be the same as most TLDs
downside – you will have to pay for them
Personally I can live with that
I’d recommend all Nominet registrars and members to read what’s going on. The train is leaving the station so you’ve got plenty of time to find a seat!
Read all the docs here.
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