nic.at is the registry for domains ending in .at, .or.at, and .co.at. We ensure that every .at domain is registered only once worldwide. The contractual relationship between the domain holder and nic.at refers exclusively to the .at domain. nic.at does not offer any additional services, such as web space or name services, therefore it has no influence on the contents of a website. Additionally nic.at is not responsible for e-mails or URLs. These services are usually offered by an Internet service provider with whom the domain holder can conclude an additional agreement. nic.at GmbH was established in 1998 and is headquartered in Salzburg, Austria. You can find more information under the headings "History" and "Our mission".

We also introduce ourselves in this short video.

A domain name is a name under a top-level domain (TLD), such as name.at, that is globally unique throughout the Internet and that can be freely chosen in accordance with certain rules. In the case of TLDS, a distinction is made between generic top-level domains (gTLDs) such as .com, .org or .info and country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), such as .at and .de. A domain can be used, for instance, for web, e-mail or FTP services. You can also have a sub-level domain created belonging to your domain name, i.e. an additional name preceding the actual domain name, separated by a dot (e.g. "mein.name.at"). This service is made available to you by an Internet service provider. You can find an overview of all the .at partners in our .at-Partnerfinder. You can find more information on gTLDs and ccTLDS in the "Interesting facts" section under the heading "Legal/Domain Policy".

Country code domain extensions (ccTLDs) such as .at and .de have developed historically over time and are based largely on local conventions and legal situations. The .at domains are governed by the legally binding General Terms and Conditions and the registration guidelines of nic.at. Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) such as .com, ,net, .biz etc. are administrated by registries whose headquarters are located mainly in the USA and are governed by a different assignment system. As a result, there are differences between .at and generic domains, especially with regard to contractual relationships, domain periods, and cancellation terms.

Continuing obligation for .at domains

Since its inception, .at domain registration has been based on a continuing obligation system commonly in use in Austria, which is similar to telephone, electricity, and gas contracts. If, for instance, you register for telephone or electricity service, it will remain active until you cancel it yourself. Thus, you cannot lose your service just because you forget to renew it in time. (Exception: You don't pay your invoice.) In the USA, contracts are often limited, meaning .com, .net (or any other generic) domains expire automatically and must be renewed actively.

Active cancellation of the .at domain with fixed period of notice

The advantage of active cancellation is that the domain holder cannot lose his domain inadvertently. In addition, Austrians are used to cancelling contracts subject to a certain period of notice (e.g. mobile phone, insurance, flat, etc.) The one-day period of notice defined in the nic.at General Terms and Conditions was determined in accordance with the Austrian Consumer Protection Act.

Contractual relationships with .at domains

The registration of a .at domain establishes a contractual relationship between the domain holder and the registry nic.at - even if the domain is registered by an Internet service provider or registrar on behalf of the customer. As a result, domain modifications require the explicit written confirmation of the domain holder or the registrar is required to have such confirmation available.

In the case of generic TLDs such as .com, .net, .info, etc., there is NO contract between the domain holder and the registry, but rather between the registry and the registrar. Hence, the registrar has full authority over the domain and is not required to provide the registry with evidence of the holder's confirmations. Each of these systems has its advantages and disadvantages; but the fact remains that the contractual relationship and the written confirmation requirement are clearly regulated in the General Terms and Conditions of nic.at and cannot be circumvented.

Check whether the domain you want is available or has already been registered using the following link: Domain search.

With the WHOIS query, we provide - depending on the legal person - additional information on the domain holder, the technical contact person (tech-c) and technical data (nameserver, DNSSec information) of the delegated domain. Please note that nic.at does not publish the data of natural persons - no matter if they are the domain holder or technical contact person (tech-c) of a domain. Data of legal persons are published in the Whois database, although display of contact data such as telephone number, fax and e-mail address can be disabled.

With our Domainfinder, have also developed a domain suggestion tool, which helps you with the domain search.

In general, .at domains can be registered by anyone, regardless of whether the registering party is a private individual, a company, association or organisation. The domain holder indicated must be either a natural person or an organisation (legal entity). An organisation must be specified with its full and valid legal form.

Since registration of a .at domain name is the conclusion of a contract with nic.at, private individuals must be of full legal age and capable of entering into binding contracts. The first and last name of domain holders who are natural persons must be entered into the name field. Umlauts cannot be used in domain holder data.

Organisations with their own legal personality (e.g. OG, GmbH, associations, etc.) must be specified in the organisation field - giving with their complete name and including any specification of legal form. If the name field (optional) also indicates a person, this person will merely be considered a contact person, but not a domain holder.

For organisations without their own legal personality, a natural person who is also the domain holder must be specified additionally in the name field. (Example:  The organisation is Boarding House Sample and the name field says Sam Sample. This means Sam Sample is the domain holder, provided that Boarding House Sample does not have its own legal personality.) 

Domain names under .at, co.at, and .or.at must contain at least one character and may be no more than 63 characters long.

A valid domain name may contain letters ("a-z"), numbers ("0-9"), hyphens ("-"), and IDN characters. The name must not start or end with a hyphen. Also, for technical reasons, a domain name must not contain two hyphens at the third and fourth position.

nic.at is the only delegating body (registry) for .at domains in the world. We do not offer any technical services, which means that only the domain name can be registered at nic.at. nic.at does not offer any of the other services you may wish to arrange for a domain, such as e-mail, hosting, installation of the website and other services.

Internet service providers are responsible for providing these. An Internet service provider offers technical services, such as setting up e-mail addresses with your domain extension, name servers, web space, etc.  

There is number of Internet service providers with which nic.at has a special cooperation contract for domain administration. These Internet service providers are called registrars or .at partners. They are subject to a certain degree of quality control and can perform transactions automatically. This means that registrars are authorised to make certain changes without being required to submit the domain holder's confirmation, but are also liable for errors. However, being a registrar is not a prerequisite for being able to register .at domains.

Many Internet service providers are so-called resellers. Internet service providers who have a contract with one of our .at partners (registrars) and can therefore work via our partner's system are referred to as resellers. Resellers do not appear in the nic.at system or in the registrar display, instead, only the registrar with whom the reseller has concluded a contract appears. If there is confusion about the presentation of resellers and registrars in your contractual relationship, please contact your Internet service provider with whom you concluded your contract.

A short overview of the "Who is Who" of the domain world is also available on YouTube.

The registrant is the owner of a domain name. In addition to the domain holder, there is at least one technical contact (tech-c) registered. The tech-c does not have any rights or obligations, they are the responsibility of the registrant (domain holder).

With the WHOIS query, we provide - depending on the legal person - additional information on the domain holder, the technical contact person (tech-c) and technical data (nameserver, DNSSec information) of the delegated domain. Please note that nic.at does not publish the data of natural persons - no matter if they are the domain holder or technical contact person (tech-c) of a domain. Data of legal persons are published in the Whois database, although display of contact data such as telephone number, fax and e-mail address can be disabled.

The nic.at Whois database is a copyrighted database. Single domain queries are available to the Internet community free of charge until further notice. nic.at retains the exclusive right to copy, distribute, transmit or communicate the database or parts of the database to the public.

If the domain holder is a natural person whose data are not shown publicly, you may be eligable to apply for a motivated request. Natural persons’ domain data is only accessible to people who provide proof of identity and are able to prove a legitimate interest for finding out who the domain holder is. This includes law enforcement agencies, lawyers or people who contact nic.at following domain disputes and can prove that their rights have been infringed. If you are such a person, please use the following webform for your inquiry.

nic.at does not publish the data of natural persons - no matter if they are the domain holder or technical contact person (tech-c) of a domain. Data of legal persons are published in the Whois database, although display of contact data such as telephone number, fax and e-mail address can be disabled. If a natural person wants their data to be published in the Whois a change of personal data will be necessary. You can carry out this change through your Internet service provider or, as a nic.at customer, directly in the login area. Details can be found in our Whois Policy our Terms and Registration Guidelines as well as our Privacy Policy.

Natural persons’ domain data is only accessible to people who provide proof of identity and are able to prove a legitimate interest for finding out who the domain holder is. This includes law enforcement agencies, lawyers or people who contact nic.at following domain disputes and can prove that their rights have been infringed. If you are such a person, please use the following webform for your inquiry. If the domain holder or contact is a legal person, relevant data can be found in the Whois database.

The admin-c never had any legal function in the administration of .at-domains. Following the GDPR's principle regarding data minimisation the admin-c was abolished as per May 16, 2018.

If an organization with own legal personality (e.g. OG, GmbH, associations, ...) is mentioned in the field "organization", this organization is the domain holder. Addional mentioned private individuals (in the field "personname") are soley a contact person and NOT the domain holder.

If there is no organisation with own legal personality mentioned (e.g. "personname: Max Mustermann" and "organization: Pension Mustermann") in the field "organization", the person according to "personname" is the domain holder.

As a rule, .at domains are registered by an Internet service provider, because he can also provide the customer with technical services and additional services (such as e-mail, web space, etc.) that nic.at doesn't offer. If you do not have a suitable Internet service provider yet, you can find an overview of all the official .at partners in our .at-Partnerfinder. 

If you merely want to register the domain and require no additional services, you can register your preferred .at domain directly via nic.at. In this event, you will require at least two correctly configured name servers at registration, because nic.at does not offer technical services. Ordinarily, new registrations are completed in a matter of minutes. If the application is technically correct, you should be able to use your domain on the same day. If the application was incorrect, the applicant will be informed by e-mail.

You can find more information on our prices here. Prices for the registration of .at domains via a .at partner cannot be provided due to individual pricing of Internet service providers.

You can find helpful tips and tricks for registering your domain under the heading "Interesting facts/Statistics and Studies".

Registration with an Internet service provider

As a rule, .at domains are registered with an Internet service provider, who will usually offer complete packages (services such as e-mail, web space, ...) incl. an annual domain fee at the Internet service provider's rates. In this case, nic.at will not bill you directly, but will instead bill the Internet service provider who is responsible for the domain on the cut-off date. (As the domain holder, you can inquire about your domain's cut-off date by e-mail to service@nic.at.)

Registration with nic.at

If you merely want to register a .at domain and require no additional services or if your .at domain has already been registered directly with nic.at, then the fee for delegation (registration) and for use during the first year is to be paid during the registration process. You will receive subsequent invoices annually 45 days before invoice due date. Please note that in order to be timely, your cancellation for the domain in question must be delivered to our office within one day of the cut-off date at latest, otherwise the already issued invoice will remain valid.

How much does a .at domain at nic.at cost?

New registration incl. 1st annual fee: EUR 68.00
Each succeeding year: EUR 34.00*

*excl. VAT, only exempt from VAT outside of the EU or upon notification of the VATIN.  

FYI: the VAT rates of the respective EU country have been in effect since 2015. As a result, in the EU, nic.at has been billing invoice recipients, who are also consumers, invoices with the tax rate applicable in the respective Member State since 1 January 2015. If the invoice recipient is outside of the EU, the invoice is issued without VAT. You can find an overview of the VAT rates in the EU here.

Electronic invoices

Since electronic nic.at invoices feature an "advanced digital signature", they are recognized in accordance with EU Directive 2001/115/EC and Ordinance of the Federal Minister of Finance of December 2003 (Federal Law Gazette II No. 583/2003) and are therefore also VAT deductible.

When a domain is administrated by a registrar, the administrative workload on the part of nic.at is substantially reduced, as the registrar takes care of administration directly. The registrar is obliged, for example, to check all customer applications independently and thereby ensure that all contractual obligations are complied with. Then, the registrar processes the applications directly via a technical interface without additional control by nic.at. As a rule, all customer support is likewise provided by the registrar. Moreover, registrars receive a collective invoice from nic.at, considerably reducing the workload for nic.at, as no individual invoices need to be issued to the domain holder

The invoice recipient has no rights to the domain. The fee for delegation and for use during the first year are to be paid to nic.at during the registration process. Fees are charged per service period (= 1 year). The final payment reminder will always be sent to the domain holder, thus informing the domain holder of non-payment (by the invoice recipient).

Usually, domains are registered and invoiced via an Internet service provider. If the domain is administrated by an Internet service provider, the Internet service provider will always be the recipient of invoices relating to the domain. But other people can also be specified as invoice recipient. In this case, please contact your Internet service provider directly. If you registered your .at domain at nic.at, you as domain holder can change the invoice recipient in the login area at any time.

If your .at domain is administrated by an Internet service provider, then you will not receive invoices from nic.at, but only from your Internet service provider who will invoice you the domain fee including the service package you ordered.

You have received an invoice from nic.at?

Then your domain is either administrated directly with us and we therefore bill your service once a year or your Internet service provider has withdrawn from the contract as invoice recipient. This means that you will henceforth receive an invoice for the domain fee from nic.at. In this case, we recommend you to contact your Internet service provider and to transfer your domain back to your (or a different) Internet service provider, because nic.at does not offer any services, such as e-mail, web space, etc.

Usually you will receive nic.at invoices by e-mail. But at request, invoices can also be sent by post. If this is what you prefer, you can change the method of dispatch in the login area.

How can I pay nic.at invoices?

You can pay your outstanding invoices online using Paypal, credit card/ debit card or online banking. For the login, please use the data provided on your invoice (customer number, invoice or reminder number, due date of invoice or reminder) or your personal login data.

You are also welcome to pay your invoice by bank transfer. Our bank details are:

Bank details:
Bank Austria, Schubertring 14, A-1010 Vienna
Account no.: 660 497 942, Routing no.: 12000
BIC: BKAUATWW
IBAN: AT52 1200 0006 6049 7942
in the name of: nic.at GmbH

Important: Please indicate the domain name or the invoice number as intended purpose in your transfer so that we can allocate you payment correctly.

There are things you can check if you think an invoice for your domain is suspicious, to verify whether it is a genuine or fraudulent invoice. Unfortunately, there will always be fake invoices in circulation. You can check whether fake invoices are currently being circulated here: https://www.nic.at/en/news/all

• Is it a foreign IBAN? If so, is my provider based abroad or do I know that it is based in Austria/Germany?
• Name of the sender: Are you unsure what your registrar is called and cannot confirm the name? Here (https://www.nic.at/en/my-at-domain/domain-search/whois) you can find details of the registrar of your domain. If you obtained your domain directly from nic.at, the data field of the registrar is empty.
• Attention: It is possible that your domain is not administered by a registrar, but by a reseller. A reseller is not displayed in the Whois database as a registrar, since resellers function only through the registrars' own systems. If you have any questions, please contact the registrar directly. The registrar will know whether the domain is directly in their system or in the system of a reseller.
• IBAN of the registrar: Via the Whois query (https://www.nic.at/en/my-at-domain/domain-search/whois) you can find details of the registrar, and also a link to their data including their homepage. You can either check the IBAN on the registrar's homepage or contact them directly and ask for it.

If you still have concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time by e-mail (service@nic.at) or by telephone (0662 4669 841).

If you registered your domain via an Internet service provider, the right of rescission may be regulated differently. For more information, please contact your Internet service provider directly.

When a .at domain is registered via nic.at, it is promptly delegated - as a result, this part of the contract on the side of nic.at is fulfilled and there is no right of rescission with regard to the delegation. The delegation fee must be paid in any case. However, consumers (users in terms of the Consumer Protection Act) can rescind the contract without specifying reasons for doing so. The rescission period is 14 days from the day of contract conclusion. It is sufficient to send written notification before this period has lapsed. You can generate an appropriate form in the login area under the Rescission heading. 

In the event of timely rescission, we will refund the payment received for the current year's annual fee to the invoice recipient within 14 days of receiving notice of rescission. (Please note: The delegation fee must be paid in any case.) We will perform the transfer using the method of payment used for the order – unless explicitly agreed otherwise. No fee will be charged for the refund.

Yes, you can administrate your domain directly at nic.at. If the domain hasn't already been registered via nic.at directly, but was registered via an Internet service provider, the domain must be transferred to nic.at first. Thereafter, you can administrate your domain(s) in the customer login area at any time.

However, nic.at does not offer any technical services, such as name server, e-mail, hosting, etc. If you do not meet the necessary technical requirements yourself, we suggest that you have your domain administrated by one of our .at partners (registrars). Our .at partner .at-Partnerfinder offers you a good overview of all .at partners and the option of finding a suitable partner, in line with your domain-specific requirements.

You can learn more about our login area in this video.

In principle, the Internet knows only characters: 26 Roman letters, ten digits and the hyphen. Nonetheless, domain names may contain umlauts and special characters. For .at domains, 34 characters, defined in the character table - referred to as IDN (Internationalized Domain Name), are permitted.

So these can be processed around the world, all IDNs need to be transcoded into a character string containing only the permitted ASCII characters. This conversion is based on what is known as the "Punycode Specification" which generates an ACE String (ASCII Compatible Encoding). The newly converted character string (ACE) is provided with a 4-figure prefix "xn--" which indicates that the domain is an IDN. Between the prefix coding are the letters that do not require extra coding because they correspond to the ASCII code.

In order to ensure the uniqueness of the IDN, both IDN and Punycode are shown in the WHOIS database on the web and on the invoice.

 Examples for IDN and ACE:

Domain name servers handle information relating to what IP address belongs to what domain name. Every time a site is selected on the Internet, a name server must return the corresponding IP address so that the browser can establish a direct connection to the site.

At registration of a domain, nic.at requires at least two properly configured name servers. (In the event that a name server fails, the domain can still be called up via the second name server.) The configuration is also verified upon any subsequent data changes. Errors in name server configuration can be a reason why domain applications are rejected. When a .at domain is registered, the Internet service provider usually takes care of all the necessary settings and configurations.

If an Internet service provider removes a domain from his name servers, for example because the domain holder is untraceable or does not attend to his contractual obligations, this procedure is referred to as ""zone deletion"". Removal renders the domain technically disabled. You can find more information about zone deletion here.

A nic.at-Handle is a number code which refers to a specific person and his data. Instead of entering the person and data for each entry, it is sufficient to enter the corresponding number/handle. 
A nic.at-Handle consists of two to four letters, followed by numbers and –NICAT (e.g. SB10312596-NICAT). The initial letters are usually the initials of the person.

The Registrant-Handle is the owner-Handle of the respective domain name and is used as user name for the login area.

By registering a .at domain (regardless of whether with an Internet service provider or directly with nic.at), you conclude a contract with nic.at. The registration contract is subject to nic.at's General Terms and Conditions and registration guidelines:

Download pdf General Terms and Conditions

Download pdf Registration Guidelines

nic.at and the registrar are both considered as data controllers for their data. The registrar is acting as a mere transmitter of domain data und thus can not be seen as a Data Processor as defined in the GDPR.

Domains below ".ac.at" (academic) are reserved for universities and schools and can be registered at the Austrian Academic Computer Network ACOnet. ".gv.at" is for governmental use and can be registered via the Federal Chancellery Republic of Austria. Details can be found on the website of the City of Vienna.