Domain endings / .nu
A .nu goes offline ten days after it expires.
You then have 60 days to renew it before it's deregistered and released.
.nu is the country code of Niue, but Internetstiftelsen in Sweden runs it, with the same timeline as .se: ten days marked Expired, 60 days deactivated and offline but still renewable, then deregistration, quarantine and release.
When does a .nu domain expire?
A .nu expires on the expiry date in the registry record, at the end of the period you paid for. Internetstiftelsen doesn't renew it automatically: your registrar renews it when you ask, or by an auto-renewal you've agreed with them.
Is there a grace period for .nu?
Yes, ten days marked Expired and then 60 days deactivated, and you can renew through your registrar throughout. The registry takes the domain out of the .nu zone when it is deactivated, ten days after expiry, and from then on the site and email stop working.
What happens when a .nu domain expires?
These are Internetstiftelsen's stages and names, from its .nu terms of 15 January 2026.
- Expired10 days
- The registration period has ended and the status is Expired. You can renew through your registrar.
- Deactivated60 days
- The domain is removed from the .nu zone, so the website and email stop working. It is still registered to you and you can renew it.
- Deregistered, in quarantine
- Not renewed during deactivation: you are deregistered as holder and the name sits in quarantine until its release date. The registry doesn't say how long quarantine lasts or whether you can still renew at this stage.
- ReleasedOn the release date, from 04:00 UTC
- Anyone can register the name through a registrar, first come, first served, no earlier than 04:00 UTC.
How long can you register a .nu domain for?
From 12 to 120 months, so 1 to 10 years.
How do I look up a .nu domain's expiry date?
Ask the registry's WHOIS server, whois.iis.nu, or type the name in the box above and nmspc asks the same server for you. IANA's RDAP bootstrap file lists no RDAP server for .nu (checked 25 October 2026), so nmspc reads .nu from WHOIS, and switches to RDAP on its own if IANA adds one.
What else is different about .nu?
Internetstiftelsen publishes the same nightly list of upcoming releases for .nu as for .se, as JSON and text.
Who can register is the same as for .se: anyone with a personal or company ID number, or who can be identified in a register kept by an authority.
Who runs .nu?
Internetstiftelsen (The Swedish Internet Foundation) runs the .nu registry under its own .nu terms; IANA lists The IUSN Foundation as the sponsoring organisation. You register and renew a .nu through a registrar.
How nmspc keeps track
Add a .nu domain and nmspc reads its expiry date from the registry, then reminds you 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before it runs out, and before its certificate does. Free for every domain. Open nmspc
Sources
- Internetstiftelsen: .se and .nu domains that may soon be available
- Internetstiftelsen: Terms and conditions of registration for .nu, 15 January 2026
- Internetstiftelsen: Registreringsvillkor för .nu, 15 januari 2026 (Swedish, prevails)
- Internetstiftelsen: nightly release list for .nu
- IANA root zone database: .nu
- IANA: RDAP bootstrap file for domains
Checked against these pages on 25 October 2026. Registries change their rules now and then; the source wins if it disagrees.