You want to move your domain to another registrar, but you are afraid the site will vanish and the email will stop arriving. A domain transfer does not touch the site or the email by itself. The risk comes from small things nobody remembers in time, such as an expired term, lost DNS records or a missed confirmation message.
This guide takes you through the transfer step by step. You will see what to prepare, how to keep the DNS records, how the registrar of a .bg domain is changed and what to check when everything is done. There is a checklist at the end.
The domain and the site live in different places
The domain is registered with a registrar, which keeps the owner's details, the registration term and the name servers, meaning the servers that answer for your DNS records. The site is files and a database with a hosting provider. The email is with the provider of the mailboxes. Between them stand the DNS records, which tell the browser where the site is and tell other mail servers where to deliver your messages.
A transfer changes only the registrar. Afterwards the domain is managed by the new registrar, and that is where you renew it. For common domains such as .com, registrars hand domains over to each other with the EPP protocol. A transfer request carries the domain name, the authorization code and, optionally, a period to extend by. It carries no name servers, so the hosting, the site and the email stay where they are.
Moving the site is a separate job. The files and the database go to a new host, and then the DNS records are pointed at it. If that is ahead of you too, the steps are in the guide How to move a WordPress site to a new host without downtime. Do not do it on the same day as the transfer. That way, if something breaks, you know which of the two changes caused it.
So where does the risk come from? From two places. The first is the DNS records, when they live with the old registrar. The second is the term, because a domain that expires in the middle of a transfer stops everything.
What to prepare before a domain transfer
ICANN's rules apply to common domains such as .com, .net and .org. National domains have their own registries and their own rules, and there is a separate section for .bg below.
The registrar keeps the domain under the status clientTransferProhibited, which makes the registry reject requests to move the domain to another registrar. In its panel this may be called “Registrar Lock”, “Domain Lock” or “Transfer Lock”. While it is on, there is no transfer. ICANN's policy requires the registrar to give you a way to remove it yourself, and if it has none, to remove it within five calendar days of your request.
The transfer code (auth code, and in ICANN's policy the AuthInfo code) is the second safeguard. It is unique to the domain and protects against unauthorized transfers. You get it from the old registrar, and if that registrar offers no self-service, it must give it to you within five calendar days of your request. Treat it like a password and do not send it in a group chat.
Check two more things. The first is payment, because the registrar may refuse to transfer a domain with unpaid amounts, including disputed payments.
The second is the email address recorded for the domain. The new registrar asks you for confirmation and the old one also verifies the request, and if you do not answer, the transfer does not go ahead. Look in the old registrar's panel to see which address that is and whether you still use it. If it is on the domain itself, the email must keep working through the whole transfer.
Which 60-day periods can stop the transfer?
ICANN's policy has three periods of 60 days.
| What happened | How long | The registrar |
|---|---|---|
| The domain is new | 60 days from creation | may refuse |
| The domain has already been transferred | 60 days after the transfer | may refuse |
| The owner's name, company or email was changed | 60 days after the change | must refuse, unless you opted out of the lock before the change |
So do not change the owner or the owner's email on the eve of a transfer. Some registrars let you opt out of the lock, but the decision is made before the change itself.
You can see the creation date, the registrar and the statuses of a domain in ICANN Lookup. Look for the registration date and for the status “client transfer prohibited” (elsewhere written clientTransferProhibited), which means the domain is locked.
The rules are changing. ICANN's Board adopted recommendations for a new version of the transfer policy in June 2026, but it has not set a date from which they take effect. Check the text on icann.org on the day you act.
How to keep your DNS records so the site and email stay up
DNS records hold the site and the email in place. The A and AAAA records point to the site's server, the MX records to the mail servers, and the TXT records carry the email's SPF, DKIM and DMARC. If they disappear, the site and the email stop, wherever the files are.
See where the name servers are
First see which name servers serve the domain. The command only reads.
# Terminal on your computer, read only
dig +short NS primer.bg
On Windows use nslookup -type=NS primer.bg. If the name servers belong to your hosting or to Cloudflare, the transfer does not affect them. If they belong to the old registrar, do not count on the zone staying there after the transfer, because registrars' terms differ. Copy it beforehand.
Write down the records and compare them
The fullest list is in the old registrar's DNS panel. Write it down or take a screenshot. The commands below do not replace it, because they ask only about names you already know, but they show what everyone else on the internet sees.
# Terminal on your computer, read only
dig +noall +answer primer.bg A
dig +noall +answer primer.bg MX
dig +noall +answer primer.bg TXT
dig +noall +answer www.primer.bg CNAME
dig +noall +answer _dmarc.primer.bg TXT
dig +noall +answer YOUR_SELECTOR._domainkey.primer.bg TXT
Your mail provider gives you the DKIM selector. The DKIM record is named selector._domainkey, and the DMARC one is named _dmarc.
Create the same records where the DNS will live, for example in the Zone Editor in cPanel or in Cloudflare, and query them directly before you point the domain at them. The answer must match what the old servers give.
# Terminal on your computer, read only
dig @NAME_SERVER_OF_THE_NEW_PROVIDER primer.bg MX +short
Changing the name servers and DNSSEC
Changing the name servers is a separate step from the transfer. Do it before the transfer or after it, but not on the same day. For .bg, the registry accepts a request to change a domain's settings from the administrative contact or from the holder's representative, and not from a hosting provider (clause 12.1 of the registry's terms and conditions). So you change the name servers yourself, in your registrar's panel.
If the domain uses DNSSEC and you plan to change the name servers, first remove the DS record at the registrar and wait at least a day. Cloudflare warns in its documentation that otherwise the signatures may not match and name resolution may fail. Turn DNSSEC back on when everything is in place.
How do you change the registrar of a .bg domain?
Domains in the .bg zone are kept by the registry run by Register.BG Ltd (register.bg). It has its own terms and conditions, which differ from ICANN's rules. What is described here follows version 4.12, in force from 9 August 2026.
| Question | .com, .net, .org | .bg |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the rules | ICANN, in the transfer policy | The registry, in its terms and conditions |
| Transfer code | Yes, from the old registrar | Not mentioned in the terms and conditions |
| 60-day periods | Yes, for a new domain, after a previous transfer and after an owner change | Not mentioned in the terms and conditions |
| How the change is treated | As a transfer between registrars | As an application to register and support a new domain |
How the change goes
Changing the registrar is the holder's right. It can be done at any time, once you have paid the registration and support fees to the new registrar (clause 10.12). The registry processes it as an application to register and support a new domain (clause 10.13), so the rules for applications apply to it. The steps are these.
- Choose a registrar from the list “Accredited registrars” on register.bg, in the section “Registrars”.
- Submit the application through the new registrar's interface and pay the fees to it.
- Confirm the application within a day, with an electronic signature or through the message the registry sends to the email address given in the application (clauses 7.1.2 and 7.1.3). After that it is valid for 30 calendar days, in which you finish the rest (clause 7.1.4).
- Prepare the holder's identification. When it is done with an electronic signature, no other documents are needed (appendix 1). The registrar checks the documents within three working days (clause 7.4.1).
Ask the new registrar how the term you have already paid is counted before you pay. If you do not know who your current registrar is, look for the domain's renewal invoices.
How long does the transfer take?
For .com, .net and .org the old registrar has five calendar days to answer the request, and if it stays silent the transfer is approved by default. If the panel or the message lets you approve it right away, do so. If the registrar has no self-service, unlocking and the code can take up to five more calendar days. In the worst case that is ten days, so do not start in the last days of the domain's term. A successful transfer adds one year to the term, and the total never exceeds ten years.
For .bg the terms and conditions give no overall time for the change itself. They give only the times for the application, described above, so ask the new registrar how much time to allow. If you have to gather documents, leave more than a few working days.
What to check after the transfer
When the registrar says the transfer is done, go through these checks the same day.
- The site opens at
https://primer.bgand athttps://www.primer.bg, in a private window. - The name servers and the records are the same as before. Run the commands from the DNS section again and compare them with your notes.
- Email works in both directions. Send a message to an outside address and ask for a reply.
- For .com, .net and .org, ICANN Lookup shows the new registrar and a term one year longer. For .bg, see the term in the new registrar's panel.
- The transfer lock is on. ICANN explains that the clientTransferProhibited status protects against unauthorized transfers and domain hijacking.
- DNSSEC is turned back on, if you had removed it.
Keep the 60-day periods in mind too. Do not change the owner or the owner's email without need. If you chose the wrong registrar, the next move may have to wait 60 days.
Checklist
- I know who the current registrar is and until when the domain is paid.
- The domain's term does not run out during the days of the transfer.
- The email recorded for the domain works and I am checking it.
- For .com, .net and .org the domain is unlocked and I have a transfer code.
- For .com, .net and .org, 60 days have passed since registration, since the previous transfer and since the last change of owner or the owner's email.
- For .bg the new registrar is on the list at register.bg and the fees are paid to it.
- I have a copy of all DNS records and I know where the name servers are.
- If I will change the name servers while DNSSEC is on, the DS record is removed and at least a day has passed before the change.
- After the transfer, the site, the email and the DNS records are as before.
- The transfer lock is turned on again.
If you would rather not do it yourself
Not every transfer is complicated. If the name servers are with your hosting or with Cloudflare, and the term is far off, all you need is the unlock, the code and the approval. You do the transfer itself, because it goes through your email and your account at the registrar. If you are also moving the site because it has outgrown shared hosting, with moving to your own server we move it without downtime to Hetzner or AWS, onto a server that is yours. Tell us about the site in the inquiry form.
Frequently asked questions
Will my site or email stop during a domain transfer?
The transfer itself changes only the registrar, while the site stays with its hosting and the email with its provider. The risk comes from DNS records kept at the old registrar and from the term, because a domain that expires in the middle of a transfer stops everything. So copy the records beforehand and do not start a transfer in the last days of the term.
What do I need to transfer a .com, .net or .org domain?
Remove the domain lock at the old registrar, which the panel may call "Registrar Lock", "Domain Lock" or "Transfer Lock", and get the transfer code (auth code). If the registrar has no self-service, ICANN's policy requires it to do each within five calendar days of your request. Check the email address recorded for the domain too, because the transfer does not go ahead without confirmation from it.
When can a registrar refuse a domain transfer?
Under ICANN's policy a registrar may refuse within 60 days of the domain's creation and within 60 days of a previous transfer. Within 60 days of a change to the owner's name, company or email it must refuse, unless you opted out of the lock before the change. It may also refuse a domain with unpaid amounts, disputed payments included.
How do I keep my DNS records during a domain transfer?
First see which name servers serve the domain, because if they belong to your hosting or Cloudflare, the transfer does not affect them. If they belong to the old registrar, write down the full list from its panel, create the same records where DNS will live, such as Zone Editor in cPanel or Cloudflare, and compare them before pointing the domain there. Do not delete the old zone straight away, so you can switch back to the old name servers if something is wrong.
How do I change the registrar of a .bg domain?
Choose a registrar from the list of accredited registrars on register.bg, submit the application through its interface and pay the fees to it. The registry treats the change as an application to register and support a new domain, and the application is confirmed within a day with an electronic signature or through the registry's message. Before you pay, ask the new registrar how the term you have already paid is counted.
How long does a domain transfer take?
For .com, .net and .org the old registrar has five calendar days to answer, and if it stays silent the transfer is approved by default. If unlocking and the code also take up to five days, the worst case is ten days. For .bg the terms and conditions give no overall time for the change, so ask the new registrar how much time to allow.
Should I change the name servers on the day of the transfer?
No. Change them before the transfer or after it, but not on the same day, so that if something breaks you know which change caused it. If the domain uses DNSSEC, remove the DS record at the registrar first and wait at least a day, because according to Cloudflare name resolution may fail otherwise.
What should I check after the domain transfer?
Open the site with and without www in a private window, compare the name servers and records with your notes and send an email to an outside address asking for a reply. For .com, .net and .org, ICANN Lookup should show the new registrar and a term one year longer. Check that the transfer lock is back on, and turn DNSSEC back on if you removed it.
Sources
- Register.BG Ltd, Terms and conditions for domain name registration and support in the .bg zone, version 4.12
- Register.BG Ltd, Accredited registrars
- ICANN, Transfer Policy
- ICANN, 5 Things Every Domain Name Registrant Should Know About ICANN's Transfer Policy
- ICANN, EPP status codes
- ICANN, Consensus Policies
- ICANN, Registration data lookup tool
- ICANN Board, Approved Resolutions, 7 June 2026
- IETF, RFC 5731, EPP Domain Name Mapping
- Cloudflare, Transfer your domain to Cloudflare Registrar
- cPanel, Zone Editor
- ISC BIND 9, dig
- Microsoft, nslookup
- IETF, RFC 7208, SPF
- IETF, RFC 6376, DKIM
- IETF, RFC 7489, DMARC