Danish .dk domain: who can register one and what the rules are

A .dk domain is the country code domain of Denmark. Anyone can register one, also from outside Denmark: you do not need to live or have a business there. You register a .dk domain with a registrar that works with Punktum dk, complete an identity check if you are asked to, and then connect the domain to your website and email at LJPc hosting.

Below you can read who can hold a .dk domain, what changed on 1 July 2026, which naming rules apply, how registering, renewing and transferring work, and how to connect your .dk domain to hosting at LJPc.

What is a .dk domain?

.dk is the domain extension of Denmark. The registry for all .dk names is run by Punktum dk, which was called DK Hostmaster until 2023. Punktum dk manages .dk under a licence from the Danish government, and under the Danish Domain Names Act it does so on a non-profit basis and on equal terms for everyone. More than 1.3 million .dk names are registered.

The rules for a .dk domain are set out in the Punktum dk terms and conditions (version 15, in force since 1 July 2026). You accept those terms when you register a .dk domain with a registrar.

Who can register a .dk domain?

Any person and any organisation can apply for a .dk domain, wherever they live or are based. One extra requirement applies to Danish organisations: they provide their CVR number, the number from the Danish business register.

Your details must stay correct for as long as you hold the domain, so that it is always clear who is behind it and you can be contacted directly. If anything changes, pass it on to your registrar straight away.

The identity check

Punktum dk, or your registrar if it carries out the check itself, verifies the details of new registrants. If you live outside Denmark, Punktum dk assesses the risk that your details are incorrect for every application. If it sees a risk, it asks you to prove your identity and address with an official document, plus photo ID for a person, in English or Danish. You also confirm your email address by replying to an email.

You can only use your new .dk domain once the check is complete. A few tips:

• Use an email address that already works. Do not use an address on your new .dk domain as your main address, because it only works once the check is complete. Use the address on your existing domain instead.
• Reply in time. You have 25 days to answer a request from Punktum dk, or 10 days in exceptional cases. If you do not reply in time or your details turn out to be incorrect, Punktum dk can end the agreement. The domain is then suspended for 30 days and deleted afterwards.
• Enter your details exactly. The better your name and address match your documents, the faster the check is done.

What changed on 1 July 2026?

In the past you could also manage a .dk domain directly with Punktum dk and pay several years in advance. Since 1 July 2026 these rules apply:

• New .dk domains are managed through a registrar. The registrar pays Punktum dk on your behalf, keeps your contact details up to date, manages the name servers and DNSSEC, and handles transfers and cancellations.
• Registration and renewal are yearly. You register a .dk domain for one year at a time. You can renew at the earliest two months before the current period ends. With a registrar the domain renews automatically, unless your registrar tells Punktum dk not to renew it.
• Existing domains move to a registrar too. If your .dk domain is still managed directly by Punktum dk, choose a registrar by 30 June 2028 at the latest. Punktum dk charges nothing for this, and your website and email keep working. A multi-year period you already paid for stays valid until it ends.

Which naming rules apply to a .dk domain?

According to the Punktum dk rules on approved characters:

• Length. A .dk name has at most 63 characters, not counting .dk.
• Characters. You can use the letters a to z, all Danish letters such as æ, ø and å, the letters ö, ä, ü, é and ß, the digits 0 to 9 and the hyphen.
• Hyphens. A name does not start or end with a hyphen and has no two hyphens in the third and fourth position, as in ab--cd.
• Name servers. A .dk domain always points to at least two name servers known to Punktum dk. With hosting at LJPc you use three.

If you choose a name with æ, ø or å, register the spelling without those letters as well, such as ae, oe and aa. People without a Danish keyboard can then type your address with ease.

When is a .dk domain the right choice?

According to Google's guidelines for multi-regional websites, a country code domain is a strong signal that a site targets that country. .dk is not on the list of country code domains that Google treats as generic, so Google sees a .dk site as a site for Denmark. Here is how to choose:

How to redirect a second domain to your main site properly is explained in redirect a domain to another website.

How to register a .dk domain

1. Use the Punktum dk domain search to check whether the name is available. If it is taken, you can see who holds it and join the waiting list.
2. Pick a registrar from the Punktum dk registrar list, which includes companies in Denmark and abroad. You find prices and terms on the registrar's website.
3. Register the name in your own name or that of your organisation, with your own address and an email address that already works.
4. Enter the name servers your domain should point to. If you host with LJPc, these are our name servers, as explained below.
5. Complete the identity check if Punktum dk or your registrar asks for it. Your domain is active after that.

Connecting your .dk domain to your website and email at LJPc

Your .dk domain stays with your registrar and we take care of your website and email. Here is how to connect it:

1. Open the order wizard in the customer portal, choose I already have one at another registrar and enter your domain, for example yourdomain.dk. No account yet? Create one first.
2. Choose Keep domain elsewhere, connect hosting here.
3. Pick your hosting or redirect package and complete the order. LJPc then creates a DNS zone for your domain.
4. Log in to your registrar and set the name servers of your .dk domain to ns1.ljpc.network, ns2.ljpc.network and ns3.ljpc.network. See change your nameservers for how this works.

Punktum dk only accepts name servers that already serve your domain. So change the name servers once your order is complete and the DNS zone exists on our side. If Punktum dk does not know our name servers yet, your registrar can register them when it makes the change.

Prefer to keep DNS at your registrar? Then add individual records there that point to your hosting with us, as described in point a domain at another provider to LJPc hosting. If DNSSEC is active for your .dk domain, have the DS record removed before you switch name servers; what is DNSSEC explains why. After the switch, the new information still needs to spread across the internet, as explained in what is DNS propagation. For other points to watch, such as email hosted elsewhere, read register and link a domain to your hosting.

Transferring a .dk domain to another registrar

You can move your .dk domain to another registrar at any time. You do this with a transfer code, the AuthID.

1. Not sure which registrar holds your domain? Look it up in the Punktum dk domain search. Who manages my domain explains how to find your registrar, DNS provider and hosting.
2. Request the AuthID from your current registrar. If your domain is still managed directly by Punktum dk, generate the code yourself in the Punktum dk self-service portal, under Change to registrar management. A code from the self-service portal is valid for 14 days.
3. Give the code to your new registrar, which handles the rest of the transfer.
4. After the transfer, check that your name servers still point to the right place. With hosting at LJPc these are ns1, ns2 and ns3.ljpc.network, so your website and email keep working.

No AuthID can be generated while an invoice is outstanding or the domain is locked, for example because of a bankruptcy or an estate.

Moving a .dk domain to a new holder

You can transfer your .dk domain to another person or organisation. The new holder accepts the Punktum dk terms, takes over the period already paid for and goes through the identity check. A transfer is not possible while a dispute about the domain is pending, an identity check is in progress, an invoice is outstanding or the domain is suspended. Change the domain owner explains what a change of holder involves.

Who holds a .dk domain?

The Danish Domain Names Act wants everyone to be able to see who is behind a .dk domain. The public WHOIS of Punktum dk therefore shows the holder's name, address and phone number, also for private individuals. Since 1 November 2025 Punktum dk also shows the email address of a business or organisation, so use an address without a personal name for that. The email address of a private individual or sole trader is not shown.

You can only have your address and phone number hidden if the law of the country where you live gives you a right to name and address protection, and you prove this with documents. Manage the WHOIS data of your domain explains what WHOIS data is and how to keep it up to date for your own domains.

Not renewed or cancelled: suspended for 30 days

If a .dk domain is not renewed or the holder cancels it, Punktum dk suspends the domain for 30 days. Your website and email addresses on that domain stop working. During those 30 days you can have the domain restored for a fee. After that, Punktum dk deletes the domain.

If people are on the waiting list for the name, the first person on the list is offered it and has 14 days to register it through a registrar. If nobody on the waiting list wants it, it becomes available to whoever registers it first. How quarantine works for other extensions is explained in expired domain or in quarantine.

The waiting list for a taken .dk name

For a .dk name that is already taken, you can join a waiting list at Punktum dk through the self-service portal. You are added in order of sign-up and pay Punktum dk a yearly fee to keep your place. If the name becomes available and you are at the top, you get a message. For other extensions this is called a backorder, as explained in domain backorder.

Want to connect your .dk domain to hosting at LJPc and need a hand? Create a support ticket and we will help you.