At one time or another, you may have wondered, “why is my domain name taking so long to be registered?”. The answer is that not all domains are registered the same. Every domain is owned and operated by its Registry. Every domain is a unique brand and therefore has its own requirements and processes for registration so there are different time phrases for the question of how does long it takes to register a domain.
The Domain Registration Process: How Long Does It Take to Register A Domain?
Step 1: Registration requirements
Some domains are easier to register than others. While many domains are unrestricted and open to all to register, others are held to a stricter standard. There are verified domains that require documents and go through a verification process to make sure the intention of the domain registration aligns with the domain brand’s policies. Some Country Code domains require a local presence or proof of business registration in order to register a domain name in that country.
Step 2: Check requirements
When a domain is registered it goes through our team of domain service specialists who make sure all registration requirements are met and all necessary documents submitted. When everything is in order, it is passed along to the Registry for activation and release of the domain name.
Step 3: Get with the Registry for approval
This stage is where the answer to how long does it take to register a domain varies the most. A domain registration can take anywhere from 24 hours to 3 months, however, a majority of domains can be registered within a day.
But you may be wondering how it can take up to 3 months to register a domain name. All of these extreme instances involve Country Code domains which are often times regulated by the government, a university or an information technology entity.
For example, .MO domain for Macao in Asia requires: a copy of the organization registration from Macao SAR, business registration, business establishment (M1 form), or sales tax collection notice (M8 form) with company contact information and copy of trademark if applicable, all of which must be physically mailed to the Registry in Macao. Time-frame for .mo domain registration is 3 months.
Step 4: Propagate the domain name
The final step is to push the domain name to the root servers, once this is done your domain name will be live.