The .cn extension is China’s country code top-level domain. It was delegated in 1990, and its registry is managed by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC). With several million registered names, it is one of the world’s largest country code top-level domains.

The .cn domain is useful for businesses wishing to reach Chinese customers, suppliers or partners: the local extension signals a commitment to the market and is more familiar to Chinese users than international extensions. Documents must be submitted for registration, so the process takes several days – you’ll find the details below.

.cn domain prices

Extension	Registration	Transfer	Renewal
.cn	€11.00	€9.60	€11.00

Prices are quoted for one year and do not include VAT. The free transfer does not include a renewal; the fee for the paid transfer usually includes a one-year renewal.

How long will it take to be ready?

New domain registration

The registration of .cn domains may take up to 5 working days.

Domain transfer

To perform a .cn domain transfer, a contract signed by the domain owner is required. Once the documents have been submitted, the transfer will be completed within 5–10 working days.

How many characters can it be?

The domain name with the .cn extension must be at least 3 and no more than 63 characters long. A shorter, easy-to-remember name is generally preferable.

Special characters

With the Chinese .cn extension, special characters cannot be used in the domain name.

Restrictions

There are no specific requirements or restrictions regarding the registration of domain names; anyone can register one. .cn domain names are allocated on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.

However, the following documents must be sent to China:

• If the owner is a private individual, they must submit a copy of a form of identification (identity card, passport)
• If the owner is a company based in China or Hong Kong, they must submit a copy of their business licence
• If the owner is a foreign company, it must submit a copy of the certificate of incorporation and a copy of the legal representative’s identity card or passport

Whois privacy

The Whois privacy service is not available for this extension.