To transfer a domain to GazduireOnline.ro you need three things: the domain unlocked, its authorization (EPP) code, and access to the holder's e-mail address. Below are the steps for .com and .ro, the rules that matter, and how to keep your website and e-mail online throughout the transfer.
A transfer doesn't change your website address or its content. All that changes is the company you manage the domain through (the registrar). If you prepare properly, your visitors won't notice anything.
Before you start: the 5-minute checks
- The holder's e-mail address works. The authorization code and transfer notices are sent there. If it's an old address you no longer read, update it at your current registrar first.
- The domain isn't brand new and hasn't been transferred recently. For .com there are 60-day lock periods (details below).
- The domain doesn't expire in the next few days. A transfer can take several days. If it expires tomorrow, it's safer to renew it first.
- You know where your DNS is hosted. Check which nameservers the domain uses. If they belong to your current registrar, write down all your DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) before the transfer.
Transferring a .com domain (and other generic extensions)
.com, .net, .org and the other generic extensions follow ICANN's Transfer Policy, so the steps are the same at almost every registrar.
Step 1: unlock the domain
In your current registrar account, find the "Domain lock", "Transfer lock" or "Registrar lock" setting and switch it off. While the domain is locked, the transfer is rejected automatically.
Step 2: get the authorization code
It's called the EPP code, the Auth Code or, in newer ICANN documents, the TAC (Transfer Authorization Code). Your registrar has to give it to you, and it may not refuse just because you're in a payment dispute. You usually generate it in the control panel or receive it by e-mail.
Step 3: order the transfer with us
On the Domain transfer page, enter the domain name and the authorization code, then pay online by card. You'll find the order and the invoice in the client area.
Step 4: confirm and wait
Your old registrar may e-mail you asking you to approve or reject the transfer. If it doesn't respond within 5 calendar days, ICANN's rules say the transfer is approved automatically. It's often done sooner.
What you get, and what restrictions apply
- One extra year. A successful transfer adds a year to your registration, up to a total of 10 years. You don't lose the time you've already paid for.
- A 60-day lock after registration. The registrar may refuse a transfer during the first 60 days after the domain was registered.
- A 60-day lock after a transfer. The same applies during the first 60 days after a previous transfer.
- A lock after a change of holder. If you change the holder's name or organization, the registrar normally applies a 60-day lock, unless you opted out before the change.
- The holder approves. The authorisation code and the transfer notices go to the domain holder, so their e-mail address must be correct and working.
What's next at ICANN. In 2025, the ICANN working group that reviewed the Transfer Policy recommended several changes. They include cutting the post-registration and post-transfer locks from 60 to 30 days and removing the lock after a change of holder. These changes only take effect after an implementation period. At the time of writing (October 2026), the rules above still apply. If you're reading this later, check ICANN's official page.
Transferring a .ro domain
.ro domains are run by RoTLD, and the procedure is a little different. Your current registrar doesn't give you the code: you generate it yourself, directly from the registry.
- Go to rotld.ro, open "Administrare On-Line" under "Domenii .ro", and log in with the domain name and its password.
- Generate the authorization key for a transfer to another registrar.
- RoTLD sends the key automatically to the holder's e-mail address.
- Order the transfer with us on the Domain transfer page and enter the key. With us, a .ro transfer is free and does not change the domain's expiry date.
Lost your admin password? You can reset it on rotld.ro, and the confirmation link goes to the holder's e-mail. If you can't access that e-mail either, RoTLD has a separate "Modificare Adresă E-Mail" (e-mail change) procedure. Sort this out before the transfer, because it can take a while.
A few things worth knowing: since 2018, .ro domains have been registered and renewed for periods of 1 to 10 years. Even an expired .ro domain in "pendingDelete" status (90 days before deletion) can still be moved to another registrar. For details, see RoTLD's official procedure.
Keeping DNS working during the transfer
When a site goes down during a transfer, DNS is almost always the cause, not the transfer itself. The basic rule: don't change nameservers at the same time as the transfer.
- If the domain uses your hosting's nameservers (or a separate DNS service), the transfer doesn't touch them. Everything keeps working.
- If it uses your old registrar's free DNS, that DNS may stop when the domain leaves. Copy every DNS record to your hosting's nameservers before the transfer. Wait a day or two, then start the transfer.
- Don't forget e-mail. MX and TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are the ones most often forgotten. Without them, mail stops arriving or lands in spam.
- Move the hosting and the domain one at a time. If you're moving the website too, do one step, check everything works, then do the next.
In short: the checklist
- The holder's e-mail works and you read it.
- More than 60 days have passed since registration or the last transfer (for .com).
- The domain is unlocked and you have the EPP code (for .ro, the key generated on rotld.ro).
- You've written down or moved your DNS records, and you're not changing nameservers during the transfer.
- You've ordered the transfer on the transfer page and approved the e-mails you received.
Stuck at a step? E-mail us at [email protected] or open a ticket in the client area and we'll help.
