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.hk

This article describes the procedures and requirements of .hk domain names.
Click on the subject below to open the dropdown for more information.

Registration

Successful domain registration via RCP or API requires:

  • two or more nameservers or a nameserver group

Registration of a second level domain like .com.hk is bound to locality and other restrictions. Documentary proof should be submitted to the registry upon request. View the eligibility criteria on the registry's website for all information.

- .com.hk: registrant must be a company

Effective 5 October 2026, the eligibility requirements for .ORG.HK, .組織.HK and .組織.香港 domain registrations will be updated under Registration Policy Version 1.4. Applicants must be an approved not-for-profit organisation in Hong Kong and must provide documentary proof that they fall within one of the following recognised categories:

  • Organisations or trusts registered under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (charitable institutions or trusts of a public character)
  • Registered not-for-profit trade unions or other unions
  • Not-for-profit owners’ corporations
  • Not-for-profit hospitals and nursing homes
  • Childcare centres of a non-profit nature
  • Not-for-profit trade or industry associations or chambers
  • Statutory bodies established by ordinance or gazette notice
  • Government departments of the HKSAR
  • Other reputable not-for-profit organisations accepted by HKIRC, provided they can demonstrate substantive non-profit operations.

 

Required documentation:

Applicants must provide supporting documentation demonstrating their eligibility. Examples include:

  • Tax Exemption Letter issued by the Inland Revenue Department for Section 88 organisations
  • Certificate of Registration for trade unions or other unions
  • Certificate of Registration of an Owners’ Corporation
  • Registration of a hospital or nursing home
  • Certificate of Registration of a Child Care Centre together with a declaration confirming its non-profit nature
  • Business Registration Certificate or Certificate of Incorporation together with the Memorandum and Articles of Association / Articles of Association showing that the company is Limited By Guarantee
  • For statutory bodies, a copy of the relevant ordinance/gazette and a duly signed application letter
  • For HKSAR Government departments, a duly signed application letter with the Government department's chop
  • Other valid documentation proving the organisation's not-for-profit nature and accepted by HKIRC.

 

Existing .ORG.HK, .組織.HK and .組織.香港 domains registered before 5 October 2026 are not affected by these updated eligibility requirements.

Transfer

Successful domain transfer via RCP or API requires:

  • authorization code
  • two or more nameservers or a nameserver group


Additional notes on a .hk transfer

  • After successful initiation of the transfer, the .hk registry holds the request for 3 calendar days. During this period the transfer request can be cancelled. If no cancellation request is received the domain transfer will be finished.
  • If the transfer code (authorization code) is not known by the registrant, it can be requested from here: Request Auth Code. The authcode will be sent directly to the registrant email address associated with the domain name. 
  • If you have lost your account password or Authorization Code and need to apply for a new one, please follow the instructions here.
Authorization code required yes
Method of confirmation authcode
Registration period after transfer unchanged
Average transfer time realltime
Advanced and simple transfers available Contact our Sales department to check if easy transfer of 100 or more .hk domains is available.
Outgoing transfer
  • If the registrant code is not known by the registry, it can be requested from here: Request Auth Code. The authcode will be sent directly to the registrant email address associated with the domain name
  • If you have lost your account password or Authorization Code and need to apply for a new one, please follow the instructions here.
Update

Owner change (trade)

  • requested by filling and signing a trade form, which depends on the type of registrant:
  • The signed form can be sent by fax or e-mail to Openprovider, to support@openprovider.com.
  • The tracking number in the document can be left blank Openprovider will enter it for you.

If Transferor is an Individual, under clauses 20.1 and 20.6 of the HKIRC registration policies, both transferor and transferee must jointly sign a transfer letter or form, and the transferor must provide valid documentary proof. The signature of the current domain holder with ID Certificate copy is required for the same. It is mandatory for the transferee to be fully compliant with the eligibility for relevant .hk domain extension.

For businesses, valid Business Registration Certificate copy is required for transfer.

 

 

 

Other update

  • requested via RCP or API
  • processed in NOT realtime

Nameservers updates can take 2-3 working days because it is a manual work. If it is urgent, please contact Support Team.

Deletion / Restore

Delete

  • Requested via RCP or API
  • processed realtime

 

After the deletion request has been sent to the registry, the domain contacts are notified about this request.

The domain contacts have six days to object against this deletion. After those six days the domain is put into the so-called 'BlackOut' status for a period of 90 days.

Please note : This "BlackOut" status is only visible via the web-based WHOIS.

The domain will be released by the registry after this "BlackOut" Period for registration.

Restore / reactivate

  • Requested via RCP or API
  • quarantine periods can be found under
    Detailed extension information > Technical information > Quarantine period
  • Additional fees apply. 
Detailed extension information
Registry
Technical information
  • Available second level domains: .idv.hk, .com.hk, .net.hk, .org.hk, .edu.hk, .gov.hk
  • DNSSEC support: no
  • Minimum length: 2 characters
  • Maximum length: 63 characters
  • Allowed characters: a-z 0-9 - (hyphens in the middle)
  • IDN characters: yes
  • Registration period: 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 years
  • Renewal date offset: 0 days
    The number of days before the registry's expiration date, that Openprovider requires the domain to be renewed or expired. More info.
    Note that the dates as shown in your Openprovider account are always leading, even if they do not match the renewal date offset mentioned here.
  • Soft quarantine period: 29 days
    During this period, following after an expiration, the domain can be restored for free. This period does not apply if the domain is deleted explicitly. More info.
  • Quarantine period: 60 days
    During this period, an expired or deleted domain name can be reactivated at an additional fee.
Restrictions
  • Local presence required? no
  • Does Openprovider provide local presence services? no
  • Local activity required? no
  • Correct nameserver configuration required? no
  • .hk domains can be registered without limitation; second level domains might require local presence and additional documents.
  • .com.hk: Commercial entities registered in HKSAR
  • .idv.hk: Residents of HKSAR
  • .net.hk: Entities managing network infrastructure, machines and services with a licence from the Office of the Communications Authority of the HKSARG
  • .org.hk: Registered or approved not-for-profit organizations in HKSARG
  • The registry for .hk is HKIRC. Openprovider acts as an accredited registrar of HKIRC. In case the registrant has any comment or complaint about the registrant, the registry's website (www.hkirc.hk) contains information on how to act. For such input, the registry can be contacted at info@hkirc.hk.
Policies
Registration agreement The registry requires that a registration agreement is in place between the provider and the domain holder. The text of this registration agreement and any required supplements is the following:

Due to the regular changes in registry rules and configuration or missing information from registry side, and despite our effort to keep our knowledge base up-to-date, information in the knowledge base may be outdated or incorrect. If you encounter some issue, please report it through the "HotJar" feedback collector on the bottom right, or (if it is blocked by your browser) by clicking the "Submit a request" link below. No rights can be derived from the information in this knowledge base. If there is discrepancy between the knowledge base and the process in Openprovider, the process in Openprovider is leading.

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