Brexit: Are you or your business eligible to hold a .eu domain as of 1 January 2021?

United KingdomScotland

In March 2018, the European Commission published a Notice to Stakeholders warning of the consequences of the UK leaving the EU to the owners of over 300.000 .eu domain names currently registered to UK nationals or entities.

The UK has now left the EU and is currently in a transition period during which it is treated in many areas as if it was still an EU member state. This period is currently scheduled to end on 31 December 2020 (EU time), so-called ‘Exit Day’. During the transition period, UK organisations, undertakings and UK residents and citizens can continue to hold and register .eu domain names.

However, as of Exit Day, only the following persons, organisations and undertakings are eligible to register and hold .eu domain names:

- an EU citizen, independently of place of residence (note: an EU citizen residing in the UK will remain eligible to hold a .eu domain. It is important that EU citizenship is reflected in the registration data.);

- a natural person who is not an EU citizen and who is a resident of an EU Member State (so, a UK citizen residing in an EU Member State will remain eligible to hold a .eu domain.);

- an undertaking that is established in the EU; or

- an organisation that is established in the EU.

UK undertakings or organisations and UK residents and citizens will no longer be eligible to hold a .eu domain.

EURid has recently published a Brexit note in which it has announced that it will notify existing .eu domain registrants residing in the UK on 1 October 2020 that they will cease to be eligible to own a .eu domain as of 1 January 2021 unless they can demonstrate that they are eligible and update their registration data accordingly and prior to Exit Day.

On 21 December 2020 EURid will send a reminder to those registrants who did not demonstrate their eligibility by updating their registrant details.

Registrants who have failed to demonstrate their compliance with the new criteria will be notified on 1 January 2021 (EU time) that their .eu domain is withdrawn, with the effect that the withdrawn domain will no longer function and can no longer support active services such as websites or email. Withdrawn .eu domain names will be revoked as of 1 January 2022 and will forthwith become available again for registration.

It would be prudent for any UK organisation or undertaking and any UK citizen or resident owning .eu domain names to review their domain name strategy now, to register an alternative domain as a contingency, and to update their registration details (if applicable).