Can a foreigner register a .cn domain?

The rules below are drawn from CNNIC's Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration and CNNIC's real-name verification notices, together with the MIIT rules on internet information services (ICP).

Who can hold a .cn domain

There is no nationality bar. Both individuals and organisations, Chinese or foreign, can be the registrant. The gate is identity, not presence.

• An individual verifies with a national ID card (Chinese residents) or a passport (foreign nationals).
• An organisation verifies with a business licence or equivalent registration certificate.

The numbers that bound it

Real-name verification

Every .cn registration must be verified. You submit the identity document through your registrar; CNNIC or the registrar reviews it. An unverified domain is placed on serverHold and does not resolve. Since August 2022 CNNIC also runs random audits of already registered domains, and a domain that fails an audit is put back on serverHold until it re-verifies.

The ICP filing, and why it is separate

Holding the domain and lawfully serving a website from inside China are two different things. To run a site on a server located in mainland China, the site needs an ICP filing (ICP备案) or, for commercial services, an ICP licence, issued under MIIT rules. The filing is tied to a hosting provider inside China and to a domestic entity.

• A purely foreign registrant generally cannot obtain an ICP filing alone.
• The common routes are a Chinese subsidiary or WFOE, or an ICP agent service that files on your behalf against a local partner entity.
• Hosting the same site outside mainland China (Hong Kong, Singapore, elsewhere) avoids the ICP requirement, at a performance cost for mainland visitors and with the risk of the site being filtered.

What the CNNIC rules imply about trustees

The rules do not use the word trustee. They fix the verified registrant as the responsible party.

The verified registrant is the holder

The party whose identity document backs the registration is the registrant of record. If a local agent verifies in its own name, the agent is the holder and you hold a contract with it.

Content responsibility is real

The registrant is responsible for the domain not being used for activities that breach Chinese law. This is enforced more actively than in most registries, which is why some agents are cautious about the names and content they will be associated with.

Most buyers verify in their own name

Because foreign registration is permitted, many buyers pass real-name verification with their own passport or business licence and only use a local partner for the ICP and hosting side. That keeps the domain in your name and limits the trustee-style dependency to hosting.

Transfer and exit

A .cn domain transfers between registrants with an authorisation code and, where the new holder is different, a fresh real-name verification for that holder. An ICP filing does not transfer with the domain; it is re-done by the new hosting arrangement.

How registration works

You apply through a registrar

Registration is registrar-only. CNNIC accredits registrars inside and outside China. First come, first served, with real-name verification as a completion condition rather than an optional step.

Name format

A .cn label is 1 to 63 characters using letters, digits and hyphens, with Chinese-character internationalised domains supported under .中国 and .cn. Some categories, including the .gov.cn and .edu.cn second levels, are restricted to Chinese institutions.

What the public lookup shows

CNNIC's Whois shows the registrant name and, for organisations, the organisation name; personal contact data is redacted in line with Chinese personal-information law. The real-name verification data sits with CNNIC and the registrar, not in the public record.

If you want a hosted site: two routes

Set up a Chinese entity

A WFOE or joint venture lets you register, verify and file for ICP directly. It is the full-commitment route for a real China operation.

Use a local agent

Verify the domain in your own name where you can, and use an agent for the ICP filing and mainland hosting. Compare providers that cover .cn.

Frequently asked questions

Last updated September 2026. China's domain and ICP rules are enforced administratively and change without much notice. If you spot something out of date, email [email protected].