Guides

Short, plain guides to the trustee and local-presence arrangements behind restricted country-code domains. Each one links through to the registry explainers where the rules are set out in full.

Start here

What is a trustee serviceThe stand-in company that holds a restricted domain so the registry's local rule is met.Do you own a domain held by a trusteeNobody owns a domain. What the registry records, and what your contract has to carry.

Making the decision

Trustee or a local companyThe faster route against the cleaner one, with a five-year cost view.Leaving a trustee serviceHow to move a domain out of a trustee's name, and what can get in the way.

When you may not need one

Domains an EEA address unlocks.eu, .fr, .it and .hu register directly for anyone established in the EEA.Country domains anyone can registerThe well-known ccTLDs that are genuinely open, and the ones people assume are.

Looking for the rules for a specific extension? Start from the index of restricted country-code domains, or read how the research is done on the methodology page.