A new domain transfer process is among the changes.
Nominet, the organization that manages the United Kingdom’s .uk namespace, has announced what it calls the most significant changes to the operation of the .UK registry since it began managing the zone 30 years ago.
Last week Nominet set February 9, 2027, as the target date to implement its “.UK Standardization” project. The initiative aims to align .uk policies and processes with common practices used across many top-level domains, improving consistency and simplifying domain management for registrars and registrants.
One of the most notable changes for domain holders is a switch from a push-based transfer system to a pull-based transfer system for inter-registrar transfers. Under the current push model, transfers are initiated by the losing registrar; after standardization, the transfer process will begin at the gaining registrar, matching the approach used by most other top-level domains.
With the move to a pull system, registrars will be given the option to add an additional year of registration at the time a domain is transferred, for an extra fee, or to accept transfers that do not extend the registration period. This mirrors common industry practice and gives registrars flexible choices to accommodate different business models and customer preferences.
The project also introduces changes to the domain expiration and deletion cycle. Today, domains under .uk typically go to auto-delete during the expiration cycle, in contrast to the auto-renew behavior used by most other top-level domains. Following standardization, registrars will be able to choose between auto-delete and auto-renew behavior for expiring domains, enabling them to align .uk renewal handling with their existing policies and reduce the risk of unintended loss of registrations.
Overall, the .UK Standardization project is designed to reduce friction in registry operations, create greater alignment with global domain practices, and provide registrars and registrants with clearer, more consistent options for transfers and renewals. Nominet’s implementation timeline gives the industry time to prepare processes, update systems, and communicate changes to customers ahead of the February 2027 transition.