.AU domain policies

.AU is the country code TLD (ccTLD) for Australia and is administered by  auDA, the Australian Domain

• Registration 
  • Registration requirements
  • Residency requirements
    • Second-level domain requirements
  • General requirements
• Renewals
• Changes in ownership
• Transfers
  • Cancellation policy
• Complaints handling policy
• Additional resources

Registration

When our system accepts a registration or renewal order, an order number will be generated, then we will send a confirmation notice to your account email address once the non-real-time order has completed, or in case if it gets failed. The newly registered domain might take up to 48 hours to appear in the account. 

API users can track the status of non-real-time orders by using the GetOrderDetail command.

Registration requirements

We support the second-level domains such as: ASN.AU, .COM.AU, .NET.AU, .ID.AU, .ORG.AU.

The domain name length for .AU domains are 2 to 63 characters before the TLD. We do not support IDNs for this TLD.

Additional registration details can be found in the TLD reference chart.

Note: The organization name has to match the ABN ACN information submitted.

Residency requirements

All .AU domains, including secondary TLDs, require an Australian address. 

Secondary level domain requirements

All secondary .AU TLDs domain names must be an exact match, abbreviation, acronym of the Registrant's name or otherwise closely and substantially connected to the Registrant.

General requirements

After completing the registration form, you must submit a few additional information about the Registrant.

Since July 1, 2018, the .AU namespace migrated to a new registry operator, Afilias. So below were the few changes after the maintenance period:

• Registration and transfer orders may now be submitted from one to five years.
• Transfer and trade orders will default to a one-year term.

Note: These requirements apply to all new registrations, transfers in, and contact updates or changes.

Renewals

.AU domains deadline set to 10 days before the expiration date. Before this deadline, automatic and manual renewals are accepted as long as the domain is less than 90 days away from expiry. Domain renewals now default to one year.

The domain will enter into the redemption if it's not renewed by the deadline. Also, the domain name will be removed from the DNS and cannot be updated. The domain will be in redemption for 31 days, so during this period, the domain name can be recovered for an extra fee.

If the domain name is not redeemed within 31 days, it will be removed from our system and no longer be recoverable. It will be purged by the registry during the next purge cycle.

Changes in ownership

On whois, the address and phone number fields may not be visible. The registry's whois will show the business and personal name associated with the ABN (Australia Business Number) in the Australian Government's database, instead of the Organization name, first name, or last name fields.

Ownership changes (trades) are applicable for .ASN.AU, .ORG.AU, .NET.AU, .COM.AU but not .ID.AU.

A trade resets the registration period. The next renewal date will be one year from the trade date. Only changing the ABN, ACN, or trademark number requires a trade.  Other contact details can be updated without a trade. 

To request a trade, submit a verified request with the following statement and information:

I agree to the trade fee equivalent of a 1-year renewal fee. 

Domain Name:
Registrant Name:

Eligibility Name:
Eligibility Type:
Eligibility ID:

We will reply once the trade has been initiated. At that point, the registrants would be able to download the forms to sign:

• Current Owner
• New Owner

Both documents linked below must be filled out, signed, and emailed to au_trades@ispapi.net or print and fax them to +49 6841 6984299. To reduce processing time, please check the documents for accurate information first.

Transfers and cancellations

When the transfer request is submitted, a confirmation email is sent to the email address specified on the transfer form. There will be two days time to approve or reject the request. The registry declines the transfer request if the transfer request is not approved within two days.

There is no charge for .AU transfers unless the domain is going to expire within 90 days, the domain will renew after the domain transfer completes and a charge will be applied.

Cancellation policy0

We do not offer refunds on registrations or renewals of domains, but you may request to cancel the registration at any time by submitting a cancellation request.

 Additional resources

• AuDA help center
• Domain name eligibility
• Mandatory provisions
• Whois policy
• Complaints policy
• Frequently asked questions (auDA Help Center)
• AU Transfer Form (Current Registrant).pdf(2 MB)
• AU Transfer Form (New Registrant).pdf(2 MB)