To transfer a domain name, unlock it at the registrar that holds it now, copy its transfer code (the EPP or auth code), start the transfer at the new registrar and approve it. It takes five to seven days, adds a year to the registration, and your website stays online throughout.
If your WordPress site runs on InstaWP’s managed WordPress hosting, the domain can sit in the same dashboard: transfer it into InstaWP with its code, or unlock it and take the code to any other registrar. Both flows are below, after the checks that decide whether a transfer goes through.
- A domain can move to a new registrar once it is 60 days past its registration or last transfer, the registrar lock is off, and you have the transfer code.
- Your current registrar must give you the code within five calendar days. Paste it, never retype it: it is case sensitive.
- Expect five to seven days. If you ignore the old registrar’s “confirm transfer” notice, the transfer is approved after five days, not cancelled.
- Into InstaWP: Domains, Add Domain, Transfer domain to InstaWP, paste the code, pay the one-year transfer price. A failed transfer is refunded automatically.
- Out of InstaWP: open the domain’s Summary, switch off Domain lock, click Get Code, then pay at the new registrar. The domain then shows as Transferred Out.
- Copy every DNS record (MX and TXT above all) before you change nameservers. That one step is what keeps email working.
Table of Contents
What Is a Domain Transfer?
A domain transfer moves a domain’s registration from one registrar to another. It changes who bills you for the name and where you manage it. It does not move your website files or your hosting, and while it is pending your DNS keeps working exactly as before.

Three different jobs get called a domain transfer. Only the first needs a transfer code.
Only moving hosting? Skip to transferring a domain from one host to another; the registration can stay where it is.
What Should You Check Before You Transfer a Domain?
Check eight things before you pay for a transfer: the 60-day locks, the registrar lock, the transfer code, the registrant email, WHOIS privacy, the expiry status, and where your DNS is hosted. Most failed transfers come from the first three. The DNS item is the one that breaks email when it is skipped.
Can My Domain Be Transferred?
A domain can be transferred if it was registered or last transferred more than 60 days ago, is not locked, is not expired, and you hold a valid transfer code. These rules come from the ICANN Transfer Policy, which binds every registrar accredited for generic extensions such as .com, .net and .org. Country-code extensions such as .uk, .de and .in follow their own registry rules, so check yours before you start.
Can You Transfer a Domain Before 60 Days?
Usually not. Your registrar may refuse a transfer within 60 days of the domain’s creation date or its last transfer, and most do. The 60-day lock after a change of registrant is different: it is mandatory unless you opted out before the change. If you only need the site on a new host, change nameservers instead; that needs no transfer and no waiting period.
Is the 60-Day Transfer Lock Changing to 30 Days?
Not yet. ICANN’s GNSO Council approved the final recommendations of its Transfer Policy Review in March 2025, but as of 9 October 2026 ICANN has not set a date when registrars must apply them.
Source: the GNSO Council recommendations report to the ICANN Board (March 2025), recommendations 3, 9, 18 and 26.
How to Check if Your Domain Is Locked
Search the domain at lookup.icann.org and read its status lines. Each is a standard EPP status code.
We checked the public RDAP records of 50 well-known domains on 9 October 2026. Of the 48 that returned a record, all 48 were locked against transfer: 47 had the registrar lock and 29 also had the registry lock. Assume yours is locked until you unlock it.

How to Get Your Domain Transfer Code (EPP Code)
Request it from your current registrar, usually under the domain’s Transfer or Security settings; it is shown on screen or emailed to the registrant. The ICANN Transfer Policy gives the registrar five calendar days to provide it, so quote that rule if support stalls. Anyone holding the code can start a transfer, so treat it like a password.

How to Transfer a Domain Name, Step by Step
Every registrar transfer for a generic extension runs the same five steps. Only the button labels change between registrars.
- Unlock the domain at the current registrar.
- Get the transfer code from the current registrar.
- Start the transfer at the new registrar: enter the domain, paste the code, confirm the registrant details and pay. The price normally includes a one-year renewal.
- Approve any confirmation email the new registrar sends.
- Wait up to five days for the old registrar to release the domain. If nobody objects, it is approved automatically.
How Do You Transfer a Domain to InstaWP?
To transfer a domain to InstaWP, open Domains, click Add Domain, choose Transfer domain to InstaWP, paste the transfer code from your current registrar and pay the one-year transfer price. The domain then shows transfer in progress for up to five to seven days and turns Active when your old registrar releases it.
This puts the registration next to your sites on managed WordPress hosting. Once it lands, the InstaWP Domains feature handles the rest from one screen:
- Link Site: linking the domain to a site writes the DNS record and issues the SSL certificate.
- Managed DNS: nine record types, including MX for email and a Redirect record.
- Renewals and contacts: auto-renew, domain lock, WHOIS privacy and one bill with your hosting.
Step 1: Open the Transfer Dialog
Log in to InstaWP, click Domains in the left sidebar, click Add Domain in the top right and choose Transfer domain to InstaWP.

Searched for the domain under Buy Domain first? Because it is already registered, the result shows “This domain is already registered elsewhere” with a Transfer it instead link that opens the same dialog.

Step 2: Check Eligibility and Enter the Auth Code
Confirm the domain and click Check. InstaWP checks it against the registry and shows:
- Eligibility and price: a green “Eligible for transfer” card with the one-year transfer price.
- Auth code: paste the EPP code from your current registrar and click Verify.
- Registrar lock: if the domain is still locked, a red warning appears. Unlock it at your current registrar, then click Refresh.

Once the code verifies and the lock is clear, click Continue.
Step 3: Confirm the Registrant Contact Details
Review the registrant name, email, phone and address. They become the domain’s WHOIS contact record, and that email receives the transfer messages.

Step 4: Check Out
Review the total, tick the box acknowledging the transfer charge, and pay by card or account credit. The fee includes a one-year renewal at InstaWP’s price. For .com and other generic extensions, that year is added on top of your current expiry date, so time you already paid for is kept.
Step 5: Approve the Transfer and Track It
Watch the registrant inbox. Approve any authorisation request you receive; it can speed the transfer up. Leave the old registrar’s notice alone unless you want to accept the release early.

In the Domains list the domain reads transfer in progress. When the old registrar releases it, it flips to Active, and its domain summary, DNS and nameservers become editable. Nothing changes at the DNS level until then, so the site stays online. The full walkthrough is in the transfer a domain to InstaWP documentation.

How Do You Transfer a Domain Out of InstaWP?
To transfer a domain out of InstaWP, open the domain’s Summary page, switch Domain lock off in the Transfer section, click Get Code next to Authorization code, and give that code to the registrar you are moving to. You start and pay for the transfer there; InstaWP releases the domain and marks it Transferred Out when it completes.
You get the code yourself from the dashboard, without opening a support ticket, and you pay only at the new registrar.
Step 1: Unlock the Domain in InstaWP
Click Domains, then the domain name to open its Summary page. In the Transfer section, switch Domain lock off. A “Domain Unlocked” confirmation appears. The lock exists to stop unauthorised transfers, so leave it on until you are ready to move.

Step 2: Get the Authorization Code
Click Get Code next to Authorization code. A window titled “Use this code to transfer your domain to another registrar” shows the code with a warning: “Keep this code secure. Anyone with this code can transfer your domain.” Copy it, close the window, and send it only to the registrar you are moving to.

Step 3: Start the Transfer at the New Registrar
Everything else happens at the receiving registrar: enter the domain, paste the code, confirm the registrant details and pay its transfer price. InstaWP shows no checkout for an outbound transfer, because you are not buying anything from InstaWP.
Some registrars need the domain on their DNS before they accept it. Cloudflare Registrar, for example, requires the domain to be added to Cloudflare and its nameservers switched to Cloudflare first, with DNSSEC turned off. If your domain uses InstaWP nameservers, copy every record from InstaWP’s DNS tab into the new provider before you switch, or your site and email stop resolving.
Step 4: Track It Until It Shows Transferred Out
Transfers out take five to seven days and the domain stays active on InstaWP until then. To check progress, open the More actions menu on the domain in the Domains list and click Refresh domain status. When the move completes, the status changes from Active to Transferred Out and InstaWP emails you to confirm.

From then on, as the domain summary documentation explains, billing stops: auto-renewal is switched off and the renewal subscription is cancelled. Unused prepaid time is not refunded, because the new registrar adds a year. Delete is the only action left, and it removes the domain, its site links and its DNS records from InstaWP without touching the domain at the new registrar.
Transfer In vs Transfer Out: What Changes?
The rules are the same both ways. What changes is where you click, where you pay and what the Domains list shows.
How Long Does It Take to Transfer a Domain?
A domain transfer takes five to seven days. Most of that is the five calendar days the old registrar has to respond. If the old registrar lets you approve the release early, it can finish in a day or two.
Two emails can arrive during the wait. A confirmation request from the new registrar must be approved, or the transfer may never start; not every registrar sends one. A notice from the old registrar lets you reject a transfer you did not ask for; if you ignore it, the transfer goes through after five days.
How to Transfer a Domain to Someone Else
To transfer domain ownership to someone else, either change the registrant contact details to theirs, push the domain into their account at the same registrar, or give them the transfer code so they can move it to their own registrar. Only the last is a registrar transfer.
For a domain registered on InstaWP, the first route is updating the domain contact details, and the third is the transfer-out flow above: unlock, Get Code, send the code to the new owner. Agencies handing a finished site to a client usually do it in this order: move the registration, set the client as registrant, then point DNS at the long-term host. Mapping domains for WaaS sites covers the same handover across many client sites.
- Get paid first. Anyone with the transfer code can move the domain, so for a sale between strangers, use escrow.
- Change the registrant email too. If it stays yours, renewal notices never reach the new owner.
- Decide on the 60-day opt-out before the registrant change. It cannot be chosen afterwards.
- Doing both a registrar move and an owner change? Move the registrar first, so the owner-change lock does not block it.
How to Transfer a Domain From One Host to Another
Moving a domain to a new host needs no domain transfer. Change the nameservers to the new host’s to move the whole domain, or change one A or CNAME record to move one hostname. The registration stays where it is, no code is involved, and the change takes minutes to 48 hours to propagate.



Moving to InstaWP without moving the registration? Map Domain points a domain you keep elsewhere at your site with CNAME records (ALIAS or ANAME at the root if your DNS host does not allow a CNAME there), on the Starter plan or above; our guide to mapping a WordPress domain lists the records. Connect Domain moves only the DNS to InstaWP nameservers. Connecting a domain to WordPress compares the three methods, and the steps are in the update nameservers and DNS records documentation.
Move the site before you repoint anything:
- Copy the site to the new host and test it on a temporary URL. On InstaWP, migrating a WordPress site is free on every plan.
- Lower the DNS TTL to 300 seconds a day before the switch.
- Save every existing record, especially MX, TXT and SPF.
- Repoint the nameservers or the A or CNAME record.
- Confirm HTTPS loads with the new SSL certificate, and keep the old host running for a week.
Changing the address as well as the host is a separate job: see changing a WordPress domain name safely. If the domain stops resolving after the switch, the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN guide covers the usual causes, and the Wix to WordPress migration guide covers leaving a site builder.
Why Do Domain Transfers Fail?
Most failed transfers trace back to one of six causes: a lock, a wrong or expired code, the 60-day rule, an unanswered confirmation request, WHOIS privacy blocking verification, or a registrar objection. Each has a fix.
If a registrar refuses to release a domain you are entitled to move, ICANN’s FAQs for registrants on transferring your domain name explain how to escalate. On InstaWP, a failed inbound transfer is refunded automatically.
What Should You Do After a Domain Transfer?
Run five checks the day a transfer completes. They catch the problem that otherwise shows up a year later: a domain that expires because auto-renewal did not carry over.
- Turn auto-renewal on at the new registrar (on InstaWP, auto-renewal is on the domain Summary).
- Turn the registrar lock and WHOIS privacy back on.
- Compare DNS records against the list you saved, MX, TXT and SPF first.
- Confirm the new expiry date includes the added year.
- Delete the old entry only after DNS is confirmed at its new home (on InstaWP, Delete also removes the domain’s DNS records here).


Registering a new name instead of moving one? Our guide to buying a domain and launching a WordPress site on it covers the whole path, the register a domain documentation has the dashboard steps, and Domains on InstaWP explains how the feature fits together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I transfer a domain to another registrar?
Unlock the domain at your current registrar, request the transfer (EPP) code, then start a transfer at the new registrar, paste the code and pay. Approve any confirmation email. The transfer completes within five to seven days and adds a year to the registration.
How long does it take to transfer a domain?
Five to seven days. The old registrar has five calendar days to respond, and if it does not object the transfer is approved automatically. If the old registrar lets you approve the release early, it can finish within a day or two.
How do I transfer my domain to InstaWP?
In InstaWP, go to Domains, click Add Domain and choose Transfer domain to InstaWP. Enter the domain, click Check, paste the auth code from your current registrar and click Verify, confirm the registrant details, and pay the one-year transfer price. It completes in up to five to seven days, and a failed transfer is refunded automatically.
How do I transfer a domain out of InstaWP?
Open the domain’s Summary page in InstaWP, switch Domain lock off in the Transfer section, click Get Code next to Authorization code and copy the code. Start the transfer at the new registrar with that code and pay there. When it completes, the domain shows Transferred Out and its InstaWP renewal is cancelled.
Where do I find the EPP code for a domain registered on InstaWP?
On the domain’s Summary page, in the Transfer section. Turn Domain lock off first, then click Get Code next to Authorization code. Keep the code private: anyone who has it can start a transfer of your domain.
Will my website go down during a domain transfer?
No. A transfer moves the registration only, and DNS keeps resolving while it is pending, so your site and email stay up. Downtime only becomes a risk if you change nameservers without first recreating your DNS records at the new provider.
Can I transfer a domain before 60 days?
Usually not. Under the ICANN Transfer Policy a registrar may refuse a transfer within 60 days of registration or of the last transfer, and a change of registrant can trigger a 60-day lock unless you opted out first. An approved reform cuts the lock to 30 days but has no start date yet.
How do I transfer domain ownership to someone else?
Change the registrant contact details to the new owner, push the domain into their account if you share a registrar, or unlock it and give them the transfer code so they can move it to their own registrar. Make sure the registrant email ends up as theirs.
How do I transfer a domain from one host to another?
You do not need a domain transfer. Change the nameservers to the new host’s, or change the A or CNAME record for the hostname. Copy every DNS record first, especially MX records for email.
Do I lose the time left on my registration when I transfer?
No. For .com and other generic extensions the new registrar adds one year on top of your current expiry date. When you transfer out of InstaWP, unused prepaid renewal time is not refunded, because the new registrar adds that year.
How much does it cost to transfer a domain?
Usually about one year of registration for that extension, because a transfer includes a one-year renewal. InstaWP shows the one-year transfer price before you pay. When you transfer out of InstaWP, you pay the new registrar’s price there.
How do I find out which registrar my domain is with?
Search the domain at lookup.icann.org. The result shows the current registrar, the creation and expiry dates, and status codes such as clientTransferProhibited, which means the domain is locked.
Check the 60-day locks, unlock the domain, get the code and copy your DNS records, then allow five to seven days. Into InstaWP: Add Domain, Transfer domain to InstaWP, paste the code, pay. Out of InstaWP: Summary, Domain lock off, Get Code, then pay at the new registrar. Only changing hosts? Change nameservers or one record, no transfer needed.