Brexit was the first time a whole country left the area of those allowed to register a .eu. The story shows clearly why eligibility rules must be met for the whole life of a domain.

What happened

When the United Kingdom left the European Union, citizens, residents and businesses with only a UK link no longer met the .eu eligibility rules. EURid followed a three-stage timetable:

  • 1 January 2021: around 80,000 non-compliant domains were suspended and stopped working;
  • 1 July 2021: domains that were still non-compliant moved to withdrawn status and could no longer be changed;
  • January 2022: the domains were revoked and released for new registrations.

The full timetable is in EURid’s Brexit notice.

Who was able to keep their domain

Those who still met the rules were able to keep it, for example:

  • a citizen of an EU country living in the UK;
  • a UK company that put the domain in the name of its own office or subsidiary in the EU;
  • a holder who moved to an EU or EEA country and updated the registrant details.

In every case the solution was to update the registrant details before the deadline.

What it teaches us

  1. Eligibility always matters, not just on the day you register.
  2. The right registrant is a stable one: for a business, the company or its EU office, not a person who might move abroad.
  3. Details must be kept up to date: if your seat, company name or citizenship changes, update the registrant contact.

And today?

Since 19 October 2019, EU citizens living outside the Union, including in the UK, can also register a .eu. So an Italian living in London can hold a .eu in their own name.

To check your situation, read the .eu eligibility page or write to us.