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What Happens to .ee Domains When a Company Closes?

The Estonian Internet Foundation (EIF) works hard to keep the .ee domain registry accurate and up to date. One way we do this is by checking if the Estonian companies that own .ee domains are still active. If a company has been shut down, we try to transfer the domain to someone who still uses it—or we may delete it so someone else can register it.

How Do We Check Company Information?

We built an automatic system that checks every day whether Estonian companies that own .ee domains are still active. This system uses the Estonian commercial register to check the company’s registry number and status. This check only applies to Estonian companies that own .ee domains. It does not apply to foreign companies or to domains using other endings like .com, .eu, .lv, or .fi.

What Happens If a Company Is Closed?

According to the rules for .ee domains, a domain can’t belong to a company that no longer exists. So, if we find that a company is closed, we start the process to delete its domain. We always let the domain owner know.

The deletion process takes 45 days. During the last 30 days, the domain will stop working online. This means the company’s website won’t be visible, and customers or partners won’t be able to visit it. At the end of the process, the domain is put up for public auction on our Auction Portal. Anyone around the world can bid for it. If nobody wins the auction, the domain becomes available for anyone to register on a first-come, first-served basis.

What Can the Domain Owner Do?

Before we delete a domain, we give the owner a chance to transfer it to someone else who still needs it. This could be the company’s owner, CEO, or another person involved with the company.

To do this, the domain owner must contact their registrar (the company that manages the domain) and send proof that the domain is still being used—like an invoice or proof it’s being used for email. If you're not sure who your registrar is, you can look it up on the internet.ee website.

What If the Company Was Deleted Because of a Missing Report?

Sometimes a company is removed from the commercial register in Estonia because it didn’t file its yearly financial report. If that’s the case, we still begin the domain deletion process. But if the report is submitted before the 45-day process ends, we will stop the deletion. If the report is sent in after the 45 days, the domain cannot be saved, even if it’s submitted right after deletion.

Don’t Lose Your .ee Domain!

The best way to keep your domain safe is to check your contact info and transfer the domain to the real user before there’s a problem.

If you get a warning about your domain, act quickly! Waiting too long might mean it’s too late, and you could lose the domain. You can also sign up for alerts in the .ee auction system to know if a domain with your company name is going to auction.

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