Any individual or legal entity, including from outside Andorra, can register a .ad domain. The application is not made to Andorra Telecom, which is the registry operator, but through an accredited registrar, which checks availability, collects the holder’s details and processes the registration. Names are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, with no prior validation.
Who can register a .ad domain
According to the official registry (domini.ad), any individual or legal entity can register a .ad, whether or not resident in Andorra. There is no need to prove any priority or to hold an Andorran trade mark or trade name, and applications are not subject to prior validation. The framework is the General Regulation on the registration of .ad domain names, approved by the Andorran Government on 20 March 2024 (Decree 114/2024) and in force since 22 May 2024.
Some third-party pages still mention earlier requirements, such as having a presence in Andorra or a registered trade mark. These conditions do not appear in the regulation in force. A company in Barcelona or Girona with activity in Andorra, or an Andorran professional, follows the same path.
Requirements for the name
- It can contain letters of the Latin alphabet, digits, hyphens and characters from the IANA IDN table, such as those used in Catalan.
- It cannot start or end with a hyphen, or exceed 63 characters. One- and two-character names are reserved by the registry.
- Andorran geographical names and the names of public institutions cannot be registered, except by the competent authorities or whoever they authorise.
- It must be legitimate, must not harm Andorra’s image and must be used in good faith. Offering third-level domains commercially (customer.example.ad) and registering names in order to resell them are prohibited.
There is no guarantee that you will obtain the name, even if the availability check shows it as free.
Documentation
The texts we consulted do not mention any document that has to be attached. The regulation requires complete and correct contact details for the holder and the administrative contact (name, postal address, email and telephone), which must be kept up to date and are published in the WHOIS/RDAP database. If the holder does not respond for at least fifteen calendar days to update requests, the registry may suspend or cancel the domain. The registrar may have its own conditions in its contract.
Steps to register it
- Check availability in the official WHOIS (whois.nic.ad).
- Choose an accredited registrar from the public list on domini.ad.
- Choose the term: from 1 to 10 years.
- Enter the holder’s details and accept the regulation and the registrar’s contract.
- Pay: the registration is activated when the payment is confirmed or received, depending on the registrar.
- Configure the DNS so that the name points to the website or the email.
Deadlines: activation, term and renewal
Activation is usually a matter of minutes after registration, depending on the registrar, although a new domain may take a while to resolve everywhere.
| Item | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Term | From 1 to 10 years, depending on the option chosen |
| Renewal | Deemed automatic for one year if the registrar does not request deletion; the registrar gives notice with prices and instructions |
| Grace period after registration | 5 days in which the registry refunds the registrar if the operation is cancelled |
| Grace period after an automatic renewal | 45 days, with the same refund |
| Recovery of a deleted domain | A further 30 days, through the registrar’s procedure |
| Change of registrar | With payments up to date; after a change or a contact modification, the domain is locked for 60 days |
Grace periods are between the registry and the registrar: ask yours whether it passes them on to the customer. Domains registered before 22 May 2024 stay in a provisional register until the holder chooses an accredited registrar, at no cost beyond the renewal.
What Hosting Andorra offers
We say it up front: BDR Group is listed on domini.ad as an accredited registrar and, under the Hosting Andorra brand, processes the .ad directly. According to its page, as at 25 October 2026:
- You choose the name and a term of 1 to 5 years, you can add email or hosting, fill in the holder’s details and pay by card or bank transfer.
- The DNS zone is included and managed from the client area. The .ad does not include email.
- The renewal can be cancelled at any time from the client area.
- Current prices, with and without IGI (the Andorran general indirect tax), are on Hosting Andorra’s .ad domain page.
.ad and .es: what changes, and what about .com
| .ad | .es | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can register it | Any individual or legal entity | People or entities with interests or ties to Spain, for example established there or directing their services to it |
| Registry manager | Andorra Telecom, SAU | Red.es |
| Term | 1 to 10 years | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 years |
| If not renewed | Implicit one-year renewal, 45 days’ grace and 30 days’ recovery | Five calendar days not visible on the Internet, then it becomes free |
The .com is a generic domain managed by Verisign, and the IANA entry shows no registration restriction. ICANN’s rules for generic domains require renewal notices and a 30-day redemption period after deletion. For an Andorran company, the .ad requires no prior link; for a Catalan company, the .es remains the natural domain for its market.
What to do now
- Check that the name you want is free and that it does not coincide with reserved names or with a third party’s trade mark.
- Choose a registrar from the official list and look at the renewal price, not only the first year’s.
- Enter a holder’s email that you actually read: renewal notices and update requests will arrive there.
- Note the expiry date and check whether renewal is automatic.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a company in Andorra to register a .ad?
No. The official registry admits any individual or legal entity, including from outside Andorra, and does not ask for an Andorran trade mark or trade name.
How long does it take to become active?
Normally a few minutes after registration, depending on the registrar. If you pay by bank transfer, the registration is activated when the payment is received.
Can I change registrar?
Yes, with payments up to date and no lock in force: after a change of registrar or of contact, the domain is locked for sixty days. The change adds a year to the term, which the new registrar invoices.
Sources
- Andorra Telecom, SAU. Frequently asked questions about the .ad (FAQs). domini.ad. Accessed: 25/10/2026. http://www.domini.ad/en/faqs/
- Andorra Telecom, SAU. I want a .ad. domini.ad. Accessed: 25/10/2026. http://www.domini.ad/en/iwantaad
- Government of Andorra. General Regulation on the registration of .ad domain names, approved by Decree 114/2024 of 20/3/2024, in force since 22/5/2024. BOPA, document GD_2024_03_21_11_26_04; text consulted in the unofficial translation published by domini.ad. Accessed: 25/10/2026. https://www.domini.ad/uploads/Regulations_for_AD_domain_names_registration_1_7a4dc05bbe.pdf
- Andorra Telecom, SAU. List of accredited registrars. domini.ad. Accessed: 25/10/2026. http://www.domini.ad/en/registrars/
- Hosting Andorra. .ad domain. Accessed: 25/10/2026. https://www.hostingandorra.com/domini-ad?language=english
- Red.es. Instrucción del Director General de Red.es sobre dominios ".es" (Instruction of the Director General of Red.es on ".es" domains), 2/1/2010, and regulatory framework of dominios.es. Accessed: 25/10/2026. https://www.dominios.es/es/sobre-dominios/normativa/instruccion-director-general-red
- IANA. Delegation record for .COM. Accessed: 25/10/2026. https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/com.html
- ICANN. Expired Registration Recovery Policy (version of 21/2/2024). Accessed: 25/10/2026. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/errp-2024-02-21-en
- WIPO. WIPO Domain Name Dispute Resolution Service for .AD. Accessed: 25/10/2026. https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/cctld/ad/index.html
Want to register your .ad?
If you want your .ad domain name, email or hosting, start with the brand’s website: Hosting Andorra, .ad domains. BDR Group’s services are at Services.