Moving a .at domain to a new provider: keeping your emails reachable

Who does what for a .at domain

There are three roles for .at domains. nic.at is the registry and the only body in the world that assigns .at domains. However, according to nic.at, it offers neither web space nor name services and is not responsible for email.

A provider supplies the technical services: name servers, web space, hosting, email. A registrar is a provider with its own contract with nic.at. It can make changes to domains directly through an interface. Most businesses have their domain with a registrar, which often also provides hosting and email. But you can also register a .at domain directly with nic.at.

Change of provider or change of owner?

With a change of provider, also called a change of registrar or transfer, the domain stays with the same owner. Only the provider managing it changes. This is the common case when you move your website to a new provider.

With a change of owner, the domain goes to another person or organisation. According to nic.at, for organisations this also includes a change of legal form, for example when a sole trader business becomes a GmbH. The managing registrar handles the change of owner. If the registrar is to change at the same time, the new owner needs the Authinfo. The new registrar then first carries out the transfer and afterwards changes the owner details.

Authinfo and confirmation token

According to nic.at, the Authinfo is a one-time combination of characters assigned to a specific domain that serves as confirmation when changing registrar. You get it from your current registrar, often directly in the customer portal. If the domain is held directly with nic.at, you'll find it in the nic.at customer login. According to nic.at, the current registrar must give you the Authinfo even if invoices are still unpaid.

If the current registrar refuses to hand over the Authinfo, the new registrar can request a confirmation token from nic.at. It is sent by email, is valid for 21 days and can only be used by that registrar. For this to work, your contact details for the domain must be correct.

If you had already cancelled the domain, according to nic.at a completed registrar transfer automatically cancels a cancellation by expiry.

Moving email and website without downtime

The domain transfer itself is done quickly. The real risk lies in the DNS records. They determine where website requests and emails go. If the name server changes along with the domain, all records must already exist with the new provider. Otherwise emails won't arrive or the website won't be reachable.

Every DNS record has a TTL. It determines how long a record may be cached before it is queried again. If you lower the TTL a few days before the switch, changes take effect faster afterwards. By the way, mailboxes don't move automatically. If you change your email provider, you have to transfer the emails yourself.

• A and AAAA records: where the website points.
• MX records: which server accepts your emails.
• TXT records such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC: important so your emails don't end up in spam.
• CNAME records: pointers to other services, for example for booking tools or newsletters.
• Verification records for Google, Microsoft or other services.

Keeping owner details up to date

With the NISG 2026 (Network and Information Systems Security Act), stricter rules for the owner's details have applied since 1 October 2026. According to nic.at, in addition to name, address and email, a phone number is now mandatory. nic.at doesn't ask everyone for proof, only when inconsistencies show up during a check.

You then have 14 days at first and, after a final reminder, another 7 days. If the check still fails after 21 days in total, nic.at puts the domain on serverHold. It is then no longer reachable, not even for email. After that, you have 30 days to provide proof, otherwise the domain is revoked. A switch is a good opportunity to check your details.

Step by step

1. Check the owner details

   Check who the domain is registered to and whether the email address and phone number are correct. Confirmations and, if needed, the token are sent to this email address.

2. Back up the DNS records

   Export or note down all DNS records with your current provider: A, AAAA, MX, TXT and CNAME. Take a screenshot of the complete zone.

3. Lower the TTL

   Reduce the TTL of the important records a few days before the switch. That way, changes take effect faster later on.

4. Prepare the new provider

   Create the DNS zone with all records at the new provider before the transfer starts. Set up mailboxes if your email is moving too.

5. Request the Authinfo

   Request the Authinfo from your current registrar or get it from the customer portal. For domains held directly with nic.at, you'll find it in the customer login.

6. Start the transfer

   Give the Authinfo to the new registrar. It carries out the transfer with nic.at. If the old registrar doesn't hand over the Authinfo, the new one can request a confirmation token.

7. Test

   After the transfer, check the website, receiving email and sending email. Send a test email to an external address and check whether it ends up in spam.

8. Close the old account later

   Only cancel hosting and mailboxes with the old provider once all emails have been transferred and everything runs smoothly.

Common mistakes

• Transferring the domain without first creating the DNS records at the new provider. Email or the website then goes down.
• Forgetting SPF, DKIM or DMARC records. Emails then arrive but end up in spam.
• Having an outdated email address on file for the domain. Confirmations and tokens then go nowhere.
• Assuming a registrar may withhold the Authinfo because of unpaid invoices. According to nic.at, it must hand it over.
• Confusing a change of provider with a change of owner, for example when handing over a business or converting to a GmbH.
• Cancelling the old hosting before all mailboxes have been transferred.

Frequently asked questions