When Do .nl Domains Drop? Expiration & Deletion Timeline
A .nl domain takes about 40 days to drop after it expires, moving through SIDN's expiration and deletion stages before the name is released.
.nl Expiration Timeline
- 1
Expiry
Registration ends
- 2
Grace Period (40d)
SIDN allows renewal without a redemption fee
- 3
Drop
Deleted from the registry, open for new registration
Total time from expiry to drop: 40 days.
About the SIDN lifecycle
SIDN, the Dutch registry, skips redemption and pending delete entirely and instead holds an expired .nl domain in a single 40-day quarantine period, after which it drops directly, a simpler one-stage model than any other ccTLD covered here.
Track a .nl domain's drop date
Check a specific .nl domain's current status and estimated drop date, or set up a free alert so you know the moment it moves toward pending delete.
Frequently asked questions
How long after a .nl domain expires before it drops?
A .nl domain generally drops about 40 days after its expiration date: 40 days of grace before deletion. SIDN can vary the exact timing within its published windows.
Can I re-register a .nl domain the day it expires?
No. Expiration only starts the clock. The previous owner (or anyone who pays the redemption fee) can still recover a .nl domain while it is in its recovery window. It is not open for new registration until it is deleted from the SIDN registry, roughly 40 days after expiration in the typical case.
What does the .nl grace period mean?
During the 40-day grace period, the domain still resolves to the old owner's nameservers in most cases, and the registrar can restore it with a simple renewal, no redemption fee required. Once grace ends, recovery gets more expensive or closes entirely, and the domain becomes visible as "expired" to drop-catching tools.
Is .nl different from other TLDs' drop timelines?
SIDN uses a single 40-day quarantine period with no separate redemption or pending-delete phase: the domain simply drops when the quarantine ends.