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.uk

United Kingdom

Country Code

Overview

Registrations under the United Kingdom's country code were, for most of its history, made at the third level beneath .co.uk rather than directly under .uk. Nominet UK opened direct second-level registration in 2014, and uptake has grown substantially since; the namespace now holds roughly 11 million domains. In contrast to several large European ccTLDs, .uk imposes no local-presence condition and accepts registrants worldwide. The extension was delegated in 1985, placing it among the earliest country codes assigned.

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About .uk

The country-code TLD for the United Kingdom. Historically most registrations were under .co.uk, but direct .uk registrations have grown significantly since 2014.

Intended Use

Websites associated with the United Kingdom.

Registration Restrictions

Open to anyone; no local presence required.

Quick Facts

Registry
Nominet UK
Introduced
1985
Registered Domains
11,000,000
WHOIS Server
whois.nic.uk
DNSSEC
Supported

Similar TLDs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is .uk used for?

The country-code TLD for the United Kingdom. Historically most registrations were under .co.uk, but direct .uk registrations have grown significantly since 2014.

Who can register a .uk domain?

Open to anyone; no local presence required.

Who manages the .uk top-level domain?

The .uk TLD is managed by Nominet UK, which is responsible for the registry operations and maintaining the zone file.