Transferring a UK domain to Freethought

Unlike other domains, transferring any domain which ends in ".uk" requires that the domain be pushed to Freethought. This means that you need to initiate the transfer via the losing registrar as we aren't able to do it for you as we can with any other type of domain such as those ending in .com for example.

Transferring a UK domain is free and instant, just follow these steps:

1. Login to your account in the customer portal at https://portal.freethought-internet.co.uk or open a new account if you don't have one already.
2. Go to https://portal.freethought-internet.co.uk/cart.php?a=add&domain=transfer
3. Enter in the details of the domain which you want to transfer and follow the order process to completion.
4. Once your order has been submitted, go to your existing registrar and ask them to update the IPS tag to be FREETHOUGHT

As soon as the IPS tag is updated, your domain will be transferred to Freethought instantly and should appear in your account within an hour once our systems update.

How do I update my IPS tag with my current registrar?

Some registrars don't make it easy to update your IPS tag. Here are some links to help articles for popular domain registrars on how to change the IPS tag and transfer your UK domain to Freethought

• 123-reg - https://www.123-reg.co.uk/support/answers/Domain-Transfers/Transfers-Out/how-do-i-change-the-ips-tag-on-my-domain-name-1264/
• GoDaddy - https://uk.godaddy.com/help/transfer-my-domain-away-from-godaddy-3560
• Ionos by 1&1 - https://www.ionos.co.uk/help/domains/transferring-your-domain-away-from-ionos-to-another-provider/transferring-a-uk-domain-from-11-ionos-to-another-provider-changing-the-ips-tag/
• NamesCo - http://www.names.co.uk/support/1153-transferring_a_domain_name_away_from_namesco.html
• Heart Internet - https://www.heartinternet.uk/support/article/how-do-i-transfer-my-uk-domain-name-away-to-a-new-host.html
• TSOHost - https://help.tsohost.com/knowledge-base/article/4820
• FastHosts - https://help.fasthosts.co.uk/app/answers/detail/a_id/559/~/transferring-.uk-domain-names-away-from-fasthosts
• LCN - https://www.lcn.com/support/articles/how-to-transfer-your-domain-name-away-from-us
• UK2 - https://www.uk2.net/knowledgebase/display/UK2/Transferring+a+Domain+Away+from+UK2
• Wix - https://support.wix.com/en/article/transferring-a-couk-domain-away-from-wix
• Google - https://support.google.com/domains/answer/3251178?hl=en-GB

Don't get ripped off!

Transferring a UK domain between registrars should be free in our opinion as there is no cost to the registrar to transfer a domain and it can be done completely automatically without requiring any human intervention, however, some registrars (for example Namesco and Easyspace) like to penalise customers who transfer their domains away by charging them an administration fee.
If you are being charged more than £12 inc VAT to transfer your domain then give us a call on 03300 882130 and we'll talk you through transferring your domain directly with Nominet.
Nominet charges £12 inc VAT to transfer all of the UK domains you own, so even if you are paying less than £12 inc VAT per domain to transfer a single domain, if you are transferring multiple domains it will certainly be cheaper to go via Nominet. Although please remember that forcing a transfer via Nominet will not absolve you of any contractual obligations with your existing registrar.