Domain auction

• Keep your maintenance contract with your Registrar valid, and renew before the domain expires.
• Keep your details and your notification e-mail address up to date, as this is where the Registry sends its notifications.

You can check your domain’s expiry date in the domain search: domain.hu/domain-search

1. The maintenance contract terminates, typically because the renewal fee has not been paid.
2. If no Registrar records in the Registry Database within 30 days that you have concluded a new maintenance contract for the domain, the Registry withdraws the domain.
3. Withdrawal is followed by a 30-day redemption period: the domain is placed on the public list of domain names in the redemption period. During this period, only the former Registrant, their heir or potential heir, or the actual user as defined in the Domain Registration Policy can apply for it or have it restored.
4. If no one reclaims it during the redemption period, the domain is deleted and placed on the Auction Listing.

Yes, at two stages. Within 30 days of the maintenance contract terminating, you can conclude a new maintenance contract with any Registrar, and the domain will then not be withdrawn. After withdrawal, during the redemption period, you can request restoration of the domain through your Registrar. In this case, a one-time fee and one year of maintenance must be paid. If your Registrar and your details are unchanged and the previous maintenance contract is kept in force, no new application is needed either.

Once the domain is on the Auction Listing, you have no priority as the former Registrant: you can take part in the auction like anyone else, on equal terms.

The Auction Procedure is an electronic sealed-bid procedure. Deleted .hu domain names are placed on the public Auction Listing for 15 days. During this time, anyone eligible to apply for a .hu domain can submit an application for them and place an Auction Bid. Participants cannot see each other’s bids.

The system goes live on 18 November 2026. From that day, every deleted .hu domain name – with a few exceptions (see Topic 2) – is placed on the Auction Listing.

Until now, who got to register a deleted domain was often decided by whose application reached the Registry first. This is known as drop-catching, a widespread practice worldwide. From now on, speed no longer matters: there are 15 days to apply, and if several people apply for the same name, the highest valid Auction Bid decides.

It means that Auction Bids cannot be seen during the procedure. Everyone places their own bid and can only see their own. There is no open competition where participants outbid each other: at the Close of the Auction, the Registry compares the valid bids. “Sealed” therefore refers to how bids are made, not to who can take part: anyone eligible to apply for a .hu domain can participate in the auction.

The opportunity to register the domain name. This in itself does not mean automatic registration: the Registry checks and evaluates the winning Applicant’s application under the Domain Registration Policy, just as for any new domain. The next steps are described in Topic 6.

The aim of the Auction System is to ensure that deleted .hu domain names are registered in a uniform, regulated and transparent way for everyone, under rules published in advance. With a lottery, many would try their luck purely to resell, possibly even under several names. Open bidding, where participants react to each other’s bids, could lead to artificial price inflation. The sealed-bid procedure reduces these risks.

The Registry publishes the Auction Listing on the domain.hu Listings page: domain.hu/domain-announcement. If you are looking for a specific name, the domain search (whois) also shows whether it is on the Auction Listing: domain.hu/domain-search. The search result also shows the deadline for applying for it.

The Auction Listing Period lasts 15 days from the day the domain is placed on the list. During this time, you can submit an application and place an Auction Bid. Deadlines are governed by the times recorded by the Auction Portal.

Almost all of them. A domain name does not go to auction if applying for it through an Auction Procedure is excluded by law, by a final and enforceable decision of a court, authority or notary, or by a decision of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum (ADR Forum). It is also not listed if a post-deletion grace period applies to it, during which only a specific person can apply for it. If such a circumstance comes to light during the Auction Procedure, the procedure is closed, and the applications and bids received are deleted.

The Auction Listing also shows whether the domain had a Declaration of Good Faith during its previous registration. It is worth checking this before you apply: if it did, you may also be asked for such a declaration during evaluation.

No. The Registry must notify Registrants of changes to the Policy 30 days before they take effect, and the letter was this notification. It does not mean that your domain is going to auction: the introduction of the auction does not affect the maintenance of domains that are already registered.

No. Only a domain that has been withdrawn and then deleted can go to auction; for certain withdrawal reasons, deletion is preceded by a 30-day redemption period. How often you use the domain is not in itself a reason for withdrawal. To keep a domain, you need a valid maintenance contract and accurate, up-to-date details; if the domain is delegated, its name servers must also be working.

Anyone who is eligible to apply for a .hu domain name under Section 1.1 of the Domain Registration Policy and has not been excluded from the Auction Procedure by the Registry. The Registry may exclude an Applicant suspected of providing false data or of abusive participation. Anyone who fails to pay the Winning Auction Bid on time may not take part in .hu domain Auction Procedures for one calendar year.

1. Find the name you want on the Auction Listing or in the domain search.
2. Submit an application through a Registrar that accepts auction applications. The Registrar forwards your application to the Registry.
3. The Registry confirms your application by e-mail and sends you a unique link.
4. Use the link to log in to the Auction Portal. If prompted, first confirm your contact data and your declarations – do this even if you don’t want to place a bid. Then, if you wish, you can place an Auction Bid.
5. At the end of the Auction Listing Period, the Registry evaluates the bids and notifies you of the result.

Registrars decide for themselves whether to accept auction applications, so not all of them do. Ask your Registrar whether they accept auction applications. Registrars set their own fees and must inform you of these and of their terms in advance.

The unique link is your access to the Auction Portal; without it, you cannot place an Auction Bid. The Registry sends it to the e-mail address you gave in your application, so use an accurate address that you check regularly. If you accidentally deleted the e-mail, you can ask your Registrar to resend it.

No. You submit the domain application through your Registrar, and this step is final: it cannot be modified or withdrawn during the Auction Listing Period. You place the Auction Bid on the Auction Portal, and you can freely modify or withdraw it until the end of the period.

No. You can submit an application without a bid. If you are the only Applicant, you obtain the opportunity to register even without a bid, and you don’t have to pay any bid amount to the Registry – even if you did place a bid. However, if several people apply for the name and no one places a valid Auction Bid, the applications are deleted and the domain is placed on the Auction Listing for another 15 days.

An Auction Bid must be at least equal to the Minimum Auction Bid. This is the same for every auction, and the Registry publishes the current amount on the Auction Portal; at launch, it is HUF 6,000 (gross). Above this, you can bid any amount rounded to the nearest forint. The Minimum Auction Bid is independent of the domain registration fee.

Yes, as many times as you like until the end of the Auction Listing Period. If you have paid a deposit, modifying or withdrawing your bid may have financial consequences – see Topic 4.

Yes. You submit a separate application and place a separate Auction Bid for each one; the auctions run independently of each other.

No. During the Auction Procedure, the following are not public:

• the fact and number of applications,
• the fact, number and amount of Auction Bids,
• the identity of Applicants.

Only the Applicant’s own Registrar and the Registry know who the Applicant is, and they may not share this with third parties.

No. During the Auction Procedure, neither the fact and number of applications nor the identity of Applicants is public. After the Closure of the Auction Procedure, the Registry publishes the domain name, the amount of the Winning Auction Bid and the date of the Closure of the Auction Procedure, as well as statistics based on these (see Topic 5).

• • Domain registration fee: payable to your Registrar with every application, whether or not you obtain the opportunity to register; the amount and terms vary by Registrar
  • Winning Auction Bid amount: payable to the Registry, only if someone else also applied for the name and your Auction Bid won
  • Annual maintenance fee: payable to your Registrar after registration, as with any domain

  If you are the only Applicant, you don’t pay any bid amount to the Registry.

It depends on the amount of your Auction Bid:

• If your bid stays below the Deposit-Triggering Bid Threshold (HUF 100,000 at launch), you only pay if your bid wins. In this case, the Registry sends you a payment request after the Close of the Auction.
• If your bid reaches or exceeds the threshold, you must pay 10% of the bid as a deposit by bank card during the Auction Listing Period. If your bid wins, you settle the remainder based on the payment request.

If you are the only Applicant, you don’t pay the Registry anything. You pay the domain registration fee according to your Registrar’s terms. The details are given in the questions below and in Topic 6.

The deposit guarantees that the Applicant is serious about their bid. If your Auction Bid reaches or exceeds the Deposit-Triggering Bid Threshold, you must pay 10% of your bid as a deposit during the Auction Listing Period. The threshold is the same for every auction, and the Registry publishes the current amount on the Auction Portal; at launch, it is HUF 100,000.

Such a bid is only valid if the deposit is received by the Close of the Auction. The deposit can only be paid by bank card, on the Auction Portal.

No, it counts towards your Auction Bid. Example: for an Auction Bid of HUF 100,000, you pay a deposit of HUF 10,000. If your bid wins, you only need to pay the remaining HUF 90,000. If it doesn’t win, you get the deposit back.

You must top up the deposit to 10% of the new bid, based on the Registry’s payment request, by the Close of the Auction. A top-up is only required if the additional deposit due exceeds the Minimum Auction Bid; for smaller increases, you don’t need to top up.

The deposit you have already paid stays with the Registry, even if the lowered bid no longer reaches the threshold. The Registry settles the difference after the Close of the Auction.

Yes. The refund is made in a single payment after the Close of the Auction; you don’t need to do anything. If you withdrew your bid and didn’t place a new one, the Registry deducts an administration fee equal to the Minimum Auction Bid from the refund. If you withdrew your bid and then placed a new one, this doesn’t count as a withdrawal, and you get the full deposit back.

If you were the only Applicant, you also get back any deposit you paid.

Based on the Registry’s payment request. If you didn’t have to pay a deposit, you pay the full amount; if you did, you pay the remainder. You can pay by bank card or by bank transfer; for bank transfers, the Registry may charge an administration fee. It’s worth paying as soon as possible: no more than 15 days may pass between the Close of the Auction and conditional registration, and this includes both payment and evaluation.

Yes. After the Closure of the Auction Procedure, the Registry sends you a VAT invoice for the Winning Auction Bid. Auction Bids are gross amounts.

The Auction closes at the end of the 15-day Auction Listing Period; after this, no more Auction Bids can be placed. The Registry determines the result and notifies the Applicants of the result and the next steps.

1. No application received: The domain becomes freely available for registration in the usual way.
2. One application received: The Applicant obtains the opportunity to register for 15 days, without paying any bid amount.
3. Several applications received, but no valid Auction Bid: The applications are deleted, and the domain is placed on the Auction Listing for another 15 days.
4. Several applications received, with at least one valid Auction Bid: The Applicant with the highest valid Auction Bid obtains the opportunity to register for 15 days.

If it reaches the Minimum Auction Bid, and, if it reaches or exceeds the Deposit-Triggering Bid Threshold, the deposit has been received by the Close of the Auction. If the auction is repeated because the previous winner failed to pay, a bid of any amount is only valid if the deposit has been paid. Withdrawn bids are not included in the evaluation.

This is a tie. In this case, the Applicant who placed the valid Auction Bid of that amount earlier wins. What counts is the time of the last valid bid: if you modify your bid, the time of the modification applies. So it’s best not to leave bidding until the last minute.

If the Auction Procedure ends with the domain being registered, the Registry publishes the domain name, the amount of the Winning Auction Bid and the date of the Closure of the Auction Procedure, as well as statistics based on these. The identity of Applicants and the other Auction Bids are not made public, even after closure.

Winning the auction does not mean that the domain is registered immediately and automatically. The steps are:

1. Payment: if you didn’t have to pay a deposit, the Registry sends you a payment request, and evaluation starts after payment. If you paid a deposit, evaluation starts straight away, and you must settle the remaining amount before conditional registration.
2. Evaluation: the Registry checks and evaluates your application under the Domain Registration Policy, just as for any new domain.
3. Conditional registration: after a positive evaluation and payment on time, the domain becomes conditionally registered. No more than 15 days may pass between the Close of the Auction and this point.
4. Public notice: the Registry publishes the conditionally registered domain for 8 days.
5. Registration: if no complaint is filed against the application within these 8 days, the domain is registered.

Yes, if the technical requirements are met: a conditionally registered domain can also be delegated, so it can be put into use technically. However, the registration only becomes final after the public notice period. While the domain is conditionally registered, it cannot be traded and you cannot change Registrar.

The Registry may request supplementation, for example a Declaration of Good Faith. You must complete the supplementation in time for the Registry to re-evaluate the application within 15 days of the Close of the Auction; otherwise, the application is rejected. Supplementation cannot change the identity of the Applicant. After registration, the domain can be traded in the usual way.

If conditional registration does not take place within 15 days of the Close of the Auction, for example because payment, supplementation or evaluation has not been completed, your application is deleted and the auction for the domain restarts. This does not happen if a remedy procedure is pending in the meantime.

An application may be rejected if the Applicant or the application does not comply with the Domain Registration Policy or the Domain Auction Procedure Rules. In this case, the auction for the domain restarts, and the financial settlement is as follows:

• if you paid the full Winning Auction Bid, you get 90% of it back;
• if you only paid the deposit, you have no further payment obligation, but you do not get the deposit back.

You can challenge the decision by requesting a Domain Arbitration Procedure from the Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum within 14 days of the rejection. If you initiate such a remedy, any new Auction Procedure started for the same domain is suspended for its duration.

The domain will not be registered, and there are serious consequences:

• you lose the right to take part in .hu domain Auction Procedures for one calendar year;
• your details cannot be given as contact data in any other auction application;
• you do not get back the deposit you paid;
• the auction for the domain restarts, and in the new round every Auction Bid requires a deposit, regardless of the amount.

Only place an Auction Bid if you are serious about it.

During the Auction Listing Period, ADR Forum proceedings are not yet available. However, during the 8-day public notice following conditional registration – just as for any new domain – a complaint can be filed through the Centralised Complaint Management System (EPR), and a Domain Arbitration Procedure may be initiated. If the Complainant wins the procedure, they obtain the opportunity to register, your application is deleted, and you get back 90% of the Winning Auction Bid you paid. If you only paid a deposit, you do not get it back. If a complaint is received, you must respond within 8 days of its delivery; if you fail to do so, your application is deleted. For details, see the Complaints and Dispute Resolution page on domain.hu.

Yes. When an auction restarts, all previous applications are deleted and the domain returns to the Auction Listing for a new 15-day period. If you want to take part again, you need to submit a new application, and the domain registration fee may also apply again.