Who can register a .it domain
The .it domain is run by the Registro .it, part of the Institute of Informatics and Telematics of Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) in Pisa. You don’t register directly with the Registry but through an accredited registrar — the provider you buy the domain from.
Under the assignment rules, a .it can be registered by anyone with citizenship, residence or a registered office in a European Economic Area country (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), or in Vatican City, San Marino or Switzerland. People and companies from other countries, including the United Kingdom, cannot hold a .it.
Registration asks for the registrant’s details: for Italian residents the codice fiscale (tax code) or VAT number for companies; for other European countries an ID document or company registration number.
Naming rules
- Length from 3 to 63 characters before “.it”.
- Letters (a–z), digits (0–9) and hyphens are allowed; a name can’t start or end with a hyphen.
- Some accented characters are allowed too (IDN domains), for example
perché.it. It’s still wise to register the unaccented version, which is what most people type. - Some names are reserved: names of regions, provinces and municipalities are kept for those bodies, and other institutional or technical names can’t be assigned.
Upper and lower case are equivalent: MySite.it and mysite.it are the same domain.
How to register, step by step
- Check availability with your provider’s search or the Registro .it WHOIS.
- Choose the registrant carefully. The domain belongs to whoever is listed as registrant: if it’s for a company, register it to the company, not to the consultant or agency doing the paperwork.
- Enter accurate details and an email address you actually read. The Registry and registrar use those contacts for important notices, including transfers and renewals.
- Set working DNS. The Registro .it checks that the name servers respond correctly; if the domain points to unconfigured name servers and the problem isn’t fixed within 30 days, the domain is deleted. If you register domain and hosting together, DNS is set up automatically.
- Turn on auto-renewal and keep your payment method up to date.
Registration lasts one year and renews annually. Pricing is set by each registrar: compare the renewal price, not just the first year.
WHOIS and privacy
When the registrant is a private individual, their personal details are not shown publicly in the Registro .it WHOIS, in line with GDPR. For companies, some organisation details remain visible. Anyone with a legitimate interest — for example in a dispute over the name — can request the data from the Registry under its guidelines.
Transfers and change of registrant
To move a .it from one registrar to another you need the AuthInfo code, a password tied to the domain. Ask your current registrar for it and enter it in the transfer order at the new one. A transfer doesn’t change the owner and doesn’t take the site offline, as long as DNS stays valid.
A change of registrant (for example when you sell a domain or move it from a person to a company) is a separate operation: it also needs the AuthInfo code, which the old registrant gives to the new one. Domains under dispute can’t change registrant while the dispute is open.
Practical tip: keep the AuthInfo code somewhere safe and ask for a new one after every transfer.
What happens at expiry
If the renewal isn’t paid, the registrar starts deletion. For a limited period the domain can still be recovered, usually for an extra fee; after that it becomes free and anyone can register it. Recovery windows and fees depend on the registrar — check its terms and don’t wait until the last day.
Connecting the domain to your hosting
There are two ways to point a .it at your site:
- Change the name servers to your host’s: the provider manages all DNS records (site, email, SSL). This is the simplest option.
- Edit individual records (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX) while keeping DNS where it is, for example if you already use Cloudflare.
Propagation takes from a few minutes to a few hours. Once the domain points to your hosting, the free SSL certificate is issued automatically; then set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for email with our guide.
.it or .com?
If your audience is in Italy, a .it builds trust and signals your market straight away; Google still relies mainly on content, language and hreflang tags to work out who a site is for. For an international audience a .com is more neutral. To protect their brand, many businesses register both and redirect one to the other with a 301.
Frequently asked questions
Can I register a .it domain if I live outside Italy?
Yes, if you have citizenship, residence or a registered office in a European Economic Area country, or in Switzerland, San Marino or Vatican City. It isn’t possible from the United Kingdom or from countries outside Europe.
How long does a .it registration last?
One year, renewable annually. Turn on auto-renewal so you don’t risk losing the domain.
What is the AuthInfo code?
It’s the domain’s password, needed to transfer it to another registrar or to change the registrant. Your current registrar provides it at the registrant’s request.