Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We have been receiving questions related to domain name registration from all over the world.

To save you (and us) some time, we have answered some of the common questions that were asked from us on this page.

What is the difference between registering a name in the .com domain and the .lk domain?

Domains ending in .com (and some others) can be used by anyone, anywhere in the world.  Domains ending in .lk are meant to identify organisations based in, or doing business in, Sri Lanka.  You can register a name in either of (or both) these domains.

Who runs the .lk domain?

The .lk domain is administered by the LK Domain Registry.

How long does it take to register a domain?

If all the documents are available, the payment is received and there is no problem with the domain name, we expect to register a domain within three working days.  However, if all goes well, we usually register a domain in one working day, though we can't guarantee this.

How much does it cost to register a domain?

Please check our new price list.

I have made a request for registering a .lk domain.  How can I know about the status of the registration process?

You can check the status of the domain at the search facility at our website.  Please note that the actual addition to the database would take some time depending on local working times but they will be processed on a first come first served basis.

Can organisations outside Sri Lanka Register Domains in .lk?

Presently there is no local presence requirement. Therefore, the foreign companies who don't have a local presence can REGISTER their Top Level and corresponding Open Second Level Domains. (either through LK Domain Registry or Agents).

I am not living in Sri Lanka, how can I make payments for a domain name?

Please visit the menu item 'Facts at Glance'.

What are things that are needed for registering a domain name?

We need a letter from the organisation requesting the domain name (not the service provider), the domain registration application/request and of course the payment.  Once all of these are received and if the domain is available and is falls within our guidelines, we will confirm the domain.

Why do you need all sorts of letters and documents when registering domains?

We try our best to do a good job and minimise the problems that might come to some one who has registered a domain name.   We try our best to make sure that once a domain is assigned, it can be used without anyone else claiming that they have a right to that name. 

LK Domain Registry or the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Moratuwa does not want to be legally liable if the domain is disputed.  To indemnify our selves from this legal jumble we ask for a letter from the organisation requesting the domain to confirm to us that they have a right to that name.

How do you decide on whether to accept or reject a domain name?

We have a set of guidelines to decide on whether to accept or reject a domain.  If the domain name requested does not fall within these guidelines, we will reject the domain.

If you think that we have made an error, then you can give further reasons for selecting the domain.  These will be forwarded to a panel who will decide on the merits of the application.  The guidelines have special restrictions on domain names that might be used for 2nd-level domains in the future. These domains are reserved by the LK Domain Registry.

What is this NIC handle thing?

The NIC handle is currently not in use.  This is similar to the NIC handle used by Internic.  It may be implemented in the future and all the contact persons involved with a domain will be getting separate NIC handles from us in the future.  Currently you can leave this blank.  If you have a NIC handle from Internic, you can use it but we would prefer if you could fill in the rest of the contact information also so that it will minimize the amount of errors in looking up the NIC handle from Internic.