To register a .com.np domain (डोमेन दर्ता), create an account at register.com.np, verify your email, fill in the application with two working nameservers, and upload scanned documents: a citizenship certificate or other accepted ID for a personal domain, or a company registration certificate and a signed, stamped request letter on letterhead for a business. Registration is free. The registry says approval usually takes three to four business days. Most delays come from rejections, and the registry publishes its fourteen reasons. They are listed below, with a checklist to avoid them.
Everything in this guide was read on the registry's own pages on 5 November 2026. Where the registry's pages contradict each other, I say so instead of guessing which is right.
Who runs .np, and is it still free?
The .np country domain is managed by Mercantile Communications, which is listed as its manager in the IANA root zone database. Applications go through register.com.np. Government domains (.gov.np) are handled separately: the registry points those applicants to the National Information Technology Centre.
Yes, it is still free. The registry's FAQ and terms both say registration costs nothing. You may have read otherwise. In June 2025 the Information Technology and Cyber Security Bill proposed paid .np registration with renewal every two years, and moving management of the domain to the Department of Information Technology. The bill was tabled in August 2025 but lapsed when the House of Representatives was dissolved in September 2025, and I found no report that it has been reintroduced. As of November 2026, no fee is in force. Check again before you rely on that, because a similar bill could return.
Which .np extension should you choose?
| Extension | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| .com.np | Businesses and general use. Open to anyone eligible, but the name must relate to you or your business |
| .org.np | Non-profit organisations |
| .edu.np | Schools, colleges and universities |
| .net.np | Network and portal sites |
| .name.np | Individuals |
| .coop.np | Cooperatives |
| .gov.np / .mil.np | Government bodies and the military, not through the public form |
The registry's own lists are not perfectly consistent. Its extensions page and search bar also offer .info.np, which its formal policy does not list, and its rejection page mentions an ".academy.np" that appears nowhere else. If you need one of those, ask the registry first.
Applying under the wrong extension for your category is one of the published rejection reasons. A school applying for .com.np, or a company for .org.np, will be sent back. If you are still deciding between a .com.np and a .com, I compared them in a separate article.
Who can register?
- Nepali citizens, with an accepted ID.
- Companies, firms and organisations registered in Nepal, with their registration certificate.
- Foreign organisations with an official presence in Nepal, such as a branch, liaison office, joint venture or local agent, and only for names that match their registered company or trade name.
- Foreign individuals with a Nepalese residential visa.
The name itself has rules. A personal domain must match the name on your ID. A business domain must come from the company, brand, product or service name. A domain that is only a surname or a caste name is not allowed, because the registry treats those as belonging to the community. Technically, names must be at least three characters, use only letters, digits and hyphens, and cannot start or end with a hyphen.
Which documents do you need?
Uploads must be image files of no more than 800 KB each, and readable. Blurred documents are a named rejection reason.
For a personal domain
One of: citizenship certificate, passport, driving licence, voter's card, NRN identity card, or residential visa. The name and number must be clearly visible.
For a business or organisation
- A registration certificate: company, firm, partnership or organisation registration.
- A request letter on official letterhead, with the organisation's stamp and an authorised signature.
- For unincorporated businesses: a PAN registration certificate.
- For brands: proof of the trademark, or the Department of Industry filing receipt, with the certificate to follow.
- For foreign organisations: the branch or liaison office certificate, or the Social Welfare Council affiliation certificate.
Step by step
- Search for the name on register.com.np to check that it is free.
- Sign up with an email address and password, then verify the email. Use an address you will keep: renewal notices and verification requests go there.
- Prepare your nameservers. The application asks for nameservers as hostnames, such as
ns1.yourhost.com. An IP address in their place is a rejection reason. Your hosting company or DNS provider gives you these. - Fill in the application: domain, extension, your details, contact email and mobile number, and nameservers. Missing contact details are the first reason on the rejection list.
- Upload your documents, each as a clear image under 800 KB.
- Wait for approval. The FAQ says usually three to four business days, or longer when there is a backlog. The registry policy describes first come, first served processing with a minimum of 24 hours.
- After approval, change DNS only through "Edit DNS" in your dashboard, not by email. The registry processes DNS changes twice a day, and propagation can take 24 to 48 hours.
What should the request letter say?
The registry does not publish a required wording. What it does state is that an organisation's letter must be on letterhead, stamped and signed by an authorised person, and that a letter without those is rejected. From the registry's other requirements, a letter that answers every question the reviewer will ask contains:
- The date, addressed to the .np domain registry, Mercantile Communications.
- The exact domain requested, for example
yourcompany.com.np. - The organisation's full registered name, registration number and address, matching the certificate you upload.
- One sentence on how the domain relates to the organisation's name, brand or service. This pre-empts the "domain doesn't match" rejection.
- The nameservers you entered.
- The name, position and signature of the authorised person, and the organisation's stamp.
Keep it to a few lines. The reviewer is checking that the documents agree with each other, not reading an essay.
The fourteen rejection reasons, grouped
The registry lists these on its rejection page. Grouped by what to check, they come down to four kinds of mistake.
| Problem | Rejection reasons it covers |
|---|---|
| Missing information | No name, email or mobile; required documents missing; no accepted ID; company request without a letter or certificate |
| Documents unreadable | Blurred documents; citizenship details not visible; letter without letterhead, stamp or signature |
| Name does not fit | Surname or caste name only; domain does not match the company, brand or product; personal domain does not match the ID; wrong extension for the category |
| Technical or proof issues | IP address instead of nameservers; extra proof needed for a brand or organisation; general policy mismatch |
Before you submit: a checklist
- The domain matches the name on your ID or certificate, or clearly derives from your brand.
- The extension fits your category.
- Every document is sharp, complete and under 800 KB.
- For a business, the letter is on letterhead, stamped and signed.
- Nameservers are hostnames, not IP addresses, and your host has confirmed them.
- Email and mobile number are filled in and current.
After registration: reverification and expiry
Since December 2024 the registry has been asking existing domain holders to reverify ownership. It says it emailed holders three times, and that unverified domains are "parked" and may be stopped or released. If you registered a .np domain years ago and no longer read the email address on the account, log in and check its status.
On expiry, the registry contradicts itself. Its reverification page says .com.np domains do not expire and need no renewal. Its home page says it has started recording renewal dates and will email the administrator 15 days before a domain expires. Until that is cleared up, the safe assumption is that the account email must be monitored.
Transfers to another person or company need a register.com.np account for the receiver, plus a formal request letter naming both accounts, with ID or registration documents, emailed to the registry's hostmaster address. A domain is deleted only on written request from the original applicant.
After it goes live
A domain is the start of the work, not the end of it. The things that decide whether people find your website are the same whatever the extension: real text in Nepali and English, pages that load quickly on Nepali connections, accurate structured data, and a hosting setup you keep patched. Before you pay a developer, this checklist covers what to confirm.
Questions people ask
Is a .com.np domain free?
Yes, as of November 2026. A 2025 bill proposed fees, but it lapsed and no charge is in force.
How long does .com.np approval take?
The registry's FAQ says usually three to four business days, longer when there is a backlog or documents need checking.
Can a foreigner register a .com.np domain?
Only with a Nepalese residential visa (individuals), or through an official presence in Nepal such as a branch, liaison office, joint venture or registered agent (organisations).
Do I need hosting before applying?
You need nameservers to enter in the form, which in practice means a hosting or DNS provider. The registry does not state whether they must already answer for your domain at the moment you apply.
Why was my .com.np application rejected?
Usually because the name does not match your ID or company, a document is unreadable, a business letter is missing its stamp or signature, or nameservers were entered as IP addresses.
Can I register my surname as a .com.np domain?
Not a surname on its own. A personal domain should match your full name as it appears on your ID.
Sources
- register.com.np: How to register, FAQs, Registry policy, Terms and conditions, Rejection causes, .np extensions, DNS, Reverification, Transfer. All read 5 November 2026.
- IANA, Delegation record for .NP, updated 14 July 2025.
- ICT Frame, Proposed legislation: fees for .np domain registration, 11 March 2024.
- The Kathmandu Post, IT and cybersecurity bill raises free speech concerns, 18 August 2025.
- ekantipur, 30 bills inactive after the dissolution of the House, 18 September 2025.
Featured photo: Dvortygirl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
