Transfer a domain with an auth code: how it works for .ch, .li and .com

To transfer a domain you need the auth code (transfer code) from your current provider. You enter it when ordering the transfer with the new provider. For .ch and .li, the move usually takes a few minutes; for .com it takes up to 5 days. At HostOn, every transfer extends the domain by one year. Website and email keep running without interruption if you first clarify where your DNS records are hosted.

What is the auth code?

The auth code is a password that only applies to one specific domain. Depending on the provider it is called transfer code, EPP code, AuthInfo code or authorisation code. It always means the same thing: a string of letters, digits and often special characters with which you prove to the new registrar that you are entitled to dispose of the domain.

• Treat the code like a password: anyone who knows it can initiate a transfer.
• The code is often only valid for a limited time. So only request it when you are really starting the transfer.
• A transfer is not a change of holder. Afterwards the domain still belongs to the same person or company.

Where do you get the auth code?

The code is always issued by the current registrar, not by SWITCH and not by the new provider. A WHOIS lookup or the domain lookup on nic.ch shows which registrar manages your domain. Swiss providers mainly use these options:

• Self-service in the client area, usually under domain management in an item such as “Transfer”, “Auth code” or “Move domain”.
• Sent by email to the holder’s registered address after you have requested the code in the client area.
• Issued together with the cancellation of the domain or the hosting contract.
• Request by ticket or phone to support if there is no self-service.

According to SWITCH, the registrar is obliged to allow the holder to transfer to another registrar at any time. Outstanding claims under the contract are not affected. If a provider does not respond, a written request with a deadline usually helps. If your web agency registered the domain, first clarify who is entered as the holder.

Before the transfer: clarify DNS and email

Most problems during a transfer are caused not by the transfer itself but by DNS. Domain, DNS and hosting can be with three different providers. So before you start, check which name servers are set for your domain:

Above all, the MX records for email delivery, the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records and verification records for services such as Microsoft 365 or Google matter. Export the zone or take screenshots of all records before you change anything.

Tip: If DNSSEC is active for your domain and you change the name servers, the DNSSEC configuration must be adjusted or temporarily disabled. Otherwise the domain may become unreachable for visitors using validating resolvers. Clarify this with both providers before the transfer.

Step by step: transferring a .ch or .li domain

1. Check with the current registrar whether a transfer lock is active and remove it if necessary.
2. Retrieve or request the auth code.
3. Enter the domain with the new provider and order the transfer.
4. Enter the auth code when ordering.
5. Wait for confirmation: for .ch and .li the transfer is usually completed within a few minutes.
6. Check name servers, DNS records and automatic renewal in the new client area.
7. Only then cancel the old contract if it does not end automatically.

At HostOn, transferring a .ch or .li domain also includes a 1-year extension. It is added to the existing expiry date, so the term you have already paid for is not lost. These extensions have no lock period after registration.

Step by step: transferring a .com domain

1. Check whether the domain is older than the lock period: after a registration or transfer, another .com transfer is not possible for a while, so far 60 days. ICANN has decided to shorten this to 30 days; ask your provider about the current status.
2. Remove the transfer lock (status “clientTransferProhibited”) at the current registrar.
3. Check that the holder’s email address is correct and reachable. Depending on the provider, a WHOIS privacy feature must be switched off temporarily.
4. Request the auth code and order the transfer with the new provider.
5. Watch for confirmation emails. The current registrar can approve or reject the transfer; without a response it is completed automatically after 5 days at the latest.
6. After completion, check the name servers and expiry date.

Duration and costs at a glance

At HostOn, a transfer costs the same as the renewal of the extension, and every transfer includes a 1-year extension. The following prices apply at HostOn (CHF incl. 8.1 % VAT, as of October 2026):

For a .com transfer shortly before the expiry date, do the maths: the renewal is already included in the transfer price, so a separate renewal with the old provider is no longer needed. However, if the domain expires during the transfer, things can get complicated. So start at least a few days before the expiry date.

Common mistakes in a domain transfer

• Auth code copied incorrectly: check for spaces at the beginning or end and easily confused characters such as 0 and O or l and I.
• Auth code expired or already replaced by a new one: if in doubt, request a new code.
• Transfer lock still active: the transfer is rejected until the lock is removed at the current registrar.
• Old hosting cancelled too early: the DNS zone often disappears with the hosting, and website and email go down.
• Outdated holder email address: confirmations and codes do not arrive.
• Domain shortly before or after expiry: the transfer fails or the domain ends up in the deletion phase.
• Transfer confused with a change of holder: if you want to hand the domain over to another person or company, you also need a change of holder.

Checklist for a transfer without downtime

• Find out registrar, expiry date and name servers with a WHOIS lookup.
• Check who is entered as the holder and whether the email address is correct.
• Back up all DNS records, especially MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
• Decide where DNS should be hosted after the transfer and prepare the zone there.
• Check the DNSSEC status.
• Remove the transfer lock and request the auth code.
• Order the transfer with the new provider and watch for confirmations.
• Test website and email after the transfer.
• Only cancel the old contract once everything works.

Tip: If you are changing hosting at the same time, move website and email first and switch the DNS records. Then handle the domain transfer calmly afterwards. That way, not everything depends on a single day.

At HostOn, transferring .ch and .li domains costs CHF 14.90 including a 1-year extension. With web hosting, WordPress hosting or reseller hosting paid yearly it is free; the renewal then costs CHF 14.90 per year. On the transfer page you check your domain and enter the auth code in the next step on my.hoston.ch.