Published: 17.10.2026
The .nz extension is the country-code domain of New Zealand, a nation in the southwest Pacific made up of two main islands and several smaller ones. Businesses, schools, clubs and community groups in the country use it to show that they are based there and that they serve local people. Visitors in New Zealand tend to read the ending as a sign of a local presence. Use the availability form just below this text to see whether your name in .nz is still free.
Check if a .nz domain is available .nz Check
A short history
The New Zealand national zone grew as the country's universities, research bodies and early internet providers went online, and it later spread to shops, tradespeople, tourism operators and community groups. Over the years the zone became an everyday part of New Zealand business life. Its policies have been revised over time, so the current rules are the ones that matter when you order.
Who runs it
The .nz zone is overseen by InternetNZ, a non-profit membership organisation responsible for the zone's policy framework. Accredited registrars sell names to customers and pass the orders to the registry, which keeps the central database. The published policies explain who may hold a name, how contact details must be kept and how names are renewed, so they are the reference point for any question about a .nz registration.
Rules in practice
- Eligibility: the policy sets conditions for holders, and these have changed over time, so check the current requirements before you pay.
- Contact details: the holder's information must be accurate, and it may be verified when the policy asks for it.
- Length and characters: labels use letters, digits and hyphens, and a single label can be up to 63 characters long.
- Second-level zones: names such as co.nz or org.nz sit beneath the main zone and can follow their own conditions, so read the terms for the exact form you want.
Who uses .nz
- New Zealand companies of every size, from sole traders to national firms.
- Cafes, wineries, tour operators and trades that serve customers across the country.
- Schools, clubs, sports teams and community groups with a local audience.
- Overseas businesses that want to show a clear New Zealand presence to local buyers.
Strengths
- The ending shows at once that a business or project is based in New Zealand, which helps build trust with local visitors.
- Search engines can treat a country-code ending as one signal of the intended audience, so local content may be easier to match with local searches.
- The zone is familiar to people in New Zealand, so it needs little explanation on a van, a menu or a business card.
Things to keep in mind
- The name points to New Zealand, so a business with customers mainly abroad may also want a generic address.
- Short and descriptive names are often registered already, so think about wording early.
- Visitors from other countries may not recognise the ending as quickly as .com.
- Eligibility and holder rules can change, so an older registration may need updated details later.
Tips before you register
- Check the same name in .com and decide whether a second address is worth owning.
- Enter the holder details exactly as they appear in your company records.
- Plan local content, contact pages and a clear privacy notice before the site goes live.
- Choose hosting close to New Zealand visitors so that pages load quickly for them.
- Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records before the domain is used for e-mail.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone outside New Zealand register a .nz name? Holder conditions apply, and they can depend on your connection to the country. Check the current policy before you order.
Does .nz help a site appear in New Zealand search results? It is one useful geographic signal. Clear local content, a fast site and genuine local links usually matter more.
Is .nz the same as co.nz? No. Both sit within the same national namespace, but co.nz is a second-level form that can have its own conditions.
