As a non- EU resident, what do I need to do in order to secure my EU domain? What other issues do I need to think about for my website?
On January 1, 2021, the UK officially left the transition period and unhooked itself from the laws and governance of the EU. This has had implications in all aspects of business and domestic life. Let’s look at websites and how this instantly affects us in terms of business.
Eu domain names
Well, the most apparent issue that has come to light after Brexit is the question of buying and holding onto EU domain names. As soon as the transition period came to an end UK nationals were classified as none EU and therefore were not permitted to own an EU domain name unless they have an EU address or are an EU national (living in the UK) and can prove this through documentation.
You can only register or hold an EU domain name if you are an EU/EEA Citizen (it doesn’t matter where you live), you live in the EU/EEA or have a company, business or establishment in Europe. You can see the detail of this on the government website issued through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/registering-and-renewing-eu-domain-names-in-the-uk#what-you-need-to-do
How to register an EU domain with a European company registered address
Resolving this may be problematic if you do not hold EU/EEA citizenship and the only way around this is to set up a company or a branch in Europe with a registered address. Ireland, France, Italy, The Netherlands and Germany are all good places to establish according to specific requirements.
Other issues to consider are Data protection and how data is treated now that the UK has left the EU. Have a look at the ICO’s webinar https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/events-and-webinars/keep-data-flowing-at-the-end-of-the-uks-transition-out-of-the-eu/ on this subject to see how you can keep data flowing in the correct way.
Contact us for help and advice
Please don’t hesitate to call us on +44 (0) 20 8421 7470 or contact us via the website for help and advice about the quickest way to establish a company or a branch in Europe and be able to register an EU domain.