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Moving your domain from IONOS

Step by step, from IONOS's own help pages. Last checked 26 September 2026.

Before you start: Where will your website live?

A transfer moves the domain name. Your website and email are a separate choice:

Not live yet

No worries. Move the domain now and set the website up whenever you're ready.

Keep it where it is

That's fine. Our transfer page shows whose DNS your domain uses, so you can check it stays in place.

Move it to us

We can help move your website and email too. See hosting plans

How it works

Get your domain ready to leave IONOS

.com, .net, .org and most others: unlock it and get its transfer code (also called an EPP or auth code).

  1. In Domains, open the "Renewal & Transfer" page for the domain.
  2. Turn off "Domain transfer lock".
  3. Select "Show Authorisation Code". It can take a few minutes to appear.

.co.uk and .uk: there is no code. Unlock it first, then ask IONOS to change the IPS tag to ENOM. Some providers refuse the tag change while the domain is still locked, without saying why.

  1. On the same "Renewal & Transfer" page, choose "Change IPS tag", enter the new tag and save.
Order the transfer with us
Put the domain into our transfer page. We confirm the price with you before anything is charged. A .co.uk or .uk moves free, because the UK registry doesn't charge for it.
Give us the transfer code
Once the price is agreed, we'll ask you for the code. (A .uk needs no code — the tag change is enough.)
We take it from there
We'll confirm when the transfer has started and again when it's complete. A .com usually takes 5–7 days. A .uk can arrive within minutes of the tag change, and usually within a day.

What IONOS charges to leave

IONOS's help pages don't mention a fee to leave. We never charge you to leave us.

Worth knowing

  • Moving the domain doesn't cancel your IONOS contract — cancel anything you no longer need, or billing can carry on.
  • A .com or similar can't move within 60 days of being registered.

Where this comes from

We wrote this guide from IONOS's own help pages, checked on 26 September 2026, and keep a link to an archived copy in case theirs changes. If anything here doesn't match what you see, follow their page — and let us know, so we can update ours.

Start your transfer

Moving from somewhere else? GoDaddy · 123-reg · Names.co.uk · Fasthosts · Namecheap · Krystal · Squarespace · Wix