> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.noxity.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# .de domains

> Germany's country-code TLD, run by DENIC. The largest ccTLD in Europe. Requires a German admin contact.

`.de` is Germany's country-code TLD, operated by [DENIC](https://www.denic.de/). It's the largest ccTLD in Europe and the second-largest in the world after `.cn`. DENIC requires every `.de` domain to have an administrative contact (admin-c) with a postal address inside Germany.

## Registry policy

| Field                | Value                                                        |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Registry             | DENIC                                                        |
| Registration period  | 1 year (registry policy)                                     |
| Renewal grace period | None at registry level; renewals must complete before expiry |
| Redemption period    | 30 days after expiry, recovery fee applies                   |
| Transfer lock        | DENIC AuthInfo (auth code) required for every transfer       |

## Eligibility

Open globally, but every `.de` requires:

* An **admin contact** with a postal address inside Germany. {/* TODO: confirm whether Noxity provides a local admin-c proxy and on which plan, or whether the customer must supply their own */}
* A **registrant** anywhere in the world.

## Features

* **WHOIS privacy.** Limited. DENIC publishes minimum required data and doesn't allow the typical proxy-style WHOIS privacy.
* **DNSSEC.** Supported.
* **IDN.** Supported (German diacritics like `ä`, `ö`, `ü`, `ß` accepted).
* **Auth (EPP) code.** DENIC calls it AuthInfo. Issued instantly from the [domain panel](/domains/management/panel).

## Things to know

DENIC checks that the nameservers respond authoritatively for the domain *before* the registration finalises. If the NS aren't reachable or aren't returning the SOA for the domain, the registration is rejected. Set up DNS first, then register.

## Need a hand?

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  <Card title="Open a ticket" icon="life-ring" href="https://members.noxity.io/submitticket.php">
    Best for anything that needs an account check or a config change on our end.
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  <Card title="Live chat" icon="messages" href="https://noxity.io/contact">
    Faster for quick questions during business hours.
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<div className="mt-8">
  <Accordion title="Sources" icon="book-bookmark">
    * [TLD overview](/domains/registrations/tlds/overview)
    * [DENIC ↗](https://www.denic.de/en/)
    * [DENIC domain guidelines ↗](https://www.denic.de/en/domains/de-domains/domain-guidelines/)
  </Accordion>
</div>