.de is Germany's country code and the address German shoppers and businesses expect from a company that serves them. You don't need to live in Germany to hold one, but DENIC's terms include a rule for owners abroad that you should know about.
Based in London and accredited by Nominet, PD Hosting registers .de names straight after checkout, so a UK business can manage its German address next to its .co.uk.
Per year. Compare every extension on our domain pricing page.
What is a .de domain?
- Type
- Country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Germany. Source
- Registry
- DENIC eG, a cooperative of internet businesses based in Frankfurt am Main. Source
- Who may register
- Individuals and organisations with legal capacity, including those not located in Germany. Source
- Owners outside Germany
- If DENIC asks, an owner not domiciled in Germany must name an authorised representative in Germany, able to accept official and court documents, within two weeks. A PO box isn't enough. Source
- Holder data checks
- To meet NIS-2 and German BSI law, DENIC checks owner data. If it can't be verified through your provider, the domain is taken out of the zone and later deleted. Source
- Character rules
- 1 to 63 characters: letters, digits, hyphens and listed accented letters such as ä, ö, ü. No hyphen at the start or end. Source
- After deletion
- A deleted .de enters a 30-day Redemption Grace Period, free of charge, during which only the last holder can get it back. Source
Facts checked against the registry on 9 November 2026.
Who a .de domain suits
A .de suits any business with German customers: a Sheffield engineering supplier with distributors in Bavaria, a UK software company launching a German-language site, or an online shop that ships to Germany and wants to look local at checkout. Next to a German-language site, a .de shows visitors that the shop or service was built with them in mind.
It also fits UK firms protecting a brand before they enter the German market, and German founders running their company from Britain.
- A German-language version of your website
- An online shop for customers in Germany
- Local email for a German sales team
- Brand protection before entering the German market
Benefits of a .de domain
Local for German buyers
For German shoppers, a .de address next to German-language pages signals that you've made a site for them, not just translated one.
Country signal in Google
As a country code, .de helps Google understand that your content targets Germany.
Umlauts allowed
Names can include ä, ö, ü and other listed letters, so a German brand can be spelt correctly.
Holding a .de from the UK: the German representative rule
Anyone with legal capacity can register a .de, wherever they are based, so a UK company or a sole trader in Wales can hold one in their own name. DENIC's domain terms add one condition for owners who aren't domiciled in Germany: if DENIC asks, you must name an authorised representative in Germany within two weeks. The representative must be domiciled in Germany and able to receive official and court documents on your behalf; a PO box address doesn't qualify. Failing to appoint one after a formal warning is grounds for DENIC to end the registration.
In practice that means a UK owner should know who they would name before they need to: a German subsidiary, a distributor, a law or tax adviser, or a business service that offers this. You don't need to provide one simply to register.
Separately, DENIC now checks holder data to comply with NIS-2 and German BSI law. If your name, address, phone or email can't be confirmed, verification runs through your provider, and an unverified domain is taken offline and later deleted. Keep your contact details current and reply promptly to any request.
.de pros and cons
Works well if
- You sell to customers in Germany or run a German-language site
- You'd like Google to associate the site with Germany
- You can name a contact in Germany if DENIC ever asks
- Your brand name includes an umlaut or other German letter
Look elsewhere if
- Your customers are spread across the EU: a .eu or .com covers them in one go, if you're eligible for .eu
- You have no one in Germany who could receive legal papers: consider a .com until you do
- You only trade in the UK: a .co.uk will serve you better
.de compared with similar extensions
| Extension | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| .de | Customers in Germany | Open worldwide; a German representative may be requested. |
| .eu | Selling across the EU | Needs EU or EEA citizenship, residence or establishment. |
| .berlin | Businesses rooted in Berlin | A city extension for organisations connected with Berlin. |
| .com | International sites | No representative rule and no country signal. |
Register your .de domain
- Search for the name you want below.
- Add it to your basket and choose how many years to register it for.
- Check out. Your domain is registered straight away and appears in your client area, ready to point at your website and email.
Every domain includes DNS management, DNS backup and restore, and free mail forwarding.
.de questions
Is a .de open to businesses based in Britain?
Yes. DENIC allows individuals and organisations outside Germany to hold .de names. If DENIC asks, you must appoint an authorised representative in Germany who can accept legal documents, within two weeks.
Do I need a German address for a .de?
No, your own address can be in the UK. What DENIC can ask for is a representative domiciled in Germany to receive official and court papers, and a PO box won't do.
Will a .de help me rank in Google.de?
It helps Google see that your site targets Germany, because .de is a country code. You still need German-language content that's useful to German visitors to rank well.
What happens if I delete or lose my .de by mistake?
DENIC holds deleted .de names in a 30-day Redemption Grace Period at no charge. Only the last holder, or someone they name, can re-register it in that time.
What is the renewal cost of a .de?
We renew .de names at £13.95 a year, more than the first-year price in the box above. We send reminders before each renewal.
Sources: DENIC domain terms and conditions · DENIC FAQs for domain applicants · DENIC holder data verification · DENIC Redemption Grace Period
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