Transfer a domain from IONOSGet the authorization code, start the transfer, tidy up the contract

Published on October 20, 2026

Why many IONOS customers switch

IONOS attracts new customers with very low domain prices in the first year. From the second year, the regular price applies, and the contract renews automatically. By the first charge at the full price at the latest, many wonder whether it could be cheaper.

At MainHoster.de, there is no such price jump: the annual price also applies to every renewal, and billing is prepaid from your balance - without a contract and without automatic charges. The transfer itself costs nothing with us. More about the model in Domain without a contract.

Preparation: these three things first

In a transfer, only the domain changes provider. Everything attached to it at IONOS stays behind. So beforehand:

• Back up mailboxes. If your mailboxes are at IONOS, they belong to the IONOS package and do not move along. Export the mails or set up the new mail provider before you transfer. What the MX records look like afterwards is described in Use a domain for email.
• Note down DNS records. Copy all A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and SRV records from the IONOS management. The zone is not transferred - you create it again with us, ideally before the transfer. What each record is for is explained in DNS records explained.
• Check the owner details. For .com, .net and .org, a confirmation email is sent to the owner address during the transfer. If it is outdated, the transfer gets stuck.

Step 1: get the authorization code at IONOS

IONOS calls the auth code the authorization code. You will find it in the IONOS customer account in the Domains section under the transfer and renewal settings (in the German interface "Umzug & Verlängerung"): select the domain and choose to display the authorization code. The code is requested from the registry and is sometimes only available after a few minutes.

• Release the transfer lock. Generic extensions such as .com, .net and .org are locked against transfers by default at IONOS. Deactivate the lock, otherwise the registry rejects the transfer.
• Note the validity. For .de, the code is valid for 30 days. If it expires, simply get a new one.
• 60-day period. With generic extensions, a transfer is locked for the first 60 days after registration or a change of owner. For .de, there is no such period.

Step 2: start the transfer at MainHoster.de

1. Enter the domain in the search field on the domains page. It is recognized as taken - for a transfer, that is correct.
2. Via "Next", you get to the following step, where you enter the authorization code from IONOS and confirm the owner details.
3. The annual price is paid from your prepaid balance; the registry then carries out the switch.
4. As soon as the transfer is through, check in the web interface that all DNS records are in place.

For .de, the transfer is usually done within one day. For .com, .net and .org, it can take up to five days, because the registry waits for the confirmation email to the owner.

What happens to your IONOS contract

This is the most common trap. At IONOS, the domain is often an included domain in a package - for example a hosting or mail package. If you move the domain away, only its slot in the package becomes free. The package itself continues to run and continues to cost money until you cancel it separately.

• Transfer first, then cancel. Cancelling a domain at IONOS means switching off the automatic renewal. At the end of the term, the connected services are disconnected. So do not cancel before the transfer, but check after the move which contracts are left.
• Check the package. If you no longer need the IONOS package - for example because website and mail have moved as well - cancel it in the IONOS customer account. Otherwise, you pay for a package without a domain.
• Remaining term. With most generic extensions, the term already paid for is carried over in the transfer, and the domain is additionally extended by one year.

If the transfer gets stuck

If a transfer fails, it is almost always due to one of these points:

• The transfer lock at IONOS is still active.
• The authorization code was mistyped or has expired.
• The confirmation email to the owner was not confirmed because the address is outdated.
• The domain is younger than 60 days or has changed owner during that time.

If you only want to use the domain elsewhere but not transfer it, it is enough to switch the nameservers - that is a separate process, explained in Change nameservers. The general process for all providers is in Transfer a domain.

Frequently asked questions