.cy is the country domain of Cyprus. It is run by the University of Cyprus through the .cy Registry (nic.cy), and today you can register either the familiar yourbusiness.com.cy or the shorter yourbusiness.cy. You do not need to live in Cyprus.
01Which extension to choose
| Extension | Who can register it |
|---|---|
| .cy | Anyone, person or business, from any country |
| .com.cy | Anyone. It is the open category and the best known in Cyprus |
| .ltd.cy | Limited companies on the Cyprus register of companies |
| .biz.cy | Other companies on the register of companies |
| .org.cy | Non profit organisations, associations and foundations |
| .pro.cy | Professional organisations and businesses |
| .tm.cy | Holders of a registered trade mark |
| .ac.cy, .gov.cy, .net.cy, .press.cy | Educational institutions, government, licensed telecom providers and the press |
For a business aimed at Cyprus, .com.cy is what people recognise straight away. If the same name is free as a plain .cy, it is worth keeping that too, since it is shorter and cheap. If you also have customers outside Cyprus, a .com completes the set. The website lives on one of them and the others forward visitors there.
02What it costs
| What you pay for | Registry fee |
|---|---|
| Registration or renewal for 1 year | €20 |
| Registration or renewal for 2 years | €30 |
| Registration or renewal for 5 years | €50 |
| Change of owner | €10 |
| Reactivation after expiry | €10 plus the renewal |
| Certificate of registration | €5 |
These are the official registry fees, VAT included. If a hosting company registers it for you, it usually adds a management charge. Five years works out cheaper and saves you worrying about renewals.
03Registration step by step
- Check it is free. Type the name into the registry's Whois search and you see at once whether someone has it.
- Open an account in the registry system with your own or your business details.
- Apply and pay. The amount is held on your card and only charged if the application is approved.
- The registry answers within one working day. It may ask for ID or, for a company, a certificate of incorporation, which you upload within three working days or the application is rejected.
- Point the domain at your website. You enter two nameservers from your hosting company. The registry publishes changes every three hours, so it does not always work immediately.
04Names that are refused
- Fewer than three characters. A name needs 3 to 63 characters.
- Greek letters. Only Latin letters, digits and the hyphen are allowed, and the hyphen cannot come first or last. If your name is Greek, our greeklish tool gives you the standard Latin spelling.
- Bare place names. limassol.cy is only given to authorities. With the business in the name, such as limassolbakery.cy, it is accepted.
- Confusing names. Names so close to existing ones that they mislead people, or that clash with someone else's trade mark.
- Offensive or unlawful names, and names that look registered only to be resold.
05Renewal, expiry and transfer
The registry emails you a month before expiry and then weekly. If you have not paid by the expiry date, the domain is deactivated and your website and email stop. You then have ten working days to reactivate it for €10 plus the renewal. After that it is released and anyone can register it.
To move it to someone else, for example from your own name to your new company, you apply through the system and pay €10. The expiry date stays the same.
Sources: nic.cy, its official fee list and Regulatory Decision 416/2021 on .cy names. Checked September 2026.
Common questions
Can I register a .cy domain if I do not live in Cyprus?
Do I own the domain?
Can a .cy domain use Greek letters?
How long does it take to work?
Should I also get a .com?
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