.MK Domain Extension Introduction
.MK is the Internet country code top-level domain name for the Republic of North Macedonia. It is administered by The Macedonian Academic Research Network (MARnet).
This small country was once part of Yugoslavia, and after the war tore the country has ended, they formed an independend entity (republic) and as such needed to have their own domain name extension. MARnet represents itself as the institution that performs activities of public interest.
It is established by passing the law of Macedonian academic research network, which is represented and published in September of 2010. With that act, MARnet acquired the status of a legal entity by registering in the Central Register of the Republic of Macedonia.
Everyone is heard about Macedonia at least once in their lifetime. They have a very old culture, very old habits, their geographical position is along the main route from Europe to Greece.
Besides having a rich history, which is not to be disregarded when it comes to business, there are other things that make them of great value when talking about the world economy.
Macedonia was once part of Greek Kingdom and was used as a spiritual and cultural entrance to the great word of Greek culture.
Having its independence now, we would note that it is importance to get in contact with this small country which is the link between middle Europe and the South-East Balkans, where everything seems to be that geniune, from local customs to history and more.
So, in the matter of connection with the world, modern Macedonia is still an important location, and reaching out to Macedonia in every aspect is of a priority.
Let’s just say that if you register an .MK domain extension today, you will assure a great business opportunity for tomorrow. It will confirm your credibility and set you as an example for future businesses to be open to new ways of communicating and doing business with this part of the world.
Let us start with basics. Macedonian domain names have also Cyrillic extension, so, if not native, you will be purchasing a domain name that doesn’t mean much to you, but it can be linked to your global website, and by translating your site.
By doing this you stand to gain a benefit in their market, where you will find a place for your growing businesses, just like anywhere in the world where local opportunities are in expansion.
Who can register .MK or .МКД Domain Name?
The right to register a .mk and a .мкд domain name, have all domestic and foreign individuals and legal entities. New domain name is registered with the mediation of the Registrar for a .mk and .мкд domains.
Who can register com.mk net.mk or int.mk domain names?
The right to register com.mk, net.mk or int.mk domain names is held by:
- companies
- individuals registered for independent professional activity
- persons with public authorities
- chambers
- cooperatives
- financial institutions
- legal entities and persons registered for economic activity…
In short any entity connected to the business world can find its place with those extensions.
What about registering gov.mk, edu.mk, and org.mk?
Let’s start with .gov.mk and the right to register this domain name have state administration, institutions and other organizations established by Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia and law, as well as public companies and local government units and the City of Skopje.
Registration of .gov.mk is performed exclusively in MARnet, which is, as we stated the Macedonian domain extension registry.
Note that the extension edu.mk use case is generally similar to all other education domain extensions, meaning edu.mk domains can be registered by:
- educational and research institutions
- foreign educational organizations that have a license to perform educational and scientific research
Finally, org.mk (as the extension says) the right to register a org.mk domain name is provided to
- nonprofit organizations civilian associations and foundations
- political parties
- trade unions
- public health institutions
- funds and other foreign entities
- foreign nonprofit organizations to which the international agreement or under the law shall be allowed to carry out profit activity.
Those are general rules for registering a Second-Level domain name, specifically for .gov.mk and .org.mk.
For how many years can I register a .MK domain name, and where do I validate domain name?
Minimum of registration of .mk domain name is 1 ( one ) year, and a maximum is 10 ( ten ) years. The payment is made annually, and invoicing should be done by registrars, with which you bought your domain name.
The easiest way is to order a domain name which you will use for Website or a blog, etc., for as many years as you think your business or topic, or whatever content you may have. So, you don’t need to worry about your annual fees.
For example, big companies with a business plan that extends at least 6 months, will purchase a Domain Name for at least 5 years in advance, so there will be no mistake in the future who is the owner of the certain domain.
Those who don’t really understand the whole Domain Name ‘’business’’, will also make sure that for a small price, they don’t need to worry about ‘’that thing’’ at least for 5 up to 8 years.
The only businesses and individuals that will go from one year to another, are those who get the whole matter completely, and have no trouble to buy, sell, transfer, or do anything with their domain name.
In many of cases where this matter is still pretty abstract. They will pay for sure, and buy their domain name for, sometimes even 10 years, in which case they may get a discount, or one or more features for free, for paying so much in advance, which is not that bad, if you consider that you can get maybe ID Protection for free for the half of years you paid, if it’s about 8-10 year registration.
How long does it take to register a .MK domain name?
A time frame for registering a .mk domain name is 1 ( one ) day. This domain name is not expected to launch before 1 day, but once it’s launched, registration time frame will start to count.
Keep in mind, this is a country that just got status for selling their national Domain Names out in the world, which is a great deal for them, and even if the frame just one day they may keep you a bit longer waiting, which has nothing to do with you on any level, but that they are still meticulously scrutinizing their domain registrations, since they got the permit to sell their Domain Names freely only two years ago ( in 2016. ).
For their and your own sake, please be patient, because the domain registration will come through with its due process.
What are excepted characters used for .MK domain name, and are there any restrictions on any of their domain names?
When it comes to registering a domain name with .mk domain extension, note that it may consist of at least 1 and to a maximum of 63 characters, while the first and last character cannot be a “-” (dash) character.
When we talk about .мкд domain names, they may consist of at least 3 to a maximum of 30 characters, while note that the first and last character cannot be a “-” (dash).
The regulations on this one are pretty much the same as for all general domain registrations, except for the .мкд domain names, which is a bit different, but still, general rules are all the same.
There are Cyrillic letters, and Domain Name cannot be as long as 63 characters, but it’s their native language, and there are letters that are rare to be seen except for this region of the world.
So, in English letters, adding the numbers and hyphen, the limit is 63, as we said, but in Cyrillic, along with the numbers, 30 characters are more than enough.
Keep it in mind when registering this interesting Domain Name extension.
What are the nameservers and which ones do I need for my .MK domain name?
Talking about nameservers which you can use with a .MK domain name, the nameservers that are provided by a hosting company, which is hosting your domain name will be appropriate.
For the correct setup of the domain nameservers, it requires at least two namespace servers. In this case, you should turn to your provider, and I am sure they will be more than happy to provide you with nameservers you need to host your domain name, and its content.
How about trustee service for .MK domain names?
Trustee service helps you satisfy most local presence requirements when there are restrictions on registering a domain name. And this service is not available for a .mk extensions.
Can I transfer my .MK domain name, and how hard can it be?
Steps needed to transfer a .MK domain name:
1. The first step you need to take is to prepare your domain name to be transferred, by ensuring your WHOIS information is accurate and up to date, and also bear in mind to unlock your domain name for enabling to be transferred.
2. Ask your registry for EPP code, in which case you will receive one email with EPP code to your email address, and another gets the person or entity you want to transfer your domain to.
By verifying these codes by both parties, a transfer will be done in a short period of time. Note that this time is limited by the accuracy of your data, and by the registrar you are dealing with.
In case of a .mk domain names, it shouldn’t be longer than 5 working days. If there is any delay, you will be informed why your transfer didn’t go well, or what additional steps you should make, to shorten the process of transferring your domain.
More FAQs
When talking about .MK domain names, can I hide my private information ( Private WHOIS )?
No, at the present time. MK domain zone does not provide means to hide the information of the domain owner. All information ( name, address, email account, etc. ) will be displayed in WHOIS.
Bear in mind that it also depends on the Registry where you chose to purchase your domain as there are many of them that offer Private ID Protection for low extra cost, and you can be assured that your contact information will be protected.
Possibilities are endless, and as for the protection of your personal information in the first place, most providers don’t ask for much information, and secondly, the little data that you left with them, masked for the lowest cost, you will be able to rest assured that your personal information is for registration purposes only, and no one will ever know that you or your company is the owner of the domain you want.
Is there local presence needed to register .MK or .МКД Domain Name?
Until just a few months ago, it was essential to have the local presence to be able to register a .mk domain name, but now it is so much to easier. They weren’t so opened to do tradings or have anyone who is not Macedonian, to have their domain name bought on the open market.
They were country for themselves, and without any aspiration to go further, to look into the future where there is so much to gain just by being in the open market. Until recently they were so enclose as a state, that you needed to be resident with a home address in Skopje ( which is the capital of Macedonia ), just to be able to purchase any one of their domain names.
Since then it has passed a short time, and now they are more than willing to provide their domain names, finally starting to get how much money, and trade they can all gain as a country, just by having their domain names out for sale.
Even though their law about domains is so strict, they finally saw that it is a great business opportunity, and almost everyone would like to do business, from all around the world, and everyone wants in.
It was that one day when someone strongly suggested that there is plenty of trading goods, and opportunities to make profit, and Macedonia with its strict Internet laws, is staying well behind losing big chunks of deals and money with it, with their closed politics, when it comes to availability of their connection to the world.
Seeing that it’s their loss and that world won’t stop spinning, it will just get around them and keep on going, they change the tune, and now there are almost no limitations when it comes to registering Domain Names.
Today, when there are no limitations, there is no local presence needed to by a .mk domain name. Now, one of the main questions that impose itself is:
Can I register just one domain name, or do I need to buy more than that amount?
And this is a good question too.
So, the simplest answer is – no, you can register as many or as little as just one domain name.
Now comes the catch, you surely do not need more than one domain name, either way, if you, for example, own a business, and you want to establish one of your companies in this beautiful country, or, just to get new customers by offering your services to a new, Macedonian population, you will get them easier if you have a .mk Domain Name.
Now, when you buy a .mk Domain, you’ll surely want to have a Second-Level domain name, by far the best solution to get another domain. It’s the easiest way to ensure that no one can steal your Brand or Trademark matching domain, and there you already have two domains, one is .mk, and the other is .com.mk.
For those in the business it is a pretty common thing to always buy those two in pair, except for the countries where, if you register your domain name on your company name, Second-Level domain name which is owned by your company is strictly forbidden for registration, and it’s not that unusual when you get one domain name for the company, you get the second domain for free, because, simply, no one else can use it while you will be protecting your Brand or Trademark.
So, when you do want to assure your business name to be completely in your hands in Macedonia you’ll have to buy two domains, which is the only way that your company name is being malused for purposes other than for your business.
Finland, for example, and Island’s around it have a strict policy on this matter, having in mind that they developed a wide net of secured domains, so with them for example you can not make a mistake.
However, not everyone is keen on trading over Northern Europe, so it’s simply up to you, but be sure that Macedonian Registry will not have your best interest in business but theirs – they need to sell as many domains they can, and if you have some smart moves, when in a .mk Domain space, to keep your business safe, get it just to be sure because you never know…
Nearing the summary, why would anyone want to register .MK Domain Name?
Starting with basics, when owning even just a small company, any kind of business, even something just to inform people about current events, you must never forget that in every corner there is someone who looks you up, who is interested, while you are not even thinking what would happen in the near future, where you’ll have the world on a palm of your hand.
Without trying, you will remember that you heard about, or read just a few days ago…it’s how you spread the news, it’s how the small news becomes viral, and bit by bit, you will own a big company, that like all the others started as a small business.
Bear in mind that .mk is not just an extension, but it’s a way of leading customers in new, better direction, and to show the new ones – true values of being different, and doing something others just dreamt about. So, go on, take a new step, you’ll see, future is here already.
Are individual.MK domain registrations allowed?
Yes, they are, many individuals or companies in the world that can buy a .mk domain name, without any restrictions.
Let’s not forget that they have Cyrillic domains, and yes, the same rule applies when registering .МКД domain name.
Are company or legal entities registrations allowed to register .MK or .МКД domain name?
Yes, any company can register both of those extensions for any legal entities. There is not much trouble about it, and the only thing you really need is Tax number, or companies ID number, to prove that the company name you want to register is not someone else’s Brand or trademark, meaning you can choose any domain name you want.
Are there requirements, documents, and information needed to register a .mk domain name?
There is not much info that you need to register both, just a legal or company name, for a .mk domains.
For individuals, there are three things, and that is only if you don’t have an address in Macedonia – there is your name, passport number, and a valid email address. For a company, you’ll need Tax ID, company name, and a valid email address, there is only one rule – if the .com.mk domain name taken, a .mk with the same prefix can be bought only by the owner of the same .com.mk, or it can not be bought at all.
What is the registration term allowed for .MK domain names?
Like in most cases, a .mk domain name must be registered for at least 1 ( one ) year.
Always bear in mind that – the more years you get in advance, the lesser you’ll have to pay, and you can even get some of the extra products that are not included in the first year of registering the domain name.
How long does it take to register my new .MK domain name?
While the registration application process is quick and straightforward, it takes up to 1 (one) day for the domain to be registered.
What are the characters and their length when registering .MK and .МКД domain name?
Like most of the others, minimum for registering a .mk domain name is 3 ( three ) and maximum 63 ( sixty-three ) characters which may include letters from A to Z as well as numbers from 0 to 9, and a hyphen ( – ).
Few other rules, which are pretty common, a domain name cannot start or end with a hyphen, and that hyphen can’t be placed on the third or s fourth place in a domain name. As we said, set of rules are a bit different for .МКД, but not a deal breaker, because instead of a maximum of characters being 63 of them, the Cyrillic maximum is 30 characters.
Always keep in mind that Space key on your keyboard is forbidden in any domain name you want to buy, but by now you must have known that. Find a good, short name for your domain, easy to remember and easier to find, and you are on your way.
Is there a trustee service when it comes to the .MK domain names?
Even though trustee service is important, there still is no trustee service for this extension.
How do I host my new .MK domain?
In many cases, hosting services is not a million dollar question, but it is an important one. When buying a domain name you’ll be offered many choices when hosting is in question.
You can see that with most hosting Web sites, the majority of packages offer include many different things like Expiry protection, but besides that there is much more! You can get a personalized theme for your site, even a 24h support.
Can I hide my registration information?
Unfortunately, when privacy is in question there is still no way to hide your basic info from Private WHOIS databases, so your contact info will be displayed when someone wants to know who is the owner of the certain domain name.
Unfortunately, when privacy is in question there is still no way to hide your basic info from Private WHOIS databases, so your contact info will be displayed when someone wants to know who is the owner of the certain domain name.
Is there a Grace period, and how long it lasts?
MARnet doesn’t offer any grace period, so if you want to renew a .mk or .МКД domain name, you must place the order of renewal at least 30 days before the first year expires.
Some registrars want you to be sure and prolong this period for 2 months or 60 days. In general, you should be notified by your domain registry at least 30 days before it expires that if you want the same domain for another year you need to renew.
Is Backordering an option, when .MK domain names are in question?
Depending on the registrars an option to backorder should be there, and it will cost you just a little bit of money, or in some cases, some Registrar will do it for free as they want to be helpful, and they will make a profit.
Do I need a Trademark if you are a company to be able to register .MK domain name?
No, you do not. In any case, being so near Greece, your presence on this marketplace will surely push you further.
Second-level domain names are used strictly by Macedonians, and it’s there for their purposes, however, there is a .EDU.MK or IN.MK, but those who would want them are usually residents of the capital of Macedonia, Skopje.
Of course, there is a question who gets the money when paying for the domain name?
In this case, all the money for domain name registration goes to Macedonian Registry MARnet, which doesn’t sell domains, but it all goes to Registrars, so, again, you are in the right place.
There is the matter of hosting, but keep in mind that every information which you will read here is accurate, and there is not a single thing hidden.
