Frequently Asked Questions

NIC(Malta), the Network Information Centre Malta, is a non-profit Foundation which is responsible for the .mt top-level country domain for Malta. NIC(Malta) is the registry for .mt domain names and manages the registration and operation of all .mt domains.

A domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. For example, 'example.mt' is a domain name. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular web pages and in email addresses.

In the .mt namespace, a second level domain (2LD) is registered directly under .mt, such as myname.mt. A third level domain (3LD) is registered under a second level domain, such as myname.com.mt, myname.org.mt, etc.

The Registered Label is the left-most label in the registered domain name. For example, in myname.com.mt, the Registered Label is 'myname'. Similarly, in myname.mt, the Registered Label is also 'myname'.

A corresponding domain name is a 2LD or 3LD name with the same Registered Label. For example, if you own myname.com.mt, the corresponding 2LD name would be myname.mt.

The main domain name is the domain for which the Holder is paying a registration fee. If a Holder has more than one domain name with the same Registered Label (e.g., myname.com.mt and myname.org.mt), then any one of these can be the main domain name.

A paired domain name is the domain which the Holder has registered and for which no registration fees are due during the Preferential Registration Period. It is the corresponding 2LD or 3LD name of the Holder's main domain name.

The Holder (or Registrant) is the legal entity who has been granted the right to use the domain by NIC(Malta) and who accepts all associated legal consequences. The Holder is the owner of the domain name.

Yes, all existing third level domain names (.com.mt, .org.mt, .net.mt, .edu.mt) remain valid and will continue to function as before. The introduction of 2LD names does not affect your existing 3LD registrations.

No, if you have a .com domain (not .com.mt), that is managed by a different registry. NIC(Malta) only manages domains ending in .mt. Your .com domain will not be affected by any changes to the .mt policy.

If you are a Legacy Holder (registered before 1 June 2016), you may have preferential rights to register the corresponding 2LD name. Check your eligibility through the whois service or by logging into your account.

No. In fact, renewal fees have been reduced by 50% as of 1 December 2020. Current annual renewal fees are €10 for commercial domains (.mt, .com.mt, .net.mt) and €5 for non-profit domains (.org.mt, .edu.mt).

A Legacy Holder is a Holder of a duly registered 3LD name on the Legacy Date (1 June 2016). Legacy Holders have preferential rights to register the corresponding 2LD name during the Preferential Registration Period.

It is advisable to register the corresponding 2LD name to protect your brand and prevent others from registering it after the preferential period expires. The registration was free during the Preferential Registration Period.

The Preferential Registration Period ran from 1 December 2017 to 30 November 2020. During this period, Legacy Holders could register their corresponding 2LD name for free and had their 2LD name blocked from registration by others.

A blocked domain name is a non-registered 2LD name with the same Registered Label as a Legacy 3LD name. During the Preferential Registration Period, it was blocked from being registered by anyone except the corresponding Legacy Holder.

No action was required. If you were a Legacy Holder, the corresponding 2LD name was automatically blocked for you during the Preferential Registration Period.

A conflicted domain name is a blocked 2LD name that is blocked by two or more distinct Legacy Holders. For example, if both myname.org.mt and myname.com.mt exist with different owners, then myname.mt would be conflicted.

Log into your NIC(Malta) account and follow the registration process. If you are eligible as a Legacy Holder, the system will guide you through registering your corresponding 2LD name.

Use the whois service on our website or check through your account dashboard. The status will show whether the domain is available, blocked, conflicted, or registered.

For conflicted domains, you may contact the other Legacy Holder(s) to negotiate. A conflicted 2LD name remains blocked indefinitely as long as two or more Legacy Holders are still blocking it. You can find contact details through the whois service.

Your status depends on whether the corresponding 2LD name was already blocked by a Legacy Holder. If not blocked by anyone else, you may be considered a Legacy Holder. Check your specific situation through your account or contact NIC(Malta).

Any legal entity (organisation or individual) can register a domain name under .mt. There is no requirement for the Holder to be established in Malta. However, the domain must not be used for unlawful purposes.

This depends on your needs. A 2LD name (e.g., myname.mt) is shorter and more memorable. A 3LD name (e.g., myname.com.mt) categorizes your entity type. Many choose to register both for brand protection.

A .mt domain shows your connection to Malta, builds trust with local audiences, and provides a distinct online identity. It's the official country code for Malta, recognized internationally.

You can now register domain names directly at the second level (e.g., myname.mt) in addition to third level domains. This gives you more options for shorter, more memorable domain names.

No. The fees are the same for 2LD and commercial 3LD domains. Setup fee is €10, and annual registration is €10 (total €20 for the first year).

The Preferential Registration Period has ended (30 November 2020). Previously blocked domains are now either registered by their Legacy Holders or available for general registration. Check availability through the whois service.

Conflicted domains remain blocked as long as multiple Legacy Holders exist. Check the domain status through the whois service to see if it has become available.

Use the domain search on our homepage or the whois service to check availability. The system will tell you if the domain is available, registered, or has any restrictions.

The Preferential Registration Period ran from 1 December 2017 (Launch Date) to 30 November 2020 (Cut-off Date). During this time, Legacy Holders had special rights to register corresponding 2LD names for free.

The Legacy Date is 1 June 2016 at 00:01 Hours. This is when NIC(Malta) initiated the public consultation period on the proposed domain registration policy. Domain names registered before this date qualified their holders as Legacy Holders with preferential rights.

The Launch Date is 1 December 2017 at 00:01 Hours. This is when the new Domain Name Registration Policy became effective and 2LD name registration was officially launched under .mt.

The Cut-off Date is 30 November 2020 at 23:59 Hours. This is when the Preferential Registration Period ended. After this date, standard fees apply to all domain registrations and previously blocked domains became available for general registration if not claimed by Legacy Holders.