.gov.hk Domain Names

.gov.hk Domain Names Registration, Process, Regulations

The .gov.hk is a second level domain created specifically for organizations that are bureaus or departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. The .gov.hk domain is sponsored by the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company is the official registry.

According to the preference of the department, there is a choice between either Chinese domain names or English domain names. A Chinese domain name can contain Chinese characters and the string should begin and end with Chinese characters, digits and letters. It can also contain English letters, hyphens and digits. The string should not contain more than 15 characters. Hyphens are not allowed in the third and fourth positions.

An English domain name can contain a maximum of 63 characters and a minimum of 3, which includes the periods (.) between the two parts. Registrars can use letters, numbers and hyphens. The domain name should begin and end with letters or digits and not with hyphens.

The registrations of .gov.hk domain names are carried out online at the official website www.hkdnr.hk using the official registration form. At the time of registration, the registrant has to submit all necessary documents and proofs asked by the HKDNR, and the registrant has to create a password during the registration process. The allocation of a .gov.hk domain is done only if they are endorsed by the Office of Government Chief Information Officer. Renewal of a registered .gov.hk domain name can be done by paying the renewal fees, however if the registrant fails to pay the amount due, the HKDNR will cancel the registration. But before cancellation they will enter the domain name in a black-out period, and to get back the domain name, the registrant will have to pay the amount due with a fine and all related payments.

For modification of contract details and name server details, as well as for domain name cancellation, registrants can use the online facility provided by the HKDNR at www.hkdnr.hk. To date there are around 389 .gov.hk registrations.