.au domains: price and rules
.au is Australia’s country-code ending, managed by auDA, and a registrant needs an Australian presence. Here is what it costs at the registrars we checked and the rules that come with it.
The rules
- Registry
-
.au Domain Administration (auDA), the manager IANA lists for .au in its root zone database.
Source: www.iana.org, checked
- RDAP lookups
-
Yes. IANA’s RDAP list has a server for .au, so its records can be read in a standard way, which is how this site and the shelf find expiry dates.
Source: data.iana.org, list published
- Who can register
-
You need an Australian presence, which auDA’s licensing rules define: for example an Australian citizen or permanent resident, a company registered in Australia, or an entity with an Australian Business Number. The full list is in the rules.
Source: www.auda.org.au, checked
- HTTPS rule
-
No. .au as a whole is not on the Chromium HSTS preload list, so browsers do not force HTTPS for every .au name. An individual domain can still be preloaded or send its own HSTS header.
Source: chromium.googlesource.com, checked
- Accents and other scripts
-
Not yet. auDA’s licensing rules say the rules for internationalised domain names (paragraph 2.8) will commence on a date to be advised.
Source: www.auda.org.au, checked
- If it expires
-
Under auDA’s licensing rules you can renew from 90 days before the expiry date, and once a licence has expired you have 30 calendar days to renew it (if you are still eligible). After that the name becomes available to the public, first come, first served.
Source: www.auda.org.au, checked
What .au costs
Lowest renewal we checked: $8.47 a year at Porkbun, on 2026-10-25.
| Registrar | First year | Renewal | Transfer | 3 years | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porkbun | — | $8.47 | — | — |
USD, before tax, as each registrar published it on the date shown; the date links to the page we read. Three years is the first year plus two renewals. A dash means nobody has checked that price yet. Registrars run offers and charge more for premium names, so confirm the price at the registrar before you buy. We don’t sell domains and these links are not affiliate links.
Facts and prices on this page were checked between 2026-10-25 and 2026-10-27.
Common uses of .au
- Australian businesses, associations and individuals with an Australian presence.
- Sites that want to show visitors an Australian connection.
Related endings
What we keep
Nothing. These pages take no input, set no cookies and count nothing about you. Prices and facts are read by hand and by a monthly job from public registrar and registry pages, and every one shows where and when we checked it.
Questions people ask
How much does a .au domain cost?
It depends on the registrar. The table above shows the first-year, renewal and transfer price at each registrar we checked, with the date of each check. Compare the renewal price: it is what you pay every year after the first.
Who can register a .au domain?
You need an Australian presence, which auDA’s licensing rules define: for example an Australian citizen or permanent resident, a company registered in Australia, or an entity with an Australian Business Number. The full list is in the rules.
What happens if I don’t renew a .au domain?
Under auDA’s licensing rules you can renew from 90 days before the expiry date, and once a licence has expired you have 30 calendar days to renew it (if you are still eligible). After that the name becomes available to the public, first come, first served. Your registrar may add its own dates and fees, so check with them.
Can a .au domain have accents or other scripts?
Not yet. auDA’s licensing rules say the rules for internationalised domain names (paragraph 2.8) will commence on a date to be advised.