.lv domain registration takes one online form, but the details decide whether your company really owns its web address. If the domain sits in a developer's name, or a renewal invoice goes unpaid, your website and email can stop working. This guide covers who can register a .lv domain, how to choose the name, what it costs, and how to renew and transfer it.
Who can register a .lv domain?
Almost anyone. Under the NIC.lv rules, a .lv domain can be held by a Latvian company, a state or local authority, an association or foundation, a person aged 18 or over, or a company registered abroad. You don't need a Latvian address or Latvian hosting, and there's no limit on how many domains you hold.
The registry is run by NIC at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia, and its policy for .lv domain names sets the rules. Some second-level zones have their own: .id.lv is only for Latvian residents, and .edu.lv for accredited Latvian schools.
How do you choose a domain name for your company?
Pick a name that's short, easy to say on the phone and hard to misspell, usually your company or brand name. Check that it's free in the NIC.lv WHOIS search, and make sure it doesn't use someone else's trademark or company name: the rules don't allow names that infringe a third party's rights.
The technical limits:
- 2 to 63 characters;
- Latin letters, digits and hyphens, with no hyphen at the start or end;
- a Latvian-letter name must contain at least one letter such as ā, č, ē, ģ, ī, ķ, ļ, ņ, š, ū or ž.
If your name has Latvian letters, register both spellings and point one to the other, so visitors reach you whichever way they type it.
.lv, .eu or .com?
If most of your customers are in Latvia, .lv tells them at a glance that you work here. A .eu domain suits a company working across the EU, and .com an international brand. You can register several and point them to your main address.
| .lv | .eu | .com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can register | Anyone, foreign companies included | Citizens, residents and organisations of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway | Not tied to a country |
| Where you register | Directly at NIC.lv or through a registrar | Through an accredited registrar only | Through an ICANN-accredited registrar |
| What it tells a visitor | You work in Latvia | You work across Europe | You work internationally |
One catch with .eu: under EURid's eligibility rules, a company established outside the EU and EEA can't register one. A .lv domain has no such limit.
How does .lv domain registration work?
You fill in an online form, either directly with NIC.lv or through a registrar, name your company as the holder and pay the invoice. There's no paper contract: the application forms an electronic agreement with the registry. Once the registration is confirmed, the domain works as soon as it has DNS servers.
Seven steps to your own .lv domain
Check the name is free
Search the NIC.lv WHOIS or your registrar's search. If the name is taken, WHOIS shows the holder; a private person's data is hidden.
Choose where to register
Register directly with NIC.lv or through one of the more than 160 registrars on its list, shown in random order with no recommendation. Registrars set their own prices and often handle DNS and hosting too.
Enter your company as the holder
Give the company name, registration and VAT numbers, and legal and postal addresses. The holder is who the domain belongs to, so this is your company, even when an agency fills in the form.
Name the contacts
You need an administrative and a technical contact. Use a shared company address such as it@ rather than one employee's inbox, because NIC.lv sends its reminders to the contacts.
Pay for one to five years
A .lv domain is registered for at least one year and at most five, at your registrar's prices or NIC.lv's.
Add the DNS servers
Enter at least two DNS servers, usually given to you by your hosting or DNS provider. Until then, the domain shows the NIC.lv page for inactive domains.
Write down the renewal date
Note the registrar, the paid-until date and who has the login. Set a calendar reminder a month before, and turn on auto-renewal if your registrar offers it.
DNS basics: what the records do
DNS tells the internet where your website lives and where to deliver your email. The NIC.lv database holds only the domain's NS records, its DNS servers. Every other record sits with your DNS provider, usually your registrar or hosting company:
- NS: which servers answer for the domain;
- A: the IP address of your website's server;
- MX: where email for the domain is delivered;
- CNAME: one name pointing to another, such as www.
Moving to new hosting usually means changing the A record, not the domain; a new email provider means new MX records. Save the existing records before any change. Hosting, updates and security for the site behind the domain are what our website maintenance and hosting covers.
How much does a .lv domain cost?
NIC.lv charges EUR 12.00 a year excluding VAT for a standard .lv domain and EUR 8.40 for a Latvian-letter domain. Renewal costs the same. Registrars set their own prices, so compare them; moving a domain from one registrar to another is free.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard .lv domain, directly at NIC.lv | EUR 12.00 a year excl. VAT | NIC.lv |
| Latvian-letter .lv domain, directly at NIC.lv | EUR 8.40 a year excl. VAT | NIC.lv |
| Standard .lv domain at a registrar (example: Area IT) | From EUR 14.52 a year incl. VAT | area.lv |
| Transfer to another registrar | Free | NIC.lv |
NIC.lv last raised its prices in 2023, from EUR 10.00 to EUR 12.00 a year. The domain itself is cheap; losing it is what costs you. That's why who holds it and who watches the renewal date matter more than the price.
Who should be the domain holder?
Your company. The holder is the one with the right to use the domain, and only the holder can pass that right to someone else. If the domain is registered in the name of your web agency, a freelancer or a former employee, you depend on them, even years after you stopped working together.
The NIC.lv policy says that when someone applies on your behalf, you are the holder. But if a developer types in their own details, the registry sees them as the holder, and to change it they have to send NIC.lv a signed letter confirming the transfer. If they can't be reached, there's no quick way back.
Your agency can still be the technical contact, updating DNS and technical details while the domain stays yours.
Check your domain today
- WHOIS shows your company as the holder.
- The contact emails are current and belong to your company.
- You know your registrar and can log in.
- You know the date the domain is paid until.
- You have a copy of the DNS records.
What happens if you don't renew a .lv domain?
NIC.lv emails a reminder to the domain's contacts. If payment doesn't arrive within 7 days of the reminder, the domain's technical data is suspended, so the website and email on it stop working. A 30-day hold follows, and then the domain is deleted and anyone can register it.
During the hold, nobody else can register it, and paying restores your right. NIC.lv's payments FAQ mentions 14 days, so don't count on the extra time: pay by the invoice's due date.
If your registrar stops managing the domain
A registrar can stop managing a domain, for example by not renewing it or by resigning as its registrar. Payment then becomes the domain user's responsibility, so keep your company's details in the domain record current, or the next invoice may never reach you.
How do you transfer a .lv domain to another registrar?
Ask your current registrar for the authorisation code, also called the EPP code, and enter it in the new registrar's transfer order. The transfer is free. If the domain is registered directly with NIC.lv, you instead email the request to NIC.lv from the contact address on the domain.
According to the registrar Area IT, NIC.lv changes the registrar within three working days. A transfer changes who manages the domain, not who holds it; changing the holder needs the holder's signed letter.
Save your DNS records before you move. If your DNS provider changes along with the registrar, set up the A and MX records at the new one first, or your website or email can stop.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company register a .lv domain?
Yes. The NIC.lv rules let companies registered outside Latvia hold a .lv domain, with no Latvian address or hosting needed. You give the company name, registration and VAT numbers, legal and postal addresses, and an administrative and a technical contact.
How much does a .lv domain cost per year?
As of October 2026, NIC.lv charges EUR 12.00 a year excluding VAT for a standard .lv domain and EUR 8.40 for one with Latvian letters. Registrars set their own prices; Area IT, for example, lists .lv from EUR 14.52 a year including VAT. You can pay for up to five years at once.
How do I find out who owns a .lv domain?
Search for the domain in the NIC.lv WHOIS. If a company holds it, you'll see its name; a private person's data is hidden. If the holder is your developer or agency, ask them to transfer the domain to your company by sending NIC.lv a signed letter.
What happens if I forget to renew my domain?
NIC.lv sends a reminder to the domain's contacts. Without payment, the domain stops working and goes into a 30-day hold. During the hold no one else can register it, and you can still get it back by paying. After the hold, the domain is deleted and anyone can register it.
Can a .lv domain contain Latvian letters?
Yes. A Latvian-letter .lv domain must contain at least one letter such as ā, č, ē, ģ, ī, ķ, ļ, ņ, š, ū or ž, and NIC.lv charges EUR 8.40 a year excluding VAT for it. If your name has Latvian letters, consider both spellings and point one to the other.
