How to register a .cn domain?

By the 21YunBox Compliance Team · Reviewed 2026-08-27 · Verified against primary sources

Short answer The domain is the first item on the critical path for a China launch, not an administrative detail. A domain registered outside mainland China must be transferred to a MIIT-approved mainland registrar before it can be filed at all, and the top-level domain itself must be one MIIT has approved. That is why most companies run a .cn for China rather than trying to file their .com — and why domain transfer, not infrastructure, is what usually delays a launch.

Why the domain decision comes before the hosting decision

Fact	Primary source
Domains purchased outside the Chinese mainland must be transferred to a registrar within the mainland before filing can occur; the TLD must have been approved by MIIT, and the registrar must have been approved by MIIT.	Alibaba Cloud — ICP filing application overview
The filing itself is triggered by server location — "ICP filing applies only to servers located in the Chinese mainland" — and binds to the access provider as well as the domain, so the domain and the delivery decision have to be made together.	Alibaba Cloud — ICP filing prerequisites

Sources verified by the 21YunBox compliance team on 2026-08-27.

*TL;DR This quick guide gives insights into how to get a .cn domain in China.*

.CN domain registration

Anyone can register a .cn domain. You can register a .CN domain at GoDaddy or Alibaba Cloud. However, when you try to use the domain, there is an additional procedure: Real Name Validation or Real Name Verification. This is required by CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center).

Real Name Validation

To start using your .cn domain, You’ll need to submit a copy of valid documentation to CNNIC. Typically, one of the following documents is needed:

A valid resident ID, temporary resident ID, business license, or organization code certificate from China.
A valid resident ID, passport, or business license from Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau.
A valid passport.

ICP Filing or ICP License

If you plan to host your site inside China’s Firewall, you need to submit an ICP Filing as well, and this guide gives you a high level of how to get your ICP License. Keep in mind Chinese ID or Chinese business license is needed. Or you can partner with us to leverage our help to get your site hosted in China.

How can we help you?

Contact us today, and our experts will help you get a .cn domain by partnering with us. We help companies’ apps and websites perform faster and fully compliant in China.

Clients like Bottega Veneta, Ethereum, Netlify, and many others have partnered with us to support their services and clients in China.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do we need a .cn domain to operate in China?

Not strictly — the requirement is a MIIT-approved TLD registered with a mainland registrar. In practice most companies use a .cn for China because transferring the primary .com into a mainland registrar is a bigger corporate decision than registering a .cn alongside it.

Can we file our existing .com?

Only after transferring it to a MIIT-approved mainland registrar, which means moving control of your primary global domain into China. Most companies decide the risk is not worth it and run a .cn for the China market instead, with geo-routing between them.

What usually delays this step?

Finding who inside the company controls the existing registrar account, and obtaining the transfer authorisation code. On real projects this has taken longer than the ministry review itself, because nobody knows who owns the account. Identify that person before anything else starts.