Country extension · China
.sh.cn domain name
What you need to know about .sh.cn: who can register it, which details are required and how transferring works.
Specifications
The key details of .sh.cn
- Country
- China
- Registry
- cnnic.cn
- Registration period
- 1 to 10 years
- Renewal period
- 1 to 10 years
- Domain name length
- 1 to 63 characters
- Time to registration
- up to 7 working days
- Renewal on transfer
- yes, transferring renews the domain
- Transfer code length
- 6 to 16 characters
- Transfer lock available
- yes
- Number of nameservers
- 1 to 13
- Quarantine after deletion
- 15 days
Features
- DNSSEC: yesYou can secure your domain name with DNSSEC.
- IPv6: yesThe nameservers for this extension can also be reached over IPv6.
- Special characters: yesDomain names with letters such as é, ü or ø (and sometimes other scripts) are possible.
- Whois privacy: no
- Trustee: no
Requirements
Who can register a .sh.cn?
- Private individuals as well as companies and organisations both inside and outside China can register a .sh.cn domain name.
- The registry CNNIC requires mandatory real-name verification: as the registrant, you provide the real name of a natural person and submit proof of identity.
- The registrant's name must exactly match the name on the proof of identity or the company registration document, including the legal form, for example LTD.
- If you live outside China and your name contains special characters, such as ä, ü, ö or é, CNNIC can't verify your passport and the registration, transfer or change of registrant will fail.
- For a company, you can then register the domain in the name of another employee whose name has no special characters and who is willing to be verified. This means their full name as it appears on their passport.
- You must comply with CNNIC's rules and policies and with Chinese domain name regulations, including the domain name dispute resolution policy.
- A domain name must not conflict with the Chinese constitution or laws. Prohibited activities include harming national security or honour and inciting hatred or discrimination.
- Also prohibited are spreading rumours, pornography, gambling, violence or terrorism, defaming others and violating religious policy.
- If your website's web server is located in mainland China, you need a valid ICP number from the Chinese ministry MIIT. This is only possible if you have a business presence in China.
- You're fully responsible for the accuracy of your details and the content of your website. In the event of violations, your domain may be suspended, without any liability on the part of CNNIC or the registrar.
Additional details for registration
- You state whether the registrant is a private individual or an organisation.
- You provide a person's real full name. For companies, this is a responsible contact person, who doesn't need to be listed on the company document.
- You state the type of identity document, for example a passport, a Chinese identity card or a business licence, together with the document number.
Documents
- Private individuals outside China send a scan or copy of their passport or identity card in JPEG format. A driving licence isn't accepted, and the registrant's name must appear on the document.
- Companies and organisations outside China send a copy of their business licence or an extract from the trade register. A copy of the contact person's passport or identity card is also required.
- Private individuals in China send a copy of their Chinese identity card. Mainland residents use their identity card, not a passport.
- Companies in China send a copy of the first page of their company certificate, preferably the business licence, and proof of identity for the contact person.
- Special travel or residence documents apply to residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. For residence permits and the residence card for foreigners, both the front and back are required.
- A signed declaration is no longer required.
- You submit documents as a JPEG file of no more than 1 MB.
Good to know when registering
- The registry checks the documents manually, even if you've been approved before. This means a registration isn't active straight away.
- If the documents haven't been received after 8 days, the registration fails.
- You can request a domain certificate. For this, you need the domain name and the registrant's phone number.
Transfer
Transferring a .sh.cn
- To transfer a domain, you need a valid transfer code. If the code is incorrect, the transfer fails.
- A signed request from the registrant must be in place before the transfer is started.
- Registrant details are mandatory when you transfer a domain. If real-name verification still needs to take place during the transfer, there may be costs involved.
- The domain must not be blocked. You can check this in the WHOIS. If the domain is blocked, you as the registrant can ask for the block to be lifted.
- A domain that's less than 60 days old can't be transferred.
- The expiry date must be more than 15 days in the future. So start the transfer in good time, not just before the domain expires.
The transfer code
- A transfer code is required.
- As the registrant or administrative contact, you request the code from your current registrar.
Owner
Change of registrant
Change of registrant
- For a change of registrant, you submit a copy of the new registrant's proof of identity or business licence.
- The change of registrant isn't processed straight away, because the documents are checked first.
- You submit documents as a JPG, PNG, GIF or JPEG file of no more than 1 MB.
- Moving from a previous trustee service to your own registrant is possible. Moving to a trustee service isn't.
- For a change of registrant too, a foreign registrant's name must not contain any special characters.
Renewal, cancellation and quarantine
- After an expired domain has been restored, it's initially inactive and has no nameservers. As soon as nameservers have been set again, the domain automatically becomes active again.
More information
Registry rules and links
- Registry website cnnic.cn
- Dispute resolution policy www1.cnnic.cn
- Registry terms and conditions www1.cnnic.cn
Compiled from the registry's rules. Registries sometimes change their rules; if in doubt, the registry's terms take precedence. Updated on 11/11/2026.