Quick answer
How do I move a domain portfolio offshore?
To move a portfolio of 50 or more domains to TransferOffshore, a Panama-based transfer service, list every domain with its expiry date and DNS host, then send waves of up to 20 domains per request, soonest expiry first. Nameservers are kept by default. As of October 2026, a .com transfer costs $12.49 and adds one year.
Portfolio transfer at a glance
| Wave size | Up to 20 domains per transfer request |
|---|---|
| Order of waves | Soonest expiry first; domains under 60 days old last |
| Old registrar's answer | Up to 5 days per domain under the ICANN Transfer Policy |
| Years on gTLDs | +1 year per transfer, capped at 10 years in total |
| DNS | Current nameservers kept by default |
| Cost of a wave | Sum of the transfer price of each domain, billed once each (a .ai: 2 years, transfer + one renewal); no fee per request |
| Domain protection | +$29/year per domain, chosen domain by domain |
| Payment | BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, from one prepaid balance |
| Identity | No ID, no KYC; one verified email per domain, the only contact detail collected |
What should a portfolio inventory contain?
A useful inventory has one line per domain and every fact that can stop a transfer. Export the list from your current registrar first, then complete it by hand.
Keep it in a spreadsheet you update after each wave. The table below lists the columns that matter and why.
Which columns does the spreadsheet need?
| Column | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Domain and extension | The price, the year added and the transfer rules depend on the extension. |
| Current registrar | Each registrar has its own place for the code and the lock. |
| Expiry date | Sets the order of the waves and shows the auto-renew risk. |
| Registration or last transfer date | Domains under 60 days are usually refused. |
| Nameservers | Kept by default; note them so you can check them after the move. |
| DNS host | If it is the old registrar, the records must be copied first. |
| DNSSEC on or off | A signed zone at the old registrar needs care before the move. |
| Lock state | Each domain must be unlocked before its wave. |
| Privacy at the old registrar | Shows what the old WHOIS record showed, and what changes after the move. |
| Contact email | The address that receives codes and the ICANN verification link. |
| Wave number and status | Requested, waiting, completed or failed, with the reason. |
How do I plan the waves?
Plan one wave per transfer request, with up to 20 domains in each. A portfolio of 60 domains needs three waves; 140 domains need seven.
Sort the inventory by expiry date and fill the waves in that order. Then adjust:
- Start with a small test wave. Send two or three low-value domains first. You learn how your old registrar answers before the important names move.
- Keep each wave to one sitting. Auth codes are often valid for 5 to 14 days. Unlock, collect the codes and send the request on the same day.
- Hold back young domains. A domain registered or transferred less than 60 days ago is usually refused. The ICANN Transfer Policy lets registrars deny it, and many do. Put it in a later wave.
- Space the waves. Each old registrar has up to 5 days to answer. Fix the failed rows of one wave before you start the next.
The bulk transfer guide shows the list format and the errors each row can meet.
When is the right time to transfer each domain?
The right time is well before the expiry date and outside a fresh auto-renewal you have already paid for. Two windows deserve attention.
The 45-day auto-renew grace period. When a gTLD reaches its expiry date, the registry renews it and the old registrar has 45 days to keep or cancel that renewal. A transfer in this window does not lose a year: the registry cancels the auto-renewal, credits it back to the old registrar, and the transfer adds one year. The net result is one year added to the old expiry date. What you can lose is the money you paid the old registrar for that renewal. Whether it is refunded depends on that registrar's policy. If you have already paid, ask them first, or wait for the next cycle.
The last days before expiry. A transfer can take 5 days, and a wrong code or a lock adds more. A domain that expires during the wait can fall into grace or redemption. A domain in redemption cannot be transferred at all until it is restored. For domains that expire within the next two weeks, renew at the old registrar first, or start at once. See expired domain transfers.
How do I keep email working during the move?
Email keeps working when the MX records stay where they are, and they do when you keep your nameservers. TransferOffshore keeps the current nameservers by default.
Check three things before each wave:
- Where the DNS lives. If the old registrar hosts the zone, copy every record, including MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC, to another DNS host first. Then switch the nameservers and wait a day before the transfer.
- Email forwarding at the old registrar. Forwarding offered by a registrar usually stops when the domain leaves. Set it up again elsewhere before the wave.
- The contact email itself. Codes and the ICANN verification link go to it. Do not use an address on a domain from the same wave. If that domain's mail breaks, you cannot receive the link.
What about DNSSEC?
DNSSEC is the most common cause of an outage after a transfer, and it is easy to avoid. The registry holds a DS record that must match the keys that sign your zone.
If your DNS stays with a third party, such as Cloudflare or your own servers, the keys do not change. The domain keeps working when the nameservers are kept.
If the old registrar both hosts and signs the zone, its keys leave with it. Turn DNSSEC off there first. Wait until the DS record is gone from the registry, then move the zone and the domain. Turn DNSSEC on again at the new DNS host afterwards. Full steps: transfer without DNS downtime.
How much does a portfolio transfer cost?
A portfolio transfer costs the transfer price of each domain, added up. There is no fee per request and no bulk surcharge. Prices are per extension and equal to the renewal price.
A worked example, with the prices as of October 2026:
- 50 .com domains at $12.49 each;
- 10 .io domains at $53.49 each;
- 5 .net domains at $12.99 each.
Multiply each line and add them up for the total. On gTLDs, each transfer also adds a year to the domain, so this is the same money you would spend on next year's renewals. For country extensions, the registry decides: .uk, .ch and a few others keep the expiry date, so the transfer price adds no time there.
Top up once per wave, or once for the whole plan. The minimum top-up is $25, and what is left stays on your balance for renewals. Check every extension on the price list.
Which domains should get Domain protection?
Domain protection suits the names you do not want tied to your name at the registry. It costs +$29/year per domain on top of the extension price, and you choose it domain by domain.
With it, the registry and WHOIS show DomaineGoat LLC, never you. The transfer lock is on by default, and any transfer or DNS change must be confirmed from your account. The company holds only your email. Every complaint is read by a person before any action on the domain, and you are told when the law allows; that review exists only with the option. The abuse deadlines do not change.
Two cost points matter for a portfolio. A transferred domain pays the option for the added year. Once the transfer completes, the time already paid at the old registrar is charged pro rata from your balance. Some extensions, such as .de, .uk, .nl and .ch, are sold only with Domain protection, and their shown price includes it.
What should I check once a wave is complete?
Check each domain in My domains once it shows Completed. Compare it with your spreadsheet:
- the new expiry date (one year later on gTLDs);
- the nameservers, which should match the old ones;
- the website and email, from outside your own network;
- auto-renew, which is on by default and renews from your balance;
- the lock state you want for the next months.
Mark the wave as done, note any failed rows with their reason, and fix them before the next wave.
The portfolio plan in seven steps
Export the inventory
One line per domain with expiry date, DNS host, nameservers, lock, DNSSEC and contact email.
Plan the waves
Up to 20 domains each, soonest expiry first, with a small test wave at the start.
Check the timing
Avoid paid auto-renewals in the 45-day grace window and the last days before expiry.
Secure DNS and email
Copy zones hosted by the old registrar and handle DNSSEC before each wave.
Top up
Estimate the wave cost per extension and top up in crypto.
Send the wave
Unlock, collect the codes and paste the list on the same day.
Check and record
Verify each completed domain and update the spreadsheet before the next wave.
Domain portfolio transfer: FAQ
How long does it take to move 100 domains?
A portfolio of 100 domains needs five requests of 20. Each domain takes up to 5 days, the time the old registrar has to answer. If you space the waves to fix failed rows, plan for a few weeks in total. The real limit is often how fast you can unlock domains and collect codes.
Do I lose a year if I transfer right after an auto-renewal?
No year is lost at the registry. During the 45-day auto-renew grace period, the registry cancels the renewal and the transfer adds one year, so the net is one year added. What you may lose is the money paid to the old registrar for that renewal. A refund depends on that registrar's policy.
Can I transfer domains that are under 60 days old?
Usually not yet. The ICANN Transfer Policy lets a registrar refuse a transfer within 60 days of registration or of a previous transfer, and many registrars do. Some registries enforce the lock themselves. Keep them for a later wave. The ICANN Board adopted a 30-day lock on 7 June 2026, but no start date is published, so the current rules apply. See ICANN transfer policy changes.
Is there a discount for a large portfolio?
No. TransferOffshore uses one price per extension for every customer, with no bulk surcharge and no fee per request. A .com transfer is $12.49, the same as its renewal. All prices are on the price list.
Will a change of owner block my transfer?
It can. Under the ICANN Transfer Policy, a change of registrant starts a 60-day transfer lock, unless the registrar lets you opt out before the change. Avoid changing the registrant name or organisation at the old registrar just before a wave.
Can different domains of the portfolio use different DNS?
Yes. Each domain keeps its own nameservers by default, so a portfolio spread over Cloudflare, your own servers and other hosts stays as it is. After the move, you can change nameservers for one domain or for a selection of domains at once in My domains.
Sources (3)
- Transfer Policy — ICANN (checked 2026-10-19)
- Registrar Advisory Concerning the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (auto-renew grace period) — ICANN (2002-06-06)
- Approved resolutions, regular meeting of the ICANN Board (Transfer Policy Review) — ICANN (2026-06-07)
Start with your test wave
Up to 20 domains per request · nameservers kept · one price per extension · no ID · crypto.