What is .im?
Outside Isle of Man, plenty of people know .im for a different reason: it reads as instant messaging and "I am". That second meaning doesn't change who's in charge, though. The domain still belongs to Isle of Man, and its registry sets the rules.
A little context on Isle of Man: the capital is Douglas, languages include English and Manx, the currency is the British pound (GBP) and the international dialing code is +44.
IANA lists Isle of Man Government as the manager of .im, with an address in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The registry's website is http://www.nic.im. ccTLD managers set their own policies — who can register, which second-level names exist, pricing to registrars — so those rules differ from country to country.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 4 name servers for .im, 1 of them reachable over IPv6. There is no DS record for .im in the root zone, which means the TLD is not DNSSEC-signed at the top level. Registration data is published over WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.im).
.im FAQ
What country is .im?
.im is the country-code top-level domain for Isle of Man, in Northern Europe. Online it's also used for instant messaging and "I am".
What does .im mean?
Officially, .im is simply the ISO 3166-1 code for Isle of Man. Online, it's also used for instant messaging and "I am" — a "domain hack" that uses the letters for what they spell.
What does .im mean in an email address?
Only that the sender's domain is registered under .im. Because .im is also used for instant messaging and "I am", it doesn't necessarily mean the person is in Isle of Man.
Who owns the .im domain?
IANA lists Isle of Man Government as the manager of .im: it runs the registry and sets the rules for Isle of Man's ccTLD. Individual .im names belong to whoever registers them.
Can I register a .im domain from the US?
It depends on Isle of Man Government's policy. Some ccTLDs are open to anyone in the world, while others require a local address, company or trademark. Check the registry (http://www.nic.im) or an accredited registrar before you buy.
Is .im DNSSEC-signed?
No. As of our last data refresh there is no DS record for .im in the root zone.
How do I look up who owns a .im domain?
Query the registry's registration data service: the WHOIS server is whois.nic.im. Many registrants use privacy services, so personal details may be hidden.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed November 24, 2018. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
