A tiny island, a Nordic favorite
Niue is one of the world's smallest self-governing countries — a single coral island in the South Pacific with fewer than 2,000 residents. Its two letters happen to spell "now" in several northern European languages, and .nu became a popular alternative to national domains in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands.
Since 2013, .nu has been operated by the Internet Foundation in Sweden, which also runs .se.
Good for
- Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch brands
- Snappy calls to action ("shop.nu", "boka.nu")
Watch out for
- Means nothing special to English speakers
.nu by the numbers
.nu is the internet country code for Niue. It's one of Polynesia's ccTLDs, the two-letter domains reserved for countries and territories.
.nu has a second life online. Because of what the letters suggest, it's picked up a following for "now" in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch, beyond Niue's borders. Legally it remains Niue's ccTLD.
A little context on Niue: the capital is Alofi, languages include English and Niuean, the currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD) and the international dialing code is +683.
IANA lists The IUSN Foundation as the manager of .nu, with an address in Niue. The registry's website is https://www.internetstiftelsen.se. 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.
On the technical side, .nu is served by 10 authoritative name servers, every one of them reachable over IPv6. It is also DNSSEC-signed: the root zone carries a DS record for .nu, which lets validating resolvers check its answers cryptographically. Registration data is published over WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.iis.nu).
.nu FAQ
What country is .nu?
Niue, a self-governing island nation in free association with New Zealand, with about 1,700 residents.
Why is .nu popular in Sweden?
The word "nu" means "now" in Swedish — and in Danish, Norwegian and Dutch. The registry is operated by Sweden's Internet Foundation.
What does .nu mean?
Officially, .nu is simply the ISO 3166-1 code for Niue. Online, it's also used for "now" in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch — a "domain hack" that uses the letters for what they spell.
What does .nu mean in an email address?
Only that the sender's domain is registered under .nu. Because .nu is also used for "now" in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch, it doesn't necessarily mean the person is in Niue.
Who owns the .nu domain?
IANA lists The IUSN Foundation as the manager of .nu: it runs the registry and sets the rules for Niue's ccTLD. Individual .nu names belong to whoever registers them.
Can I register a .nu domain from the US?
It depends on The IUSN Foundation's policy. Some ccTLDs are open to anyone in the world, while others require a local address, company or trademark. Check the registry (https://www.internetstiftelsen.se) or an accredited registrar before you buy.
Is .nu DNSSEC-signed?
Yes. The root zone has a DS record for .nu, so DNSSEC validation works all the way down from the root.
How do I look up who owns a .nu domain?
Query the registry's registration data service: the WHOIS server is whois.iis.nu. Many registrants use privacy services, so personal details may be hidden.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed October 21, 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
