What is .nz?
A little context on New Zealand: the capital is Wellington, languages include English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, the currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD) and the international dialing code is +64.
IANA lists InternetNZ as the manager of .nz, with an address in New Zealand. The registry's website is http://www.dnc.org.nz. 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 7 name servers for .nz, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .nz haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.irs.net.nz).
.nz FAQ
What country is .nz?
.nz is the country-code top-level domain for New Zealand, in Australia and New Zealand.
What is New Zealand's domain extension?
New Zealand's website extension is .nz, its country-code top-level domain. "NZ" is its ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
Who owns the .nz domain?
IANA lists InternetNZ as the manager of .nz: it runs the registry and sets the rules for New Zealand's ccTLD. Individual .nz names belong to whoever registers them.
Can I register a .nz domain from the US?
It depends on InternetNZ'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.dnc.org.nz) or an accredited registrar before you buy.
Is .nz DNSSEC-signed?
Yes. The root zone has a DS record for .nz, so DNSSEC validation works all the way down from the root.
How do I look up who owns a .nz domain?
Query the registry's registration data service: the WHOIS server is whois.irs.net.nz. Many registrants use privacy services, so personal details may be hidden.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed August 14, 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
