How to buy a .si domain in 2026 (cost, rules, step by step)

Anyone, in any country, can register a .si domain through a registrar; in our 3 October 2026 checks the first year cost $11.99 to $25.00. The process takes a few minutes. The parts that matter later are accurate contact details, renewal and trademarks, so this guide covers those too.

Before you start: what you are buying

A .si is Slovenia's country-code domain, run by Register.si inside ARNES, the Academic and Research Network of Slovenia. You do not buy a name outright. Under the registry's general terms you get an exclusive, transferable right to use it for a term of one to five years, renewable for as long as you keep paying and keep your data accurate (general terms 3.3 and 5.1.1).

The registry does not sell to the public. It charges each registrar €10 a year before VAT and leaves the retail price to them (tariff). On 3 October 2026 the registry listed 92 registrars (Register.si).

Step 1: Check that the name is free

Search the exact name at a registrar. Our list of names shows names that were unregistered at our last check, with the check time on every row, but treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee.

Two facts make the check time important right now:

• Registrations are running at more than 11,000 a day. Register.si's daily chart shows 11,331 new .si domains on 30 September and 12,728 on 1 October 2026 (Register.si). The live counters are on our registration statistics page.
• Names on our own list get registered. At our DNS re-checks late on 2 October 2026 (22:53 and 23:11 UTC), 29 names from our list had been registered since our earlier check that day. In a spot check of 30 of the remaining names at 00:16 UTC on 3 October, two more (skates.si and scant.si) were already in the .si zone.

A DNS lookup can prove that a name is registered, but it cannot prove that a name is free, and the .si zone is published once an hour (Register.si). The registrar's search at checkout is the final word.

Step 2: Pick a registrar

These are the prices we saw on 3 October 2026 for a standard name:

Sources: Hostinger, NameSilo, Dynadot. Full table: .si prices.

If one registrar shows an error, try another; the name and the registry are the same. Disclosure: NameSilo links carry our affiliate ID; Hostinger links earn us nothing.

Step 3: Enter accurate details

The registry's terms require the holder's data to be accurate, complete and current for the whole term (general terms 8.1.1). Expect the registrar to verify your email address or phone number when you register and again at each renewal. If the check fails, you get a deadline of up to 21 days; after that the name can be deactivated or deleted (Register.si data policy).

Use an email address you control and will keep. The registry sends its messages for the holder to the contact email on record (general terms 7.1.2).

What becomes public: for a company, the holder, technical contact and registrar; for a private individual, only the contact email address (general terms 13.3). Dynadot lists WHOIS privacy as not allowed for .si, so do not count on a privacy add-on (Dynadot). Registrars must tell individuals that they can use a separate email address created just for the WHOIS record (general terms 13.4).

Step 4: Choose the term and turn on auto-renew

The registry accepts one to five years; your registrar may offer fewer (Hostinger listed one to three). If a renewal is missed, the name goes into quarantine for up to 30 days, during which it stops resolving but can still be renewed. After 30 days it is deleted and anyone can register it (general terms 5.4).

Auto-renew with a card that will still be valid next year is the simplest protection.

Step 5: Know the 16-day return window before you point the name

The registry lets a new name be returned within 16 days of registration, but only while it is inactive, meaning no name servers have been submitted (registration and return). Once you point the name at a website or email host, that option ends. If you are unsure, wait before adding DNS.

Step 6: Check trademarks first

The .si dispute procedure, ARDS, lets a rights holder take a name if they prove three things: the name is identical or confusingly similar to a right recognized in Slovenia, such as a trademark valid there; the holder has no legitimate interest; and the name was registered or used in bad faith (ARDS rules 17.3). Decisions can order deletion or transfer, there is no appeal, and the procedure runs in Slovenian. Avoid names that match someone else's brand. See .si rules for the details.

What it costs over three years

For one standard .si name kept three years, the totals from the table above are $36.11 at Dynadot (one 3-year registration), $45.97 at Hostinger and $75.00 at NameSilo. For comparison, the smallest .ai purchase at Dynadot on the same day was $171.20, because .ai requires two years (.si vs .ai). The three-year comparison has the full table.

Quick checklist

1. Search the exact name at a registrar; do not rely on any list, ours included.
2. Compare first-year and renewal prices, not just the first year.
3. Enter real details and a long-lived email address.
4. Turn on auto-renew.
5. Add DNS only when you are sure you want to keep the name.
6. Stay clear of other people's brands.

Where to look next: one-word .si names, short .si names, and AI and SI startup names. Each row shows when we last checked it.