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Transferring a domain to a new registrar — because of pricing, better support, or consolidating everything in one place — is a well-worn process. Done correctly, your website and email keep running the entire time, since the transfer only changes who manages the registration, not your DNS records.
Before you start
Check a few things first: the domain must be at least 60 days old (or 60 days since its last transfer), it needs to be unlocked at your current registrar, and it must not be within 45 days of expiring — renew it first if it's close.
1. Unlock the domain
Log in to your current registrar and turn off Transfer Lock (sometimes called Registrar Lock) in the domain settings.
2. Get the authorization code
Request the EPP/auth code from your current registrar — this is a unique code proving you own the domain, usually generated instantly in the dashboard or emailed within a few hours.
3. Confirm your admin email is current
Transfers are confirmed by email to the domain's registered contact address. If that inbox is outdated, update it before starting, or the confirmation email will go nowhere and the transfer will stall.
4. Start the transfer at the new registrar
Enter the domain name and the auth code at your new registrar (such as Vikalink) and pay the transfer fee, which usually includes a one-year renewal.
5. Approve the confirmation emails
You'll receive at least one confirmation email — sometimes from both the losing and gaining registrar — that you need to click to approve. Skipping this step is the most common reason transfers stall.
6. Wait it out
Most transfers complete in 5–7 days. Your website and email continue working normally throughout, since your nameservers and DNS records aren't touched by the transfer itself.
Key takeaway: A domain transfer changes who manages your registration — it doesn't move your website or email anywhere. As long as your DNS records stay pointed at the same place, visitors won't notice anything happening.
If something goes wrong
If the transfer doesn't complete within 7 days, check your email (including spam) for a pending confirmation request, and confirm the domain wasn't re-locked at the losing registrar after you unlocked it.