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.hk Domain: Hong Kong ccTLD Guide

Updated October 2026

.hk is the country-code top-level domain for Hong Kong.

Overview

Used by Hong Kong businesses, organisations and individuals, and by overseas firms that want a presence in the territory.

HKIRC has administered .hk since 2002 under a memorandum of understanding with the Hong Kong government, and its subsidiary Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company Limited (HKDNR) provides the registration service. From 1990 until 2002 the domain was run by the Joint University Computer Centre, with Hong Kong's universities sharing technical, fee and account duties.

Names can be registered directly under .hk or beneath category labels. Reported categories include .com.hk for commercial entities, .org.hk for approved societies and non-profits, .net.hk for licensed network providers, .edu.hk for educational institutions, .gov.hk for government bodies and .idv.hk for individuals holding a Hong Kong identity card. Names may use letters, digits and hyphens, and names can be up to 63 characters long (registrars set minimums of 2 or 3 characters), with hyphens allowed only in the middle.

The registry publishes a Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy covering both .hk and the Chinese-language .香港, with decisions by an appointed arbitration panel that are final and binding on the registrant. Registrants consent to publication of registrant data in a public WHOIS, subject to data protection law. Whether a privacy service is available should be checked with the registrar.

The Chinese-script extension .香港 (xn--j6w193g) was approved by ICANN on 25 June 2010, added to the DNS on 12 July 2010 and opened to public registration on 31 May 2011. Chinese names must contain at least one Chinese character. Chinese-character names under plain .hk stopped being registrable in January 2011, though existing ones can still be renewed.

Who can register

Plain .hk is open to anyone, including non-residents; individuals give identity details such as a passport or HKID number, and companies give a company registration document. .com.hk is intended for companies registered in Hong Kong, and registrars ask for a copy of the registration certificate.

Second-level endings: Also .com.hk, .org.hk, .net.hk, .edu.hk, .idv.hk.

Before you buy a .hk name

• Check the renewal price as well as the first-year price. Our cost calculator shows what a name really costs over time.
• Make sure you meet the eligibility rules yourself, without relying on a trustee if you can avoid it.
• Search for trademarks and for the same name in .com.
• Say the name out loud: will people type it correctly?

Weighing up a specific .hk name? TLD.is gives an AI appraisal that explains a name's strengths and weaknesses.

Frequently asked questions

What country is .hk?

.hk is the country-code top-level domain for Hong Kong.

Who runs the .hk domain?

The .hk registry is managed by Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC).

Can I register a .hk domain from another country?

Plain .hk is open to anyone, including non-residents; individuals give identity details such as a passport or HKID number, and companies give a company registration document. .com.hk is intended for companies registered in Hong Kong, and registrars ask for a copy of the registration certificate.

Does Google treat .hk as a country domain?

Yes. Google normally treats .hk as a signal that a site targets Hong Kong.

Compare and explore

Compare .hk side by side with other extensions, or browse more in Asia:

Sources checked: en.wikipedia.org · www.eurodns.com · www.gandi.net. Last reviewed October 2026.

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