When does a .se domain expire and drop?
- Expiry to drop
- 67 days
- Grace
- 60 days
- Redemption
- None
- Pending delete
- 7 days
An expired .se is released about 67 days after expiry. For about 60 days it is deactivated: it stops resolving but its holder can still renew it. Then it enters a 7-day quarantine in which nobody, not even the registry, can act on it, and is then released. .se is the country code of Sweden, run by Internetstiftelsen.
Watch a .seThe .se timeline, stage by stage
The two stages an unrenewed .se passes through before release.
| Stage | Window | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Deactivation: about 60 days | Day 0 to 60 after expiry | The name has expired and been removed from the zone, so it no longer resolves. Its holder can still renew it through their registrar and bring it back. Nobody else can register it. |
| Quarantine: 7 days | Day 60 to 67 after expiry | Nobody can act on the name now, not the holder, the registrar or the registry. At the end of quarantine it is released and anyone can register it. This is the stage to be ready on if you want it. |
| Released: registrable by anyone | From about day 67 | The name leaves the registry's deletion pipeline and returns to the public pool, registrable at the standard price on a first-come basis through any registrar. Availability monitoring exists to catch this moment. |
.se at a glance
- Registry
- Internetstiftelsen
- Backend
- Internetstiftelsen
- Type
- ccTLD
- Country
- Sweden
- Delegated
- 1986-09-04
- DNSSEC
- Yes
- IDN
- Yes
- Restrictions
- Open
- Label length
- 1–63 chars
- Grace
- 60 days
- Pending delete
- 7 days
- Expiry to drop
- 67 days
Deactivated, then locked, then free
An unrenewed .se is deactivated for about 60 days. It drops out of the zone, but the holder can still renew it and bring it back. After that it enters quarantine for 7 days, which is a true point of no return.
The registry publishes lists of .se names that are about to become available, so the release is announced in advance. The same registry runs .nu on the identical process.
Who runs .se, and since when
.se is the country code of Sweden, delegated in 1986 and run by Internetstiftelsen, the Swedish Internet Foundation.
.se was the first top-level domain in the world to sign its zone with DNSSEC. The deactivation and quarantine documented here come from the registry's own pages, and our engine re-verifies them against the live record.
How to register a .se domain
A .se is open to anyone worldwide with no Swedish presence requirement, and is the default extension for Swedish businesses.
- Open registration: anyone worldwide can hold a .se domain, with no local-presence requirement.
- Register through any accredited registrar; the registry sells wholesale, not direct to the public.
- Labels run up to 63 characters using letters, digits and hyphens, never starting or ending with a hyphen.
- Registration is annual and renewable; an unrenewed name enters the deletion timeline below.
The long deactivation means a lapsed .se stays recoverable by its holder for weeks, and many are renewed late. The quarantine is the signal that release is certain.
.se technical profile
How .se publishes registration data, secures its zone, and handles non-Latin names.
WHOIS lookups
Registration data for a .se domain is queryable over WHOIS at whois.iis.se. The registry does not publish an RDAP service in the IANA bootstrap, so status and dates are read from WHOIS, which is what our monitoring reads.
DNSSEC
The .se registry supports DNSSEC, so a domain can publish DS records and let resolvers cryptographically validate its DNS answers against tampering.
Internationalized names
The .se registry supports internationalized domain names, so labels in non-Latin scripts register as punycode alongside ordinary ASCII names.
- WHOIS
- whois.iis.se
The registry signs the zone for DNSSEC and supports Swedish characters as internationalized names, and a name's deactivation and quarantine are visible on its WHOIS record.
Is .se a good domain?
Where .se fits, and its trade-off.
A Swedish address
For a business serving Sweden, .se is the extension customers expect and trust.
Open to everyone
With no residency rule, a foreign company entering Sweden can hold its .se directly.
A slow, announced drop
The long deactivation gives holders time to renew, so a lapsing .se takes patience, but the release itself is announced ahead of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about .se domains.
What is a .se domain?
.se is the country code top-level domain of Sweden, delegated in 1986 and run by Internetstiftelsen. It is open to register worldwide.
How long does it take for an expired .se to drop?
About 67 days: about 60 days of deactivation in which the holder can still renew, then 7 days of quarantine, then release.
Can I renew a deactivated .se?
Yes, if you are its holder. Renew through your registrar during deactivation and the name is reactivated. Once quarantine begins, nobody can recover it.
What is the best way to get a .se that is expiring?
Watch it. The move into quarantine means release is certain and close, and the registry announces names that are about to become available.