.CL Domains

If your project is primarily aimed at a Chilean audience, both are solid choices. Both .cl and .com domains enjoy strong recognition and trust in Chile.

For international projects, however, .com is the recommended option, since it lets you reach users and customers from any country under a single domain.

On the other hand, .cl has the advantage of immediately signaling to Chilean users that the project is based in Chile, which can build greater trust and connection with your site. Search engines also tend to favor .cl domains in Chilean search results over other extensions.

If you try to register a domain related to your brand, company name, or similar, and find it's already taken, you can request that NIC.CL (the organization that manages .cl domain policies) cancel it by filing a "Domain Revocation Request".

This process costs 9,950 Chilean pesos (approximately $14 USD) and is relatively affordable compared to dispute procedures for other domain extensions. Once the claim is submitted, NIC.CL reviews its validity and, if the request is accepted, proceeds to cancel the domain.

To transfer your .cl domain, you'll need to complete three steps first:

1. Unlock your domain: Before a domain can be transferred, you need to make sure the transfer lock is disabled (some control panels show this as "LOCK"). You can do this through your current provider's control panel.
2. Get your authorization code: Also known as an AUTH-Code or EPP Code, this is a security code that verifies the domain holder is the one requesting the transfer. You can usually find it in your domain's control panel at your current provider — you'll need it to initiate a transfer to any other registrar.
3. Check your administrative contact details: The administrative contact is the person responsible for managing the domain and the one who will receive the verification email to confirm the transfer. Go to the "Manage contacts" section at your current provider and make sure your current email address is listed under the administrative contact.

Once you have the authorization code and your domain is unlocked, simply initiate the transfer at the registrar you want to move to. Want to bring your domain to Registros.com? Start the process through the Transfer domain section.

If you decide to manage your domain directly through NIC Chile, you can transfer your domain at any time by initiating a domain move (more information at: https://www.nic.cl/ayuda/tutoriales/traslado.html).

To complete the transfer, you'll need to make sure your domain is unlocked and that you have your authorization code. With Registros.com, you can unlock your domain and retrieve the authorization code directly from the domain control panel within your user account.

Once a .cl domain reaches its expiration date, it is deactivated and enters a quarantine period of 30 days. During this time, the previous owner can recover the domain at any point, though a recovery fee will apply (you can see the current cost in the pricing list above).

Once the quarantine period ends, the domain enters a deletion queue and becomes available for registration again within a maximum of 15 days.

No. In the past, Chilean residency was required to register a .cl domain. However, since 2013, anyone in the world can register a .cl domain regardless of their location.

Registering a .cl domain with Registros.com is fast and easy. Simply search for the domain you want in the search bar at the top of this page. If the domain is available, click "Register" and then "Go to cart".

Next, you can specify the DNS you want to assign to your domain. This lets you connect your domain to external services (for example, if you have hosting with another provider). If you don't have this information yet, just keep the default DNS — you can always update them later.

Once you've finished configuring your domain, all you need to do is create your account and choose a payment method. Your .cl domain will be registered automatically as soon as payment is processed.

Domain prices in Chile vary depending on several factors:

1. The extension or TLD: this is the part of the domain after the dot (e.g. .com, .cl, etc.).
2. Whether any additional services are included (privacy protection, premium DNS, email, hosting, etc.).
3. The registration period.

Prices can also vary slightly between registrars, as each has its own pricing policy. That said, registering a .com domain typically costs between 11,000 and 17,000 Chilean pesos per year (roughly $14–$21 USD), while .cl domains usually range from 11,000 to 20,000 pesos ($13–$25 USD) per year.

You may come across providers offering lower prices. In those cases, pay close attention to renewal rates to avoid surprises — an unusually low initial price often includes a promotional discount that doesn't apply on renewal.

NIC Chile is the institution responsible for administering the database and registration policies for .CL domains.

Every domain consists of a name and an extension (also called a TLD, or top-level domain) — the part of the domain after the last dot. Examples of extensions include com, net, org, online, ai, and of course cl.

Each extension is managed by a company or institution that maintains a registry with the data associated with all domains sharing that particular extension. These companies or institutions are called "registries" and are sometimes referred to as "NICs" — a term that comes from InterNIC, or Network Information Center, the organization that originally oversaw the entire domain name system.

Some extensions are assigned to a specific country (e.g. .cl for Chile), and a national institution takes on the role of registry or NIC. In the case of .cl domains, that institution is NIC Chile, a center belonging to the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Chile.

NIC.CL's responsibilities include managing and maintaining the database of all .cl domain records, ensuring that this information is properly propagated across the main nodes of the internet, and setting the rules and conditions for .cl domain registration.