Contents:
1. Applying for an edu.au domain name
2. Domain name lifecycle
3. Standard renewal process
4. Bulk renewal
5. Automatic renewal process
6. Domain expiry date synchronisation
7. Cancelling a registration or renewal
1. Applying for an edu.au domain name
To apply to register an edu.au domain name, applicants must complete
this online form. The application process consists of the following steps:
- 1. Domain search
- 2. Domain availability
- Confirming availability
- Option to search for additional/alternate domains
- 3. Summary & DNS
- Summary of domains being applied for
- Opt in for additional Domain Manager features
- 4. Account details (if not signed in)
- New customer details; or
- Prompt for existing account credentials
- 5. Registrant contact details
- 6. Eligibility details
- ABN or ACN of the applicant
- Nominated eligibility category
- Supporting statement
- 7. Billing details
When your application has been submitted successfully, the workflow number for your order will be displayed on screen. New customers will receive a welcome email to the address provided in Step 4. It will contain an account reference and temporary password to access the management console. Existing customers can view their recent orders via the
Order tab while signed into the management console.
On receipt of an application, the proposed domain name will typically be raised for review on the same or next business day. If more information or supporting documentation is needed from either the applicant or a third party to determine eligibility as required by the Schedule A of .au Domain Administration Rules: Licensing, processing times will vary based on when it is received.
Once the application has been processed, the nominated account contact will receive an email either confirming that that domain name has been registered or that the domain name has been rejected (including the grounds on which the registrar was unable to approve the application).
Domain names are currently licensed for a period of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 years.
The option to renew a domain name becomes available at 90 days from the expiry date.
If no renewal is placed, the domain name will enter a suspended state. While in this state, any services that were attached to the domain name will no longer be accessible. After the expiry date, registrants have a 60-day grace period in which to renew a domain name before the domain name is deleted from the registry and made available for others to register.
All renewals, whether processed in the 90 days before the expiry date or in the 60-day grace period following the expiry date, will extend the licence by the number of years selected from the expiry date.
3. Standard renewal process
The standard renewal process in an opt-in process. Renewal reminder notices are issued to both the primary and secondary contact email addresses set at the account level. Unless renewed in the interim, the notices will be issued at the following intervals:
- 88 days from the expiry date
- 30 days from the expiry date
- 5 days from the expiry date.
The reminder notices will contain a direct link to allow you to submit a renewal for the associated domain name. Alternatively, you can also submit the renewal by signing in to the
management console using your account reference, and then doing any one of the following three things:
- following the prompts when you first sign in
- selecting the Domains due for renewal link in the Account Alerts tab
- selecting the Renew link in the Overview table.
On successful processing of the renewal, both the primary and secondary contact email addresses set at the account level will receive a confirmation with the associated tax invoice attached.
Please note
If you need to renew your domain name registration and do not have access either to the email address that received the renewal reminder notices or to the management console, you can submit your renewal via
this page. The confirmation and associated tax invoice will still be issued to the primary and secondary contact email addresses set at the account level. If these details are no longer current, please
contact our support team for assistance.
To renew multiple domain names at once, do the following.
- Sign in to the management console using your account reference.
- From the Overview tab, select the View summary of all domains link.
- Select the checkboxes for the domains you wish to renew.
- Select Renew selected and follow the prompts.
By default, the management console will issue separate invoices for each domain name that is renewed.
If you would prefer a consolidated invoice, please
contact our support team for assistance.
5. Automatic renewal process
The automatic renewal process in an opt-out process. A renewal reminder is issued to both the primary and secondary contact email addresses set at the account level 60 days from the expiry date. This notice confirms the intention to automatically renew the domain name within the next 30 days, and the terms and conditions of the renewal.
The notice also includes the option to renew immediately or opt out of the renewal.
On successful processing of the renewal, both the primary and secondary contact email addresses set at the account level will receive a confirmation with the associated tax invoice attached.
To manage automatic renewals for your domain name, do the following:
- Sign in to the management console using your account reference.
- From the Overview tab, select the View summary of all domains link.
- Toggle the auto-renew setting in the far right column of the table.
Please note
To use the automatic renewal process, a default billing method must be set for the account. It is not possible to use the auto-renew feature on a post-paid basis. If no default billing method is set, the automatic renewal will fail and the domain name will revert to the standard renewal process. For further details regarding the default billing method, see the
Billing and invoices page.
6. Domain expiry date synchronisation
To assist with managing renewals, where a registrant holds multiple domain name registrations the registrar may agree to a one-off registration period of less than a whole number of years in order to synchronise the expiry dates of the registrations managed under the one account.
The associated fee is calculated on a pro-rata basis in 6 month blocks.
If you would like to synchronise the expiry dates of domain names under your management, please
contact our support team for assistance.
7. Cancelling a registration or renewal
Before the confirmation email and invoice have been issued,
pending applications can be cancelled by
contacting our support team.
Pending renewals under the standard renewal process do not require cancellation. Where no renewal is submitted by the registrant, the domain name will be deleted from the registry following the expiry date and the renewal grace period.
For pending renewals under the automatic renewal process, before the confirmation email and invoice have been issued the registrant must email a cancellation request to registrar@esa.edu.au from an authorised contact for the account.
Once a registration or renewal has been processed and an invoice issued, the registry provides a 72-hour grace period in which the order can be reversed without charge. To have the order reversed and a refund issued, an email requesting cancellation must be sent to registrar@esa.edu.au from an authorised contact for the account within the 72-hour grace period.
Outside this grace period, existing domain names can be cancelled or deleted from the registry mid-licence period (for example if the registrant ceases to operate or no longer meets the eligibility criteria), or at the request of an authorised contact. Any remaining time on the licence will be forfeited.
