.cm transfer
Transfer your .cm domain name to ZoomLab
To transfer a .cm domain name to ZoomLab, ask your current registrar for the authorization code, send it to us with the domain name, then approve the request. The registrant does not change, your website and emails keep working, and renewals are then charged at the official ANTIC price: 7,000 FCFA per year for a Cameroonian registrant.
ZoomLab is the domain name and hosting service of Honowa Technologies SARL, a registrar accredited by ANTIC, based in Makepe, Douala. ANTIC accreditation: 24-976 ANTIC/DG du 18 avril 2024.
Pick the right one
Transfer, change of registrant or migration: what do you need?
People often say "transfer" for three different operations. Telling them apart saves weeks of waiting.
Registrar transfer
Your domain leaves your current provider and is managed by ZoomLab. The registrant stays the same.
Change of registrant (assignment)
The domain passes from one person or company to another. It requires the written consent of both parties and the new registrant's documents.
Hosting migration
You only move the website and emails to another server. Changing the DNS is enough; the domain can stay with its current registrar. At ZoomLab, migration is free with our hosting plans.
See the plansThese operations can be combined: for example, recover a domain registered in your former provider's name (change of registrant), then transfer it to ZoomLab and migrate your website there.
Checks
Before you start: 4 checks
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1
Who is the domain registrant?
A transfer does not change the registrant. If the domain was registered in the name of your web agency or a former employee, they will have to give their consent. Check the registrant on your invoice, in your customer area or in the .cm WHOIS (whois.nic.cm server, run by ANTIC). Not sure how to read the result? Send us the domain name and we will check with you.
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2
When does it expire?
An expired or suspended domain must be renewed first. Start the transfer well before the expiry date: ideally at least a month ahead, to keep some margin if the request has to be restarted.
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3
Was the domain registered or transferred recently?
The registry may block a new transfer during the 60 days following a registration or a previous transfer. If that is your case, wait until this period ends.
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4
Is the domain locked?
Some registrars enable a transfer lock. Ask them to remove it when you request the authorization code.
Process
Transfer your .cm to ZoomLab in 5 steps
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1
Contact us
Send the domain name through the "Transfer a domain" form or on WhatsApp. We check the registrant, the expiry date and whether it can be transferred.
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2
Request the authorization code
Your current registrar gives it to the registrant or the domain's administrative contact (also called transfer code or EPP code).
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3
Send the code and documents
Along with the code, the registrant's documents: ID for an individual, RCCM or articles of association for a company, registration receipt for an association. We confirm the exact list.
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4
Pay the fees
By MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, bank transfer or cash. You receive a receipt in the name of the person or company of your choice.
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5
Approve the request
Confirm the transfer with your current registrar. Once the transfer is accepted, we confirm we have taken over the domain and its new expiry date.
Pricing
How much does a .cm transfer cost?
Renewal afterwards
7,000 FCFA
/year · .cm
Cameroonian registrant. Official ANTIC price, no increase in the second year.
Transfer fee
Quoted upfront
The amount is given during the free check, before you do anything.
Foreign or diaspora registrant
On request
Foreign individual or company.
With ZoomLab hosting
Free migration
Every plan includes a domain name: Start 25,000 FCFA, Pro 30,000 FCFA, Business 50,000 FCFA per year.
See the plansRegistered domain names are non-refundable; hosting is refunded pro rata within 30 days.
No downtime
Your website and emails during the transfer
A registrar transfer does not touch your DNS servers: your website and emails keep working throughout. Nothing switches over until you decide so.
During the transfer
- Website
- Online
- Emails
- Delivered as usual
- DNS servers
- Unchanged
Changing hosting provider too?
We follow the order of our migration guide:
- Full backup of the website, databases and emails.
- Copy and test the website on the new server.
- TTL lowered to 300 seconds at least 24 hours before the switch.
- Switch of the A and MX records at a quiet time.
- Recovery of the last emails received on the old server.
We also note the special records (SPF, DKIM, Google verifications, subdomains) so nothing is lost.
Read the migration guideDomain held back
My provider won't give my domain back: what can I do?
A common situation: an agency or developer registered the domain for you, then stopped answering.
We can help you draft these letters and follow the case with you.
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1
Check the registrant (WHOIS, invoice, contract). If the domain is in your name, you have the right to transfer it: only the authorization code is missing.
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2
Request the code in writing (email or letter) from your provider and its registrar, attaching your registrant documents. Keep a record of every exchange.
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3
If the domain is in the provider's name, an assignment is needed: their written consent, your documents, then the transfer.
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4
If you are blocked, the policy provides for ANTIC's dispute resolution procedure, and otherwise the competent Cameroonian courts.
Why ZoomLab
Why transfer your .cm to ZoomLab?
ANTIC-accredited registrar
Honowa Technologies SARL, RCCM RC/DLA/2023/B16700, NIU M102316251222D. ANTIC accreditation: 24-976 ANTIC/DG du 18 avril 2024.
Official, stable price
7,000 FCFA per year, the same at every renewal.
Domain in your name
Never in ZoomLab's name. You remain free to leave at any time.
Expiry reminders
By email and WhatsApp, so you never lose a domain by forgetting.
Full DNS management
A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, compatible with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Local payment
MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, bank transfer or cash.
Human support
In French and English, Monday to Saturday from 8am to 7pm, critical incidents handled 24/7.
FAQ
Questions about transferring a .cm
How much does it cost to transfer a .cm domain name to ZoomLab?
The transfer fee is quoted before you do anything, during the free check. Renewals are then charged at the official ANTIC price: 7,000 FCFA per year for a Cameroonian registrant, with no increase in the second year. For a foreign registrant, the price is on request.
Where do I find the authorization code for my .cm?
The authorization code (or transfer code) is requested from your current registrar. It is given to the registrant or the domain's administrative contact. Ask at the same time for any transfer lock to be removed.
Will my website and emails go down during the transfer?
No. A registrar transfer does not change your DNS servers: your website and emails keep working throughout. If you also change hosting provider, the switch happens when you choose.
Does the transfer change the owner of the domain?
No. A transfer does not change the registrant: the domain stays in the name of the registered person or company. Changing the registrant requires an assignment with the written consent of both parties and the new registrant's documents.
My provider refuses to give my domain name back, what can I do?
First check who the registrant is, on the invoice or in the .cm WHOIS. If the domain is in your name, request the authorization code in writing from the provider and its registrar. If it is in the provider's name, their written consent is required; if you are blocked, ANTIC's dispute resolution procedure can be started.
Can I transfer a .cm I have just registered?
The registry may block a transfer during the 60 days following a registration or a previous transfer. After that, the registrant can transfer the name to another accredited registrar at any time.
Can I transfer an expired domain?
An expired or suspended domain must be renewed first, possibly with recovery fees. To avoid any risk, start the transfer at least a month before the expiry date.
Do I need to transfer the domain to change hosting provider?
No. To move a website, changing the DNS is enough; the domain can stay with its current registrar. ZoomLab can do both: migrating your website is free with our hosting plans, and the domain can be transferred at the same time or later.
Start your transfer
Send us your domain name: we check for free whether it can be transferred and tell you exactly what to ask your current registrar.
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