What happens when a .gr domain expires
A .gr doesn't disappear the day it expires. You get 15 days in which only you can still renew it. After that, anyone can register it. Here is the timeline, and how to make sure your domain never gets close to it.
Updated
- Before the expiry date
- Renew any time. The two years are added to your current expiry date, so renewing early costs you nothing.
- The 15 days after expiry
- Only the current holder can renew the domain.
- After those 15 days
- The name is free for anyone to register.
The 15 days after expiry
When a .gr passes its expiry date, it enters a 15-day period in which only the current holder can renew it. Nobody else can register the name during those days. You renew it through your registrar, the same way as before expiry.
After the 15 days
If the domain still hasn't been renewed, the name becomes free for anyone to register. You no longer have any priority: if you want it back, you have to register it like anyone else, and only if nobody has taken it first.
How to make sure you never lose a .gr
- Turn on auto-renew, and keep a valid payment method with your registrar so the renewal can actually go through.
- Keep the registrant email address current. It's where the registry sends confirmations about your domain, and where reminders reach you.
- Renew early if you're unsure. The two years are added to the current expiry date, so you lose nothing.
How Domainwise keeps your .gr alive
We send expiry reminders 60, 30 and 7 days before a domain expires. With auto-renew on, we renew about 30 days before expiry, so a domain never gets near the 15-day window. Every renewal costs 15€ for two years, the final price with no VAT added.
Is your .gr with another registrar and close to expiry? You can move it to Domainwise for free and keep its expiry date. Read how the transfer works.
Questions
Is there a grace period after a .gr domain expires?
Yes. For 15 days after the expiry date, only the current holder can renew the domain. After that, anyone can register it.
Can someone else register my .gr as soon as it expires?
Not during the 15 days after expiry, when only you can renew it. Once those 15 days pass without a renewal, anyone can.
Do I lose time if I renew before the expiry date?
No. A renewal adds two years to your current expiry date, whenever you do it.
How much does a .gr renewal cost at Domainwise?
15€ for two years, the final price with no VAT added. Two-letter names are priced separately.
Never think about expiry again. Auto-renew at 15€ for two years, with reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days.
Go to your workspaceMore .gr guides
- How to transfer a .gr domain
- What a .gr renewal really costs
- How to change the owner of a .gr
- Register a .gr from outside Greece
Sources: .gr registry FAQ (ICS-FORTH) · Domainwise terms, section 8