faq s

Who can register a .SX domain name?

Every natural person or organization can register its .SX domain name(s).  An address in the Sint Maarten Island is not required. 

How long is the registration period?

During all phases, the minimum period of registration is 1 year, although domain names can be registered for additional years by paying the Renewal Fee for those additional years.  The maximum number of years a domain name can be registered is 10 years.

How can I get a .SX domain name?

It's quite easy to get your own .SX domain, just contact an accredited registrar of your choice and they will guide you through the registration process.
The overall process is as follows:
1. Check via the whois tool if the domain name you want is still available
2. When you find a name that is available, contact one of the accredited Registrars and ask this registrar to register your .SX domain of your choice.
http://www.registry.sx/registrars/accredited-registrars

What if the name I want contains spaces or special characters?

Domain names may currently only contain:
- The letters a - z
- The numbers 0 - 9
- Hyphens (-)

Domain names should consist of at least 3 letters and/or numbers and a maximum of 63 characters. It is not possible to let your domain start or end with a hyphen. 

What is the cost of a .SX domain name?

The fees that the accredited registrars charge to their customers can vary and depend among other things on the registration services they provide.  A list of all accredited SX Registrars can be viewed under the "Registrar" menu. http://www.registry.sx/registrars/accredited-registrars
From each registrar's website you can see how much they charge. 

How can I become an accredited registrar for .SX domain names?

At the top of most pages of this SX website, click on the "Becoming a Registrar" link.
http://www.registry.sx/registrars/becoming-a-registrar
There will be a step-by-step explanation.  There you can also find examples of the documents that need to be signed.

What is the Sunrise?

The Sunrise process is a series of phases prior to the opening the registry for general registration of domain names. During these phases, holders of certain rights could apply for domain names in a certain order of priority.

The .SX Sunrise process will include the following periods:

i. Grandfather Phase to protect Sint Maarten holders of .AN domain names. This phase ended on July 31st, 2012.
ii. Trademark Sunrise Phase to protect trademark holders. This phase stated May 3rd, 2012 and ended on September 21st, 2012.
iii. Sint Maarten Priority Phases for corporations and individuals. The priority phase for businesses and such will start on September 22nd and end October 21st, 2012. The priority phase for individuals will start on October 7th and end October 21st, 2012.  Read " Sint Maarten Priority " for more information.
iv. Landrush Phase which is a competitive registration phase. This phase will start on October 22nd, 2012 and end November 11th, 2012 at 23:59 UTC.
(19:59 SXM time or 18:59 EST) 
General Availability Phase when anyone can register a domain name on a first come, first served basis. This phase will begin on November 15th, 2012 at 15:00 UTC.
(11:00 SXM time or 10:00 EST)

What is Grandfather Phase and how does it work?

During this period, holders of a .AN domain had the exclusive right to claim the corresponding .SX domain name, providing it was registered before December 10th 2010 with a Sint Maarten administrative address.  The Grandfather Phase ended on July 31st, 2012.

What is Trademark Sunrise Phase and how does it work?

Holders of Registered Trademarks had the priority right to register their .SX domain names, assuming the domain name had not been registered during Grandfather Phase.  All applications during the Trademark Sunrise Phase had to be processed by the Clearing House for Intellectual Property or "CHIP" See "CHIP" entry for details.

What happens if the same Domain Name has more than one legal applicant?

If during the Trademark Sunrise Phase, two or more applicants were approved by CHIP for the same Domain Name, the Domain Name would automatically be sold at auction shortly following the end of this phase. Read the "Auctions" section of the FAQs for more information.

What are the Sint Maarten Priority Phases?

To help individuals and companies from the Island benefit from the .SX domain, .SX Registry has defined two specific phases for individuals and companies established in Sint Maarten. The purpose of these phases is to provide them with the first opportunity to secure their .SX identity before the registry opens to applicants from outside the country.

Does anyone have a greater priority than the people from Sint Maarten?

Yes. The Sint Maarten Priority Phases come right after the priority phase that was granted to companies and individuals from all over the world who own registered trademarks. Such trademark holders must register during the Sunrise Phase to secure their rights.

What do you mean by their .SX identity ?

The purpose of the Sint Maarten Priority Phases is to provide the first opportunity to residents and businesses of Sint Maarten to secure their own, not someone else's . In other words during these phases, Jane Smith will be allowed to register a Doamin Name like "Smith.SX", but not "Madonna.SX", although the Domain Name "Madonna.SX" may be available at the next phase. To better understand what Domain Names are eligible to whom, please read the conditions following below.

If I register a Domain Name, when will it be activated?

Domain Names registered during the Sint Maarten Priority Phase will become active on October 22nd, 2012, right after the closing of this phase.

Domain Name Rules applying to Corporations

Eligibility

To be eligible to register a .SX Domain Name under the Sint Maarten Priority Period, a legal person must be:
i) a company, partnership, association, trust, estate, or any similar legal person, and
ii) have been registered as such with the Sint Maarten Chamber of Commerce as of 2012/01/01.

Restrictions

• The .SX Name must be the same as, or a shortened (or derivative) version of the legal name under which it is registered.
• Only four .SX Domain Names that are derivative of the legal name can be pre-registered by one legal person, excluding permitted additions.
• Permitted additions to the name may be i) hyphens, and ii) variations of the name "Sint Maarten" (read Note 1 below).
• Generic words alone cannot be registered during the .SX Priority Period and a domain name cannot be composed of only generic names (read Note 2 below) or geographic names of the island (read Note 3 below)
• A Domain Name must include at least the identifying word (proper name) of its legal name or may be an acronym of the legal name (read Note 4 below).
• Domain Name of less than 5 letters cannot be registered during Sint Maarten Priority Phases.

Domain Name Rules  applying to Individuals

Eligibility

To be eligible to register a .SX Domain Name under the Sint Maarten Priority Period, individuals must submit a:
i) a Sint Maarten driver's license or
ii) a Sint Maarten government-issued identity card, establishing their residency in Sint Maarten.
Such document must have been valid prior to 2012/01/01.

Restrictions

• An individual can only register his (or her) own name as a Domain Name, or a condensed version on the individual's name wherein one or more names are replaced by initials.
• Such Domain Name can only be registered to the person whose name it is.
• A Domain Name must include one of the names of the individual registering the name and be can only include the individual's actual name(s) (read Note 5 below).
• Up to 2 Domain Names that are derivative of the individual's name can be pre-registered, excluding permitted additions.
• Permitted additions will be i) hyphens, and ii) variations of the name "Sint Maarten" (read Note 1 below).
• Domain Name of less than 5 letters cannot be registered during Sint Maarten Priority Phases.

Examples

Note 1 : Permitted variations of Sint Maarten are: SXM, StMartin, StMaarten, SaintMartin, SintMaarten.
Note 2 : Great Bay Hotel cannot be reduced to "Hotel.sx" or Maho Beach Hotel cannot be reduced to "Beach.sx", but could be reduced to "Maho.sx".
Note 3 : Philipsburg Hotel cannot be reduced to simply "Philipsburg.sx" or “Hotel.sx”.
Note 4 : “Richard C. Smith Group” can become "RCSGroup.sx" or "RCSG.sx".
Note 5 : Robert Smith could register any of the following: “RobertSmith.sx”, "RobertS.sx", "RSmith.sx", “Robert.sx” or “Smith.sx”.
Note 6: Domain Names are not registered with capital letters since they make no difference when used on the Internet in Domain Names. Capital letters were used here simply to better illustrate the names.

What is the Landrush Phase?

The Landrush Phase is the last phase of the new TLD's Sunrise process before Domain Names become available to all on a first-come-first-served basis – also then referred to as "General Availability".

The Landrush Phase occurs following both the initial phase which is reserved for holders of Registered Trademarks and the phases that are reserved exclusively for businesses and individuals based in Sint Maarten.

How is the Landrush Phase different from General Availability?

During the Landrush Phase, Domain Names are not available on a first-come-first served basis.  Instead, the Landrush Phase is a premium-priced phase which targets applicants that are more desirous of securing a particular Domain Name.  During the Landrush Phase, applicants can try to secure such a Domain Name by paying a premium price for it and face the possibility of even competing for it at auction.

How does the auction get triggered?

If during the Landrush Phase, two or more applicants request the same Domain Name, the Domain Name will automatically be sold at auction shortly following the end of this phase.  Read the "Auctions" section of the FAQs for more information.

When will the applicant know whether the Domanin Name is his/hers?

Because of the potential for auction, an applicant will not know before the end of the Landrush Phase's three-week period whether the Domain Name is now his/hers (because the applicant was the only one applying for it) or whether there will be an auction for the Domanin Name (because two or more applicants applied for the same Domain Name). 

When can I register a .SX domain name?

Trademarks – If you have a registered trademark for your name, you can immediately register it through an Accredited Registrar that offers .SX Trademark Sunrise services. Please note that not all Accredited Refistrars offer this service.

Sint Maarten Businesses  – Otherwise, if you are a Sint Maarten company or organization not having a Trademark but that meets the Local Company requirements, you must wait until the Local Company Phase and register your domain name through an Accredited Registrar that offers .SX Trademark Sunrise services. Please note that not all Accredited Refistrars offer this service, yet several Sint Maarten companies are in the process of registering to be Accredited Registrars.

Other Sint Maarteners – Otherwise, if you are a Sint Maarten individual that meets the Local Individual requirements, you must wait until the Local Individual Phase and register your domain name through an Accredited Registrar that offers .SX Trademark Sunrise services. Please note that not all Accredited Refistrars offer this service, yet several Sint Maarten companies are in the process of registering to be Accredited Registrars.

Landrush – If you are not part of the above groups, you have two choice – the Landrush Phase or afterwards during the General Availability Phase. The Landrush Phase is first and lasts three weeks. The Landrush Phase is a premium priced phase. If during the Landrush Phase, more than one applicant requests the same Domain Name, the Domain Name will automatically be sold at auction shortly after this phase.

General Availability – During the General Availability Phase, Domain Names will be sold on a first-come-first served basis.

Please read the Sunrise Process and Sint Maarten Priority sections above for further information.

What are Restricted, Reserved and Premium Domain Names?

Restricted – Restricted Domain Names are names whose use is restricted for various reasons.  Such reasons may be that the Domain Name represents a protected organizations' names, features, services or simply that it is a banned Domain Name.  It may also be reserved for future internal use of the registry.

Premium and Reserved – Premium and Reseved Domain Names are Domain Names that are sold at a higher price due to their high traffic value.

These are currently off the market, yet many are available now and may be acquired by going to ReservedNames.SX for more information.

How can I buy a Domain Name that seems to be on the Restricted Domain Name list?

If you wish to register a Restricted Domain Name, you are welcome to email us and indicate who you are, which Domain Name you wish to register and how you intend to use the Domain Name.  Our team will consider your request. Kindly note that such registration will no doubt be subject to usage and transfer restrictions.

Where can I find a list of Restricted, Reserved and Premium Domain Names?

For reasons of security, confidentiality and marketability, these lists are not publicly available.

How can I find out the status of a particular domain name?

When you search for a specific Domain Name at www.Registry.SX/Get-your-SX, the response will indicate whether that Domain Name is currently Available, Registered, or is a Premium, Reserved or Restricted Domain Name.

SXM Government Domain Name Protection Policy

It is the intention of the Registry that any and all Internet services provided by the Government of Sint Maarten be easily identifiable by the public, offer reliable information and remain secure in their use by the Government, its citizens and all other users.

With this in mind, the Registry together with the Bureau of Telecommunications and Post has implemented and will continue to revise certain naming policies, formats and conventions for Domain Names used by the Sint Maarten Government.

These policies are meant to be applied to and to protect any and all services provided by the Sint Maarten Government and any of its related ministries, departments, boards, authorities, services, agencies, offices and personnel (" SXMG ") via the internet.

These policies shall apply as they relate to any of SXMG's websites, electronic mail servers, files servers or any other services using Domain Names (" SXMG Service(s) ").

To that effect, the Registry reserves the rights to suspend and/or block any Domain Name that threatens the security, identity and/or reliability of any SXMG Service.  Such enforcement may be implemented as a decision of the Registry (with due notification to the Bureau Telecommunications and Post of Sint Maarten) or at the request of the Sint Maarten Bureau of Telecommunications and Post.

These policies shall extend to any Domain Name 1) the use of which may cause confusion, whether intentionally or not, with any SXMG Services, 2) the identity of which may cause confusion, whether intentionally or not, with any part of SXMG, or 3) the use of which does not follow SXMG Service Domain Name identification guidelines.

These policies shall also extend to Domain Names previously registered by and/or implemented by any SXMG.

The Registry reserves the rights to suspend and/or block any Domain Name contravening to the above policies without any advance notice.

I represent a Government of Sint Maarten service which needs its own email or website address, how can I register such a Domain Name?

Simply contact the Sint Maarten Bureau of Telecommunications and Post and explain your requirements to them.  They will promptly assist you to secure your Domain Name and take care of the registration on your behalf.

What about disputes?

.SX Registry offers an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) via the independant Czech Arbitration Court.  More information can be found on our site.  You can also write to Dispute@Registry.SX

What is the whois?

The WHOIS is a database containing all .SX domain names that have been registered to date. By querying a name you are able to see if the domain is already registered or not i.e. whether it is still available. If the name has already been registered you will be able to see who registered it.

What do the different statuses of domain names mean?

EPP status flags are shown.

What is a transfer?

A transfer is the change of registrar of a domain. The ownership does not change.

How do I transfer my domain name(s)?

If you would like your domain name to be managed by another registrar, you have to request your current registrar to transfer that domain to your new registrar. Hence you need to inform both your current registrar and your new registrar. Only Accredited Registrars can process transfer applications. Once we received the transfer request (the 'push') from your current registrar, an email is issued to the new registrar. If the transfer is not confirmed, the procedure will be terminated and your current registrar should initiated a new transfer.

What happens if I make a mistake when initiating a transfer?

If you make a mistake, you will have to wait until the request has expired (10 days). Afterwards you can initiate transfer again.

How long does it takes to complete the transfer?

When the request has been confirmed by all parties involved, the domain will be transferred instantly with a minimum of delay.

Can domains be transferred in bulk?

Yes, this is technically possible. Contact your accredited registrar for more information.

How do I delete my Domain Name?

Request your Accredited Registrar to delete your Domain Name.  You will need to specify as of when you want the Domain Name to be deleted.  Deletions must be requested before the expiration date of your Domain Name.

How do I get back my deleted Domain Name?

Following the deletion, the Domain Name will be in Redemption Period for 45 days.  Afterwards, it will be deleted and made available to the public for registration again.

There are 3 options to get back your Domain Name:

• If the deletion data has not yet passed, you can ask your registrar to undelete the Domain Name.
• If the deletion data has passed, but the Domain Name is still in its redemption period, you can ask your registrar to reactivate the Domain Name. You will be separately charged for reactivation.
• If the redemption period passed as well, you can re-register the Domain Name (but so can third parties!).

What happens to my  Domain Name after deletion?

Any "delete" of a Domain Name will result in a 45-day Deleted Name Redemption Grace Period. This grace period will allow the Domain Name registrant, registrar, and/or Registry time to detect and correct any mistaken deletions. During this 45-day period, the deleted Domain Name will be placed on REGISTRY-HOLD, which will cause the name to be removed from the zone. (The Domain Name therefore will not function/resolve.) This feature will help ensure notice to the registrant that the name is subject to deletion at the end of the Redemption Grace Period, even if the contact data the registrar has for the registrant is no longer accurate. During the Redemption Grace Period, registrants could redeem their registrations through registrars. Registrars would be able to redeem the Domain Name for the original registrant by paying renewal fees, plus a service charge, to the Registry.

Who are the partners?

Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP) is the independent regulatory authority for the Telecommunications and Post industry in St. Maarten.  BTP is responsible for the maintenance of a competitive environment in St. Maarten in the industries with which it is tasked to regulate.  BTP executes its tasks through consultations with industry participants and stakeholders, focused on attaining quality and affordable communications for all, working towards establishing an environment that support continuous growth and development within the industries.

CIRA : CIRA's Fury Registry Platform is a next-generation TLD management platform with the features and functionality designed for the modern TLD business. Fury features a modern interface with roles-based access that provides flexibility in pricing, promotion, and domain management to help operators run their business and grow their registry.

Pool.com : Pool is the provider chosen by SX Registry to handle possible auctions for competing bids in its Sunrise and Landrush phases.

OCIX - Open Caribbean Internet eXchange : The OCIX is an organization that was formed in 2006 to represent the Internet community in Sint Maarten and the neighboring Caribbean Islands in their effort to create an Internet Exchange. At the time of formation, pending regulation and uncertainty meant that collaboration between different businesses in the Internet industry was a necessity. OCIX is now fully operational and is willing to assist anyone in partaking in the Internet Exchange. OCIX has been carefully constructed to be a representative of the entire Internet community, and focuses on issues that concern Internet Service providers, Content Providers and end-users.

LACTLD: The Latin America & Caribbean Top Level Domain Association is a non-profit association now regrouping the ccTLD's of 27 different countries in its region. Its aim is to bring together the ccTLD's of Latin America and the Caribbean.  It's objectives are to coordinate policies and promote strategies for the development of domain names in the region, represent its members’ interests in different associations and international/regional forums, promote the development of ccTLDs in the region, foster cooperation and exchange among its members to guarantee stability in the operations of ccTLDs, and establish cooperation ties with analogous associations in the different regions. 

I'm a Registrar, where can I get additional technical information?

If you cannot find the answer you need in our Registrar section on this website, you can find more documentation on our Registrar-only website on the following page:
secure.registry.sx/registrar/docs/index.html .

You can also find a more relevant FAQ page on our Registrar website at:
secure.registry.sx/registrar/docs/faq.html .

Please note that you will need to enter your Accredited Registrar credentials to access this website.