How to Register a .rs Domain: A Guide for Businesses
By Nemanja Vukmirović, Lizzard Solutions. Last updated 9 November 2026.
A client calls us every few months with the same problem. Their website is down, email has stopped, and nobody knows who “owns” the domain. Usually a former web designer or a relative registered it years ago, in their own name, with an email address nobody reads anymore. Fixing that takes weeks. Preventing it takes ten minutes at registration.
This guide explains how to register a .rs domain for your business the right way: where to buy it, which details to enter, the 20-day verification step most people miss, and the security settings that keep it from being hijacked.
TL;DR
- You don’t buy a .rs domain from RNIDS directly. You register it through one of its accredited registrars, who set their own prices.
- Put the domain in your company’s name (or your own), never in the name of an agency or a freelancer.
- Use an email address you actually read. You must confirm the registration from it within 20 days, or the domain goes inactive.
- Turn on a domain lock or Secure Mode, enable MFA on the registrar account and set the renewal to more than one year.
What Is a .rs Domain and Who Manages It?
A .rs domain is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) of the Republic of Serbia. Its registry, together with the Cyrillic .срб domain, is run by the Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS), a not-for-profit foundation financed by registration fees. End users register .rs names through RNIDS accredited registrars, not with RNIDS itself.
Inside .rs there are several zones. Under RNIDS General Terms, plain .rs is open to everyone, .co.rs is meant for businesses, .org.rs for non-profit legal entities, .edu.rs for educational institutions and .in.rs for individuals. For almost every small business the natural choice is plain .rs.
Since 10 December 2018, .rs names can also use the extended Latin letters of Serbian and national minority languages, so a name with č, ć, š, ž or đ is possible. If you want a fully Cyrillic address, that lives under .срб.
Key takeaway
RNIDS keeps the registry and the rules. Your registrar is the shop where you buy, renew and change the domain. You, or your company, are the registrant, and the registrant holds all the rights.
Should Your Business Use .rs, .com or Both?
If most of your customers are in Serbia, a .rs domain is usually the better primary address. Google’s documentation describes a country-code domain as a strong signal to users and search engines that a site is meant for that country (see Google’s guide to multi-regional sites). It also looks familiar to local customers on a sign, a van or an invoice.
| Your situation | Sensible setup |
|---|---|
| You sell only in Serbia (shop, clinic, service business) | .rs as the main site, optionally the matching .com redirected to it |
| You sell in Serbia and abroad | .rs for the Serbian site, .com for the international one, or one domain with clear language versions |
| You are a Serbian firm selling only to foreign clients | .com as the main site; register the .rs to protect your name |
| You use a Cyrillic brand name | .rs as the main site, plus the .срб version redirected to it |
Whatever you choose, register the obvious variants of your name before someone else does. Redirect them to one main domain so you don’t split your SEO between copies. Our local SEO guide for Serbia explains why one consistent website address matters for your Google Business Profile.
How to Register a .rs Domain: 6 Steps
1. Check whether the name is free
Search the name in the RNIDS WHOIS search. It shows whether the domain is registered and, if it is, its status, expiry date and registrar. Check the .com and .срб versions at the same time.
2. Choose an accredited registrar
Only accredited registrars can register .rs names. They are legal entities or entrepreneurs based in Serbia, and the full list is on the RNIDS list of accredited registrars. Registrars set their own prices and payment methods, so compare the renewal price, not just the first-year offer, and check whether DNS management and domain locks are included.
3. Enter the right registrant
This is the step that causes most problems later. RNIDS advises that the registrant should be you, for personal use, or your company, for business use, because only the registrant has full control. For a company you will typically need the business name, registered address, company registration number (matični broj), email and phone.
Watch out
If an agency registers the domain for you, ask them to enter your company as the registrant and give you access to the registrar account. We cover what else to agree on in our list of questions to ask an IT company in Serbia.
4. Add the administrative and technical contacts and DNS servers
Besides the registrant, you name an administrative contact and a technical contact, and at least two DNS servers. Without DNS servers the domain exists but isn’t visible on the internet. Your hosting or email provider gives you the DNS servers or the records to add.
5. Pay, then confirm by email within 20 days
The name is only secured once you have paid. Before payment, RNIDS has no obligation to you and the name isn’t reserved. After the registrar enters the domain into the registry, RNIDS emails the registrant a summary of the data and a verification link. You must click it within 20 days, otherwise the domain becomes inactive until you do.
6. Choose the registration period
A .rs domain can be registered for one to ten years and renewed an unlimited number of times. A longer period means fewer chances to miss a renewal.
Action for today: look up your current domain in the WHOIS search and check two things: who is listed as the registrar and when it expires.
How Do You Keep a .rs Domain Safe?
A hijacked domain means your website and email go wherever an attacker points them. According to the RNIDS page on domain protection and locks, RNIDS offers three protection levels, two of them free of charge:
- Secure Mode. Every critical change, such as new DNS servers or a new administrative contact, must be confirmed through a time-limited link sent to the administrative contact’s email.
- Client Side Lock (Registrar Lock). Blocks all changes except renewal until the domain is unlocked at the registrar.
- Registry Lock. The highest level, applied at the registry itself, meant for domains a business can’t afford to lose.
These locks are only as strong as the accounts behind them. Protect the registrar account and the administrative contact’s mailbox with multi-factor authentication. If you are setting up company email at the same time, our comparison of Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace helps you pick the mailbox provider.
| Risk | What prevents it |
|---|---|
| Domain expires unnoticed | Multi-year registration, auto-renew at the registrar, renewal reminders going to a mailbox someone reads |
| Former employee or agency controls it | Your company as registrant, company-owned admin email, access to the registrar account |
| Attacker changes the DNS | Secure Mode or a domain lock, plus MFA on the registrar account and the admin mailbox |
| Domain goes inactive after purchase | Clicking the RNIDS verification link within 20 days |
What Happens With Renewals, Changes and Disputes?
Renewals. RNIDS sends reminders before a domain expires, but you renew through your registrar, because RNIDS can’t do it for you (see the RNIDS FAQ). If your details change, such as a new address or a new email, you must update them with your registrar within 15 days.
Moving registrars. You can transfer the domain to another accredited registrar and change the registrant through your registrar. The email address on file is what RNIDS uses to confirm these changes, so keep it current.
Public data. The WHOIS service shows dates, the registrar, status and DNS servers for every domain. Registrant contact details are shown only for legal entities and entrepreneurs, and registrars can activate protection against publishing that data.
Disputes. If someone registers a .rs name that matches your registered trademark, the holder of that trademark can start a procedure before the dispute commission at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The current rules were adopted in March 2026 and are described on the RNIDS domain name disputes page. Disputes over .com and other generic domains go to ICANN-accredited bodies instead.
Note
This article is practical guidance, not legal advice. For a trademark dispute, talk to a lawyer who works with intellectual property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreign company or person register a .rs domain?
Yes. Plain .rs is open to all interested parties under RNIDS General Terms, and you don’t need a registered company in Serbia. You still register through an accredited registrar based in Serbia.
How much does a .rs domain cost?
There is no single price. Each accredited registrar sets its own prices, so compare offers, including the renewal price, on the registrars’ own websites.
How quickly does a new .rs domain start working?
Once the registrar enters it into the registry and the DNS servers are set, it becomes active with the next DNS zone update. Remember to confirm the RNIDS email within 20 days so it stays active.
Our agency registered the domain in its name. What now?
Ask them to change the registrant to your company through the registrar, and to give you access to the registrar account. Do it now, while the relationship is good.
Next Step: Check What Your Domain Is Pointing To
Registering the domain is the start. The site behind it also needs to be fast, secure and easy for Google to read. Our free website audit checks speed, HTTPS, SEO basics and security headers on your current site, and our IT services cover the setup from domain to deployment.
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