If you’ve ever tried transferring your domain just a few days before it expires, you probably felt the same mix of panic and doubt I did.
I thought, “What if my domain expires during the transfer? Will I lose it? Will I have to pay double? Will there be any unexpected problems?”
Because I’ve always heard that transferring a domain close to its expiry date is risky. Everyone says, “Don’t do it — your domain might get stuck or lost!”
But guess what? I actually transferred my domain just 5 days before it expired, it worked perfectly fine.
And yes, it’s actually safe to transfer even a few days before expiration — here’s my full story.
The Situation
My domain was registered at a local company which is a reseller of WebNIC, and the renewal price had gone up to around $15 USD.
Meanwhile, Spaceship was offering a transfer for just $8.17, including a one-year renewal.
Naturally, I decided to move it there.
But there was one catch:
my domain was set to expire in 5 days. 😬
Starting the Transfer
I initiated the transfer on November 4th, while my domain was set to expire on November 9th.
After unlocking the domain and getting the EPP code from WebNIC as the registrar, I submitted it to Spaceship.
A few minutes later, I received an email from WebNIC asking me to approve the transfer.
I clicked “Approve,” got the message saying:
“We have received your transfer approval. We are in the midst of processing this request.”
And that’s it — no further action needed.
Based on the email above, I thought clicking approve button would speed up the transfer process, ignoring the email would automatically complete the transfer 5 days after initial date. But that’s not the case.
In fact, some registrars will immediately release the domain after the domain owner clicks the approve button, but some other registrars will still wait at least 5 days.
The Waiting Game
Most domain guides say it takes “up to 5 days” for transfers to complete.
But here’s what I learned: it’s not an exact 24×5 hours rule.
Transfers work based on ICANN’s administrative process, and registries like Verisign (.com) run updates in batches every few hours.
So even though it should finish in 5 days, it might take 6 or even 7 days depending on timing.
In my case:
- Transfer started : Nov 4
- Expiration date : Nov 9
- Transfer completed : Nov 10 at 12:20 PM
So it actually took about 6 days, not 5 — totally normal.
What Happens When Domain Is Pending Transfer
When a domain is transferring, its WHOIS status shows:
Domain Status: pendingTransfer
This status means:
- The domain is locked by ICANN while the transfer is in progress.
- The old registrar can’t renew or delete it.
- The new registrar can’t modify it yet.
- The registry (Verisign) temporarily keeps it active, even if the expiration date passes.
So even though my domain expired on Nov 9, it stayed online — because ICANN doesn’t allow a domain in “pendingTransfer” to go inactive or “expired” until the process completes.
Pretty cool, right?
The Lesson: Don’t Panic (But Don’t Push It Too Far Either)
If you’re planning to transfer your domain, even 5 days before expiration is safe.
In fact, it might even work 2–3 days before, as long as:
- Your domain is unlocked.
- You have the correct EPP code.
- You approve the transfer email right away.
- The domain is still in the active period (not already expired).
Once you’ve approved the transfer, ICANN will protect the process — and your domain will remain active until it’s done.
What You Should Know About Timing
- Day 0: You start the transfer (and approve it).
- Day 1–5: Registrar waits for confirmation or timeout.
- Day 5–7: ICANN auto-completes the transfer if no action from the old registrar.
- After completion: You’ll see it listed under your new registrar (Spaceship, in my case), with a new 1-year extension added to your domain.
So, yeah — that “Autocompletes in 5 days” message might actually take a bit longer depending on registry sync time.
Domain transfer process you should know
Step 1: The Transfer Order
Everything starts when you order a transfer at your new registrar (in my case, Spaceship).
You enter your domain name and EPP/Auth code (which you get from your old registrar).
At this point, the new registrar sends a request to the registry (for .com domains, that’s Verisign), asking permission to transfer ownership.
Step 2: Domain Status Changes to “pendingTransfer”
Once the transfer request is submitted successfully, your domain enters the status:
Domain Status: pendingTransfer
This means:
- The request was accepted by the registry.
- The old registrar (the one currently managing your domain) is notified.
- The domain is “frozen” — you can’t make changes like DNS edits or contact updates during this phase.
Even if your domain reaches its expiration date, ICANN rules require it to stay active until the transfer process finishes.
Step 3: The Previous Registrar’s Decision
The old registrar has three choices:
- Approve the transfer manually.
✅ This speeds up the process immediately — often completing in just a few hours. - Ignore the request.
⏳ If they don’t take any action, ICANN rules say the transfer will automatically complete after 5 calendar days. - Reject the transfer (only if there’s a valid reason, like a payment dispute or the domain being locked).
❌ This stops the process, but they must notify the registrant with a clear explanation.
In my case, I clicked “Approve” in the confirmation email from WebNIC, but this did not speed up the transfer process, because maybe WebNIC uses an automatic release system after 5 days.
Step 4: ICANN Handles the Automatic Transfer
If the old registrar doesn’t release or reject the domain manually, ICANN’s system automatically finalizes the transfer after 5–7 days.
The registry (Verisign) then updates the record, assigning the domain to your new registrar.
Even if the domain expires during this period, it won’t be deleted — because the “pendingTransfer” status protects it from expiring or being suspended.
Step 5: Transfer Completed
Once the registry approves it, the domain is marked as Transfer completed. Your new registrar will show it as active, and you’ll also get an extra 1-year renewal added automatically (included in the transfer fee).
Final Thoughts
Transferring your domain close to its expiration isn’t as risky as most people think.
The ICANN system is designed to prevent you from losing your domain mid-transfer.
If you handle everything properly and approve the transfer quickly, you’re totally safe.
So next time you see that “Expires in 3 days” warning — don’t freak out.
Just unlock, get your EPP code, approve the email, and chill.
Your domain isn’t going anywhere. 😉