What is SIDN and where are .nl domains registered?

Who or what is SIDN?
The Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland (SIDN) has been responsible for issuing and registering .nl domain names since 1996. As an individual or business, you can't apply for a .nl domain directly with SIDN. Such an application has to be submitted by a registrar, which SIDN calls a participant. WebOké is an official SIDN participant.

What exactly is a participant?
A participant is a company like WebOké that can register .nl domain names directly with SIDN. There are also (small) companies that aren't participants but still sell .nl names. They buy those through a participant, which adds an extra link in the chain. So it's best to register your domain name with a participant rather than with an intermediary.

Is your current provider refusing to hand over the transfer code for your .nl domain? SIDN can help; see Escalating a transfer with SIDN.

Want to learn more? Take the free DNS course, lesson 1.3 Registry, registrar and registrant: who handles what?.

You might also enjoy reading: The history of the domain name

Want to learn more? Take the free course Choosing and managing a domain name, lesson 1.2 Extensions and their registries.