How to register a .com.tr or .tr domain

If your business serves customers in Turkey, a Turkish domain tells both visitors and search engines who the site is for. For years that meant paperwork: a .com.tr required documents such as a trademark certificate or a trade registry record. That's over. Turkish domains are now managed through TRABİS, and many extensions, .com.tr among them, are allocated without documents, to whoever applies first.

Here's what to expect when you register a .com.tr or .tr today.

What is TRABİS?

TRABİS is the registry system for .tr domains, run by Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK). You don't apply to TRABİS directly; you apply through an authorized registrar, which submits your details to the registry.

Do you need documents?

It depends on the extension:

No documents: general-purpose extensions such as .com.tr, .net.tr, .org.tr, .gen.tr, .web.tr and .info.tr. First come, first served.
Documents required: professional and public-sector extensions such as .av.tr (lawyers), .dr.tr (doctors), .edu.tr, .gov.tr, .k12.tr, .bel.tr and .pol.tr. These require proof that you're entitled to use the extension.

The .com.tr most businesses want is in the no-documents group.

Why you're asked for an ID number

No documents doesn't mean no verification. The registrant's details go to TRABİS and are checked:

Individuals: a Turkish national ID number (TCKN)
Companies and organizations: a Turkish tax ID number (VKN)

Registrations with wrong or made-up details can be rejected or cause trouble later. That's also why the billing details and the registrant should be the same person or company: whoever the domain is registered to legally owns it.

.tr or .com.tr?

.tr (for example brand.tr) is shorter and easier to remember. According to TRABİS, allocation of these names started on 14 September 2023 with a priority process: public bodies and existing domain holders in certain categories went first, and after that the "first come, first served" rule applies.

.com.tr is the best-known extension in Turkey; when people guess a company's website, they usually try .com.tr first.

Our advice: if both are available, register both and 301-redirect one to the other. You protect your brand, and visitors reach your site whichever address they type. More on the .tr extension.

Registering a .com.tr step by step

Check availability. Type the name into domain search; .com.tr and .tr results show up together.
Decide who owns it. Your company or you personally? You can change this later, but it takes a separate process.
Enter the ID or tax number. The details are checked against TRABİS rules at checkout.
Pay. Registration usually completes within minutes.
Set up DNS. Point the domain to your website and email with name servers or DNS records.

Moving a .com.tr from another registrar

Changing registrar on TRABİS is free and doesn't extend the registration; the domain renews on its original expiry date at the new registrar. See our domain transfer guide or go straight to the transfer page.

FAQ

Can a foreign company register a .com.tr? Because the registrant's ID or tax details are verified by TRABİS, companies with a Turkish tax number can apply with their VKN. If you don't have one, ask your registrar's support team before you apply; requirements depend on the registrant's situation.

Can someone else register my brand as a .com.tr? For no-document extensions, the first applicant gets the name. The most effective protection is to register the names your brand needs early. If a registered name infringes your trademark, TRABİS has dispute resolution service providers (UÇHS) that handle such complaints.

Is .com.tr better than .com for SEO? For a site that targets Turkey, .com.tr signals to search engines that the site is aimed at Turkey. If you target several countries, a .com with a proper language or country structure is usually the better fit.

Summary

Registering a .com.tr today is about as easy as registering a .com: no documents, first applicant wins, and the registrant's identity is verified. If both the .com.tr and the .tr for your brand are free, registering both and redirecting one is the strongest start.