A Wix domain transfer moves your domain's registration to Wix, so its contact details, DNS records and renewal payments are all managed in your Wix account. You start it from Domains in your Wix account with Add an Existing Domain, and it can take up to 7 days to complete.
Here's the catch most people hit. A domain is locked from transfer for 60 days after it's registered, transferred or has its registrant details changed, as of October 2026. So if you tidy up the contact details at your old registrar just before moving, you've locked yourself out for two months. And once a transfer's started, Wix can't cancel it for you. Only your current registrar can.
Before you start the transfer
Wix's own checklist is short, and skipping a step is the usual reason for delays. Upgrade your site with a plan before you connect the domain. Get the authorization code, also called the EPP code, from your current registrar; it's usually sent to the domain's registered email. Make sure the domain's unlocked at the registrar. Check that 60 days have passed since registration or the last contact change. And switch off Private Registration, sometimes called WHOIS Privacy, so you don't miss the emails about the transfer.
Not every domain can move. Wix takes a long list of extensions, including .com, .org, .net, .ai, .ca, .co, .de, .fr, .nl, .me and .co.uk and .uk, along with newer ones such as .shop, .store and .online. Premium domains, the high-value names registrars resell, can't be transferred at all. If yours can't come across, you can still connect it, and my guide on how to connect a domain to Wix walks through that.
Moving a domain to Wix, step by step
- Go to Domains in your Wix account, click Add an Existing Domain and select Transfer your domain to Wix.
- Click Start Transfer, enter the domain and choose the host you bought it from, then click Continue.
- In another browser tab, log in to your current host and remove the transfer lock, then tick I logged in and I unlocked it.
- Paste the authorization code from your current host, with no spaces after it.
- Choose an extension period of at least one year. A free domain voucher is applied automatically here if you have one.
- Check your contact information, choose Private or Public Registration and complete the purchase.
Wix then emails the domain's registrant address from [email protected] to confirm the transfer's started. While it runs, the status may show as pending or in progress, which is normal. Wix can't speed it up, but you can check progress in Domains or with the Whois Lookup tool.
What a transfer to Wix costs you
| Question | Wix's answer, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Is there a transfer fee? | No. You must buy at least one more year of registration |
| Do I lose time I've already paid for? | No. Remaining time carries over and the new year is added on |
| Can I use my free domain voucher? | Yes, on listed extensions. It's applied when you pick the extension period |
| Does my old privacy setting carry over? | No. It applies until the old subscription ends, then your Wix choice takes over |
| What if the transfer fails? | Transfer payments are refunded automatically |
| Why wasn't my .mx domain extended? | Its transfer fee equals a one-year extension, so buy more than one year |
The free domain voucher comes as a one-year gift with the first purchase of selected Studio site plans. It works with fewer extensions than the transfer list, among them .com, .net, .org, .ca, .de, .nl, .info, .shop and .store. Your privacy choice matters more than it looks: pick Public Registration and your name and address stay in the WHOIS records, and you can only switch to private when you manually extend the domain.
When a transfer to Wix fails
A failed transfer shows a message on your Domains page, and it almost always comes down to one of two things. Either the domain's locked, because the registrar's transfer lock is on or the 60 days haven't passed, or the authorization code was wrong. For a lock, confirm with your registrar that the domain can be transferred and try again once it's free. For a bad code, repeat the process with the exact code, the domain spelled correctly and no trailing spaces, and ask your old host for a new code if it keeps failing. Wix refunds the registration payment automatically, and asks you to allow up to 45 days, or 45 business days in its troubleshooting article, for it to come through.
If the transfer succeeds but your old site still shows, it usually sorts itself out in a few days. To fix it straight away, clear your browser's cache and flush the DNS.
UK domains work differently
A .co.uk or .uk domain doesn't use an EPP code. Instead, you change the domain's IPS tag at your current host, and for a move to Wix the tag is TUCOWS-CA. If you can't change it yourself, your host can do it for you. Tick I logged in and I updated it in your Wix account and the rest runs like any other transfer, up to 7 days.
Moving a UK domain away from Wix is the reverse. Get the new provider's IPS tag first, then open Domain Actions next to the domain, click Transfer away from Wix, review the details, enter the tag and submit. Contact your new provider straight away, because some need to accept the request manually, a handshake, and it should happen within 5 days or the transfer may be rejected. For more on the registry side, here's my explainer on co.uk domains.
Expired domains and moving between Wix accounts
You can transfer an expired Wix domain to another host only during its grace period, roughly 30 days from expiry. After that it enters the redemption period and can't be transferred, and a failed transfer of an expired domain can push it into redemption, which carries a retrieval fee. Wix's advice is to extend the expired domain first, without changing its contact details, since that would lock it for 60 days. Some extensions, including .de, .fr, .nl, .me and .mx, get no grace period: renewal payments are collected 30 days before expiry, and an unpaid domain enters redemption 2 days before its expiration date.
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A domain bought elsewhere can only sit in one Wix account at a time. To move it, copy its DNS records, remove it from the first account and connect it in the second. A Wix domain moved between Wix accounts needs extending in the new account, from Extend next to the domain, or it'll expire at the end of its registration period.
My verdict on transferring a domain to Wix
I'd transfer the domain in if your site lives on Wix for the long haul and you want one bill and one login, since you keep every day you've already paid for. I'd connect it instead if it's a premium name, if you changed the contact details recently, or if your email depends on the current host. Whatever you choose, don't touch the registrant details for the two months before a move.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a Wix domain transfer take?
Usually up to 7 days. Wix can't speed it up, but you'll get emails if anything else is needed.
Does it cost anything to transfer a domain to Wix?
Wix doesn't charge a transfer fee, but you must buy at least one more year of registration, and any time left on the domain carries over.
Why can't I transfer my domain to Wix?
It's usually locked, either by the registrar's transfer lock or because it's been less than 60 days since registration, a transfer or a contact change. A wrong authorization code also stops it.
Can I cancel a domain transfer to Wix?
Wix can't cancel it once it's started. Contact your current registrar if you need to stop it.
How do I transfer a .co.uk domain to Wix?
Change the domain's IPS tag to TUCOWS-CA at your current host, then complete the transfer in your Wix account. No EPP code is needed.
