How to Register a Free .com.np Domain in Nepal — Complete 2026 Guide (with Cover Letter)

Quick answer: every Nepali citizen and registered business can get a .com.np domain 100% free, for life — no registration fee, no renewal fee — from register.com.np, run by Mercantile Communication Pvt. Ltd., Nepal's official .np registry. You need three things: a domain name matching your name or company, two name servers, and the correct documents including a properly formatted cover letter. This guide walks through the whole process, including the part that gets most applications rejected.

I've registered and configured dozens of .np domains for clients as a web developer in Nepal, and built a free .np Domain Cover Letter Generator that produces the exact letter format the registry accepts. Here's everything I've learned.

What is a .com.np domain and who can register one?

.np is Nepal's country-code top-level domain (ccTLD). You register at the third level under one of its extensions — and each extension has rules about who it's for:

Extension	Who can register
.com.np	Anyone — individuals (under their own name) and registered businesses. The most common choice.
.org.np	Non-profits, NGOs and community organizations
.edu.np	Schools, colleges and universities
.net.np	Network/IT companies and tech startups
.name.np	Personal domains under your own name
.gov.np	Government bodies only

The golden rule: the domain must match the registrant's name. An individual named Sita Sharma can register sitasharma.com.np (or a close abbreviation); a company called Everest Traders Pvt. Ltd. can register everesttraders.com.np. Random keyword domains under someone else's name get rejected.

What you need before applying

For a personal domain

• Scanned copy of your Nepali citizenship certificate, both sides
• A signed cover letter requesting the registration (format below)

For a company domain

• Company Registration Certificate
• PAN or VAT certificate
• A cover letter on company letterhead, with the company stamp and an authorized person's signature

Critical detail most guides skip: register.com.np accepts documents in JPG/JPEG format only, each under 200 KB. PDFs are rejected, and so are oversized phone photos. If your citizenship scan is too big, compress it with my free in-browser Image Compressor — nothing gets uploaded to any server.

The cover letter: what it is and how to get it right

The cover letter is a short formal request addressed to The Hostmaster, Mercantile Communication Pvt. Ltd., Durbar Marg, Kathmandu. It must state the domain you want, your two name servers, and your identity — and it must be signed. For companies, it goes on letterhead with the company stamp. A wrong or missing cover letter is the single most common reason applications bounce.

Rather than fighting with Word templates, use my free Cover Letter Generator for .np domains: choose Personal or Organization, fill in your details, upload your signature (and stamp + letterhead for companies), and download a ready-to-submit JPG under 200 KB — exactly the format the registry wants. It takes about two minutes.

Step-by-step: registering your free .com.np domain

Step 1 — Search your domain

Go to register.com.np and search for a name matching your citizenship or company name. If it's taken, try a sensible variation or abbreviation.

Step 2 — Create an account and fill the registration form

Sign up, then complete the form: the domain, administrative and technical contacts, and your two name servers. The .np registry doesn't provide DNS, so these come from your hosting provider — or use Cloudflare's free DNS if you don't have hosting yet. Not sure what to enter? Your host's support can tell you in one message, or ask me.

Step 3 — Upload your documents and cover letter

Personal: citizenship (both sides) + signed cover letter. Company: registration certificate + PAN/VAT + stamped cover letter on letterhead. Remember: JPG only, under 200 KB each.

Step 4 — Wait for approval (1–5 working days)

Approval is manual, first-come-first-served. If a document is unclear you'll be asked to re-upload. Once approved, the domain is yours for life — no renewal, ever.

After approval: making the domain actually work

A registered domain is just an address — it needs hosting and a website behind it. Point the name servers at your hosting, install SSL (free via Let's Encrypt on most hosts), and set up your site. Three tips from experience:

• Changing name servers later is slow at the .np registry — pick a host (or Cloudflare) you'll stick with.
• Speed matters from day one: a beautiful domain on slow hosting still loses visitors and rankings. Test any host's demo sites with my Website Speed Checker.
• Budget realistically: the domain is free, but a proper website isn't — see my full breakdown of website development costs in Nepal. If you're selling online, you'll also want eSewa/Khalti payments wired in correctly.

Common mistakes that get .np applications rejected

1. Domain doesn't match the name on the citizenship or company documents.
2. PDF uploads — the registry accepts JPG/JPEG only.
3. Files over 200 KB — compress before uploading.
4. Unsigned cover letter, or a company letter without stamp/letterhead.
5. Blurry document scans — shoot in good light, flat, all corners visible.
6. Wrong name server format — hostnames like ns1.example.com, not IP addresses.

Frequently asked questions

Is a .com.np domain really free forever?

Yes — no registration fee and no renewal fee, for life. You only prove your Nepali connection once, with citizenship or company documents.

How long does approval take?

Typically 1–5 working days. Clean documents and a correct cover letter are the difference between one-day approval and a week of re-uploads.

Can I register a .com.np for a business idea I haven't registered yet?

Not under the business name — company domains require registration documents. Register a personal domain under your own name first, or register the company, then the domain.

Should I choose .com.np or .com?

.com.np is free and great for ranking in Nepali searches; .com costs money but travels internationally. Serving Nepal only? .com.np is the obvious choice. Going global? Consider both, with one redirecting to the other.

Does a free domain mean a free website?

No — hosting and development are separate. The domain saves you NPR ~2,000/year; the website itself is where real budget goes. Here's what websites actually cost in Nepal.

Got your domain approved — or stuck somewhere in the process? Message me and I'll help you sort the DNS, hosting and website. And grab your cover letter from the free generator first.