What happens when a .pk domain expires?
If a .pk domain is not paid for by its expiry date, it is deactivated, so your website and email stop working. Registrars say it then stays on hold for about two weeks, when the owner can still pay to reinstate it. After that, the name may be released for anyone to register. PKNIC does not publish this timing, so confirm with it or your registrar.
The three stages after expiry
A .pk domain does not vanish on the day it expires. It moves through a short sequence, and each stage matters to you.
Two registrars describe the sequence in similar terms. PKNIC's public renewal page does not state it, so treat the days below as a guide and confirm with PKNIC or your registrar.
- Expiry date: if payment has not arrived, the domain is deactivated.
- Hold period: about two weeks, when the owner can still reinstate it by paying.
- Release: if nobody pays, the name may be offered for public registration, first come, first served.
What breaks when the domain is deactivated
Deactivation switches the name off. Your website will stop loading. Email on that domain, such as orders@yourshop.pk, stops arriving too. For a small shop or freelancer, that can mean missed customer messages and missed payments.
Links and invoices that point to the domain will show errors until it is reinstated.
This is why we tell customers to treat the expiry date like a rent due date, not a suggestion.
The two-week hold and the risk of release
Registrars report that a deactivated .pk domain stays on hold for roughly two weeks. In that window the original owner can usually reinstate it by making the payment. Ask your registrar about any extra charge before you rely on this window.
If the hold ends without payment, one registrar says the name is released for public registration at about the 14-day mark. Anyone can then try to register it, including someone who wants the name you built your brand on.
Do not plan around the hold period. Plan to renew before expiry.
How to renew a .pk domain in time
PKNIC charges for .pk and .com.pk on a two-year basis, and you can pay for up to ten years in advance. PKNIC's fee is Rs 2,100 per year for registrants based in Pakistan, and USD 15.99 per year for overseas registrants. See /pk-domain-price/ for how this fits into the full cost.
PKNIC says invoices are generally issued a few weeks before expiry. You can pay by credit or prepaid card, ask an agent or registrar to pay for you, or send a cheque or bank draft. Cash is not accepted.
If you bought through a reseller, ask them to renew and confirm the new expiry date in writing. Our guide at /pk-domain/ explains how .pk names work.
How we help you at SastiDomains
We are a small Pakistani company. We register new domains in the customer's own name through PKNIC or a registrar, and we run a marketplace where owners sell existing domains with payment held in escrow.
We take payment in rupees by bank transfer, Raast, JazzCash or Easypaisa, and sales are handled on WhatsApp. We aim to file the same working day the payment arrives. Unpaid orders cancel after 48 hours.
Keep your own calendar note for your expiry date as well. To check a name or register a new one, start at /domains/ or /register-pk-domain/.
If you have already lost the name
If the hold has ended, first check whether the name is still free. Use /domains/ to search it. If nobody has taken it yet, you may be able to register it again, but it would be a new registration, so the usual two-year minimum and fees apply.
If someone else now owns it, you can make an offer. Browse the marketplace at /#browse, where payment is held in escrow until the transfer is done. Read /buy-domain/ for the steps.
Otherwise, pick a close alternative. /domain-name-ideas-pakistan/ and /pk-vs-com-pk-vs-com/ can help you choose, and /domain-name-rules/ lists what is allowed.
Common questions
How long do I have to renew a .pk domain after it expires?
Registrars describe a hold of about two weeks after deactivation, during which the owner can reinstate by paying. PKNIC's public renewal page does not state this period, so confirm with PKNIC or your registrar.
Can someone else register my .pk domain after it expires?
Possibly. One registrar says an unrenewed .pk name is released for public registration about 14 days after expiry, first come, first served.
How much does renewing a .pk domain cost?
PKNIC's fee is Rs 2,100 per year for Pakistan-based registrants and USD 15.99 per year for overseas ones, charged on a two-year basis. A registrar or reseller may add its own charges.
Does my email stop when the domain expires?
Yes. Once the domain is deactivated, the website and any email on that domain stop working until it is reinstated.