Midway through the free .com.np application at register.com.np, the form demands something unexpected: nameservers, usually two of them. Unlike global registrars that park your domain with defaults, the NIC.np registry requires real nameserver entries before approval. Here is what that means and how to satisfy it painlessly.

What Nameservers Actually Do

Nameservers are the address books of the internet. When someone types yourname.com.np, their browser asks your nameservers where the website lives, which server handles your email, and so on. The registry stores which nameservers answer for your domain; everything else about your DNS lives on those servers, not at the registry.

Where to Get Nameservers

  1. From your hosting provider (recommended): every hosting account comes with a nameserver pair such as ns1.example-host.com and ns2.example-host.com, listed in your welcome email or control panel. Buying hosting first makes the application one smooth step.
  2. From a free DNS service: services like Cloudflare provide nameservers at no cost. Create an account, add the domain, and use the two nameservers assigned, then complete hosting later.
  3. From your web agency: if a company is building your site, ask them for the nameservers before you apply; it takes them thirty seconds to provide.

Entering Them Correctly

  • Copy and paste rather than retyping; one misplaced character fails validation.
  • Enter hostnames like ns1.host.com, not IP addresses, unless specifically instructed.
  • Provide at least two, from the same provider, in the order given.

With valid nameservers, complete documents and a proper cover letter, approval normally arrives in 1 to 3 business days.

Changing Nameservers After Approval

Switching hosts later is routine: log in to your register.com.np account, open the domain, replace the old nameserver entries with the new pair, and save. The change propagates across the internet within a few hours to a day. Your domain registration itself never moves; only the pointer changes.

What Happens Behind the Scenes During a Nameserver Change

Because DNS records are cached across the internet according to their TTL value (covered in depth in our DNS propagation guide), a nameserver change does not switch instantly and globally — some visitors and services will see the old nameservers' answers for a period after the change, while others see the new ones, until every cache holding the old records naturally expires. For a planned hosting migration, this means keeping the old hosting account active and unchanged for at least 24-48 hours after updating nameservers, so any visitor still resolving against the old servers does not hit a broken or outdated site during the transition window.

Common Nameserver Questions During Application

  • No hosting yet and no Cloudflare account? Set up free DNS first; it is a ten-minute task.
  • Host gave four nameservers? Entering the first two is fine.
  • Using website builders? They publish their nameservers in their help pages; use those.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change nameservers as often as I want?

Yes, free of charge, from your registry account. Each change takes effect after DNS propagation.

Do nameservers affect my email?

Indirectly, yes. Whoever runs your nameservers hosts the DNS records that route email, so plan mail settings when you switch.

What if my host changes its nameservers someday?

Hosts announce such changes; you would update the pair in your registry account the same way as any switch.

Simplest route: get hosting from WebsNP, and we supply the nameservers and file the domain with you. Check availability via domain search or see the complete guide.