Web design and development · Delivered online · anywhere in Ireland
Domains, hosting and email
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Domains, hosting and email: what the job involves
Setting up or moving the plumbing behind a website: registering a .ie or .com domain, choosing hosting, pointing DNS, and setting up business email on the domain with the records that stop it landing in spam. Done properly, everything is in the business’s own name.
Also asked for as: .ie domain · business email setup · domain name registration · move my website hosting · email going to spam
How the job is usually done
- List what exists now: domain, registrar, hosting, email provider and who holds each login.
- Register or transfer the domain in the business’s name, with evidence of a connection to Ireland for .ie.
- Choose hosting and email suited to the site and team, considering where data is stored.
- Move the site and mailboxes if needed, with a backup and a plan to avoid downtime.
- Set DNS records, HTTPS certificates and email authentication (SPF, DKIM and DMARC).
- Test the site, email sending and receiving, and hand over a record of every account and renewal date.
Domains, hosting and email: what is included
Usually included
- Domain registration or transfer into the business’s name
- Hosting setup or migration
- DNS, HTTPS and email authentication records
- Business email setup for the agreed mailboxes
- A record of accounts, logins and renewal dates
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Domain, hosting and email subscription fees, paid by the business
- Moving very large mail archives, unless agreed
- Setting up staff laptops and phones, which is IT support
- Website changes beyond getting it running on the new hosting
Materials and who supplies them
- Domain registration, hosting and email plans, bought in the business’s own name
- Evidence of a connection to Ireland for a .ie domain, such as a CRO or business name number
How long it takes
A new domain and email can be set up in a day once documents are ready; a .ie registration may wait for the registry to check the evidence, and moving hosting or mailboxes takes longer.
Domains, hosting and email: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
A .ie domain can be registered only by a person or business with a provable connection to the island of Ireland, through an accredited .ie registrar, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Applies to: whoever registers the domain, which should be the business itself
.ie Domain Registry registration policy · weare.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Accepted evidence of a connection to Ireland includes a CRO or business name number, an Irish VAT number or an Irish address on an official document for an individual; overseas businesses qualify if they sell to customers on the island.
Applies to: whoever registers the domain
.ie Domain Registry · weare.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Hosting, email or plugins that send personal data outside the European Economic Area are restricted transfers and need an adequacy decision or another safeguard, such as standard contractual clauses.
Applies to: the business that owns the website
GDPR, Chapter V; Data Protection Commission · dataprotection.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
A developer, agency or host that stores or can access the personal data on a site on the business’s behalf is a processor, and the two must have a written contract covering the matters set out in Article 28 GDPR: instructions, confidentiality, security, sub-processors, deletion or return at the end, and help with breaches.
Applies to: the business, as controller, and the developer or host, as processor
GDPR, Article 28; Data Protection Commission, A Practical Guide to Controller-Processor Contracts · dataprotection.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
What domains, hosting and email costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Number of domains and mailboxes
- Setting up new or moving from an existing provider
- Size of the website and mail archives to move
- Whether the current logins and registrar are known
- Uptime and support level needed from the hosting
What you should get at the end
- Domain registered with the business as registrant, and the registrar login
- Hosting and email accounts in the business’s name, with renewal dates
- A list of DNS records and where they are managed
- Where data is stored, for the business’s privacy notice
What the provider should hand over
- Hand over a list of every account, login, DNS record and renewal date
- Remove your own access when the job is done, if agreed
Safety
- Make sure the domain is registered to the business, not to the developer; whoever is the registrant controls the website and email.
- Turn on auto-renewal and keep the registrar’s contact email current; an expired domain takes the website and email down.
- Turn on two-factor login for the registrar, hosting and email administrator accounts.
Domains, hosting and email: before you hire
Questions to ask before you hire
- Will the domain be registered with my business as the registrant?
- Where will my website and email data be stored?
- What will renewal cost each year, and when is it due?
- Will you set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC so my email is not marked as spam?
What you can do yourself
A business can register a domain and buy email from a mainstream provider itself; the DNS and email authentication records are where help is usually worth it.
What to put in your task
- What do you need?
- How many email addresses do you need?
- Which kind of domain do you want?
- Do you know who holds your current domain and hosting logins?
Photos that help
- The domain name you have or want
- Your CRO or business name number, or another proof of connection to Ireland
- A screenshot of any bounce or spam warning, if email is the problem
Web design and development
Need domains, hosting and email? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals anywhere in Ireland reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about domains, hosting and email
Does domains, hosting and email need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.irishstatutebook.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Can anyone register a .ie domain?
Anyone with a provable connection to the island of Ireland, through an accredited registrar. Businesses usually show a CRO or business name number or an Irish VAT number, and overseas businesses can qualify if they sell to customers here.
My old web designer has my domain. What can I do?
Ask them to transfer it to an account in your name. If the domain was registered in your business’s name, the registrar can usually help you regain control. Keep correspondence in writing.
Does it matter where my hosting is?
For speed, hosting near your visitors helps. For data protection, if personal data goes outside the European Economic Area the GDPR’s transfer rules apply, so choose providers that store data in the EU or have proper safeguards in place.