.ru Domain Registration in Russia and International Domain Names

Why a .ru Domain Suits Websites Aimed at Russia

A country code top-level domain, or ccTLD, tells visitors and search engines which country a website is aimed at. The .ru extension is the country code for Russia, and it is widely recognised by Russian-speaking internet users.

Choosing .ru can help in several ways:

• Local trust. Visitors in Russia often recognise a .ru address as a site intended for them.
• Clear targeting. A country extension is one of the signals search engines use to understand which country a site serves.
• Availability. A name that is taken in .com may still be free in .ru.
• Brand protection. Registering your brand in .ru prevents others from using it for a Russian site.

Many businesses register both a .ru and a .com, using the .ru for their Russian-language site and the .com for an international version, or redirecting one to the other.

How Our Domain Price Table Is Organised

The domain table is split into four tabs so you can find extensions quickly:

1. Popular: five widely used extensions, the usual first choice for most websites.
2. Russian: four extensions relevant to Russia, including .ru.
3. International: seven extensions for global and other regional use.
4. New gTLDs: three newer generic extensions that describe an industry or interest.

Each row shows the extension, the one-year registration price, the renewal price, the transfer price and the Whois privacy price. Examples from the table include .com at $9.95 to register, $12.95 to renew and $11.95 to transfer; .net at $12.00, $16.00 and $13.00; and .biz at $11.98, $17.98 and $15.98, each with Whois privacy listed as free. Where the table does not show a price, it is confirmed at checkout.

Registry Rules for .ru and Other Country Domains

Every domain extension is run by a registry that sets its own rules. Registrars like us submit registrations on your behalf and must follow those rules. For country code extensions such as .ru, rules commonly cover:

• Registrant information. Accurate contact and identity details for the person or organisation registering the domain, which may need to be verified.
• Naming rules. Allowed characters, minimum and maximum length and reserved names.
• Registration periods and renewal timing. How long a domain can be registered for and when it must be renewed.
• Transfer conditions. Requirements such as authorisation codes and waiting periods after registration or a change of owner.
• Dispute procedures. How conflicts over a name are handled.

Registry requirements are set by the registry and can change over time. Before registering a Russian extension, check the current requirements at checkout or ask our team in a ticket, and keep your contact details accurate so the domain stays in good standing.

International Extensions to Pair with Your .ru Name

A .ru domain is ideal for a Russian audience, but many projects also need an international presence. Common pairings include:

• .com, the most recognised extension worldwide, for a global or English-language site.
• .net, often used by technology and network services, or as an alternative when the .com is taken.
• .biz, intended for business use.
• New gTLDs, which describe a sector or interest and can make a name shorter and more memorable.

Holding the same name across several extensions protects your brand and gives you flexibility to launch localised sites later. You can point every extension to the same server, redirect secondary domains to your main site, or host separate language versions on each.

Choosing a Domain Name That Works in Russian and English

A good domain is short, easy to spell and easy to say. When your audience speaks Russian, there are a few extra things to consider:

• Transliteration. Russian words written in Latin letters can be spelled several ways. Pick the most common spelling, and consider registering obvious variants.
• Avoid confusing letters. Combinations that are easily mistyped or misheard make your address harder to share by phone or in conversation.
• Keep it short. Shorter names are easier to remember, type on a phone and fit on business cards.
• Avoid hyphens and numbers where possible, as they are often forgotten or misplaced.
• Check trademarks. Make sure the name does not conflict with an existing brand.

Use the domain search on this page to check availability across extensions before you settle on a name.

Pointing Your .ru Domain at a Moscow VPS or Dedicated Server

Once your domain is registered, connecting it to a server takes a few DNS records:

1. Find your server's IP address in the client area after your Moscow VPS or dedicated server is provisioned.
2. Create an A record for the bare domain, for example example.ru, pointing to that IP address.
3. Create a record for www, either another A record or a CNAME pointing to the bare domain.
4. Add MX records if your server or another provider handles email for the domain.
5. Wait for propagation. DNS changes usually spread within minutes to a few hours, depending on the time-to-live settings.

With the domain resolving to your server, configure your web server for the domain and install an SSL certificate so visitors connect over HTTPS.

Connecting a Domain to Web or WordPress Hosting

If your website runs on one of our cPanel or Plesk hosting plans or WordPress hosting plans, which are served from a datacenter in the Netherlands, you usually connect the domain in one of two ways:

• Using the hosting nameservers. Set your domain's nameservers to those given for your hosting account, and the panel manages the DNS records for website and email automatically.
• Using individual records. Keep your existing DNS provider and create A and MX records that point to the hosting account.

Using the hosting nameservers is simplest for most users, because the control panel creates the correct records when you add the domain. Once the domain resolves, the hosting account's SSL can be enabled and email accounts on your domain start working.

Using Your .ru Domain for Business Email

A domain is not only for a website. Email addresses on your own .ru or .com name, such as sales@ or info@, look more professional than free webmail and stay with your business even if staff change. To make domain email work reliably:

• Decide where mail is hosted. Mailboxes can live on a hosting plan, on your own Moscow VPS or with a separate email provider. The MX records for the domain tell the world which one to use.
• Publish an SPF record listing the servers allowed to send mail for your domain.
• Enable DKIM signing so receiving servers can confirm messages were not altered in transit.
• Add a DMARC policy to tell receivers how to handle mail that fails those checks, and to receive reports about it.
• Set up reverse DNS on the server's IP address if you send mail directly from a VPS or dedicated server.

These records improve delivery to inboxes for Russian and international recipients alike.

Transferring Existing Domains to Servers Russia

Consolidating domains with your hosting provider means one renewal calendar and one place to change DNS. A typical transfer works like this:

1. Unlock the domain at your current registrar, if the extension uses a transfer lock.
2. Request the authorisation code, sometimes called an EPP or transfer code.
3. Check the contact email on the domain, since approval messages may be sent there.
4. Order the transfer in our client area and enter the code.
5. Approve and wait. Transfers can take several days to complete, depending on the extension and registry.

Do not change nameservers or contact details just before a transfer, as some registries block transfers for a period after such changes. Transfer procedures for country extensions like .ru are defined by their registries and may differ from .com or .net, so ask us before starting if you are unsure.

Whois Privacy, Renewals and Keeping Your Domain Safe

A domain is a business asset, and losing it can take your website and email offline. Protect it with these habits:

• Use Whois privacy where the registry allows it. It is listed as free for the extensions on our table, and it hides personal contact details from public lookups.
• Renew early. Watch renewal reminders, keep a valid payment method on file and consider renewing for longer periods for important names.
• Keep contact details current, especially the email address, so you receive renewal and verification messages.
• Secure your client area with a strong, unique password.
• Keep the transfer lock on when you are not moving the domain, where the extension supports it.

Searching for and Registering a Domain with Us

Use the domain search on this page to check whether your name is available. Results lead to our billing system at reg.serversrussia.com, where you complete registration, choose the registration period and add Whois privacy. Payment is accepted by cryptocurrency, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal or bank transfer, and prices are listed in US dollars.

You can register a domain on its own or together with a Moscow VPS, dedicated server or hosting plan. Your domains, services, invoices and support tickets are all managed from the same client area. If you have questions about a particular extension or its registry rules, open a ticket and our team will help.