The Bermuda Government has issued a reminder to “.bm” domain owners that a new $60 registration fee was introduced at the beginning of this month.

The fee affects new domain name registrations, while existing domain names will have to pay an annual renewal fee.

There will be a one-month grace period given for registrations that are due to expire in the month of April so registrants will have until the end of next month to renew their domain name.

“This is a change for Bermuda, as we were possibly the only jurisdiction that did not charge for its country code top-level domain name,” said Grant Gibbons, the acting Minister of Home Affairs.

“The new fee will support the implementation of the new online registration system and allow for more efficient administration of the .bm domain names for clients.”

Registrants can go on to www.bermudanic.bm to perform a “WHOIS” search of their domain name to find out their registration date.

The registration of domain names is no longer restricted to registered companies, charities or organisations, but is now open to members of the public. However, individuals are required to provide proof of local address.

Registrar General Aubrey Pennyman said: “.bm domain names can be registered by any person that is a resident of Bermuda, which is an advantage to those who have been unable to register a .bm domain name previously.

“The Registry General is also in the process of acquiring a new robust online registration system for domain name registrations.

“We will also be providing DNS hosting in the near future, for an additional fee. Providing this one-stop-shop service will save clients the additional hassle of having to seek the services of another web host provider.”

Until the new system is installed payments can only be made at the Registry General Office on the fourth floor of the Government Administration Building.

Once the system has been installed, all payments will be made online.

“Although it is just as convenient and in most cases cheaper to have a .com domain name, having a .bm domain name is specific to Bermuda and is beneficial in targeting the local market,” Mr Pennyman added.

“For entrepreneurs, whether providing goods or services on island and/or overseas, a .bm domain name identifies your business as a Bermuda-based business.”

Any inquiries can be directed to dnsmanager@gov.bm.