Open to EU residentsFrench marketFrom $8.99/year

.fr Domain — the official extension of France

The .fr is France's country-code domain, the EU's second economy. Essential for any business wanting to sell, communicate or rank in the French market of 67 million consumers.

From $8.99/year · Renewal $8.99/year · No hidden fees

1986 Year created
ccTLD Extension type (IANA)
$8.99 Registration price / year
Yes Registration restrictions

Domain registration with professional infrastructure

CPGuard, CloudLinux, MySQL, DirectAdmin, PHP, SSL

About the .FR domain

What is the .FR domain?

The .fr is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to France, managed by AFNIC (Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération), a non-profit association headquartered in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. It was delegated in 1986 and currently has over 3.8 million registered domains. France is the second economy of the European Union and the seventh in the world: 67 million consumers, an e-commerce market of over €150 billion and a strong preference for brands and sites with a .fr extension. Unlike Germany, whose consumers also accept international .com well, French consumers show a marked preference for .fr in their online searches and purchases. Since 2011, .fr has been open to any citizen or entity with residence or headquarters in the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland — meaning any European company can register it directly.
Registration restrictions

To register a .fr you must be an individual or legal entity resident or established in the European Union, the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Switzerland. EU citizens and businesses qualify without any additional requirements.

Extension .FR
IANA type ccTLD
Created in 1986
Registry AFNIC
Country / territory France
Restrictions Yes
Registration $8.99/year
Renewal $8.99/year

Uses of .FR

Who is the .FR domain for?

These are the most common situations where .FR is the ideal extension.

Businesses exporting to France

France is one of the largest trading partners for many European countries. A business with a .fr generates immediate trust among French consumers, who clearly prefer national URLs.

E-commerce targeting the French market

Online shops selling to France, the third largest e-commerce market in Europe. A .fr improves CTR on Google.fr and increases conversion rates with French customers.

Food, wine and artisanal products

Exporters selling directly to French consumers or distributors — wine, olive oil, charcuterie, gourmet products and artisanal goods.

Tourism and hospitality for French visitors

France is one of the top tourist-origin countries. Hotels, holiday rentals, tourist routes and agencies attracting French visitors greatly benefit from a .fr.

Culture, fashion and design

France is a world reference in fashion, art and design. Brands and creatives wanting to connect with the French market in its cultural reference areas.

Brand protection in France

Companies with a presence in France registering their .fr to protect their brand and prevent unauthorised use in the EU's second-largest market.

Real examples

Well-known websites with .FR domain

google.framazon.frorange.frcarrefour.frrenault.frairfrance.frsncf.frlefigaro.fr

.FR vs other extensions

Which extension suits you best?

Each extension has its own profile. Here we compare .FR with the most common alternatives to help you choose.

Extension Best for Restrictions Registration price
.fr This page French market EU/EEA/Switzerland residency $8.99/year
.de German market AdminC in Germany $8.99/year
.eu Entire European Union EU citizens/businesses $8.99/year
.es Spanish market Tied to Spain $8.99/year
.com Global market None $14.99/year

Registration process

How to register your .FR domain at miHosting

01

Check availability

Type the name you want in the search bar. We show you in seconds whether it's available or if you need to look for alternatives.

02

Complete registration

Fill in the registrant details and choose whether to add hosting. The entire process takes less than 5 minutes.

03

Your domain is live

Within minutes your .FR domain is active and visible from anywhere in the world. DNS propagates in under 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions about the .FR domain

Can a non-French company register a .fr?

Yes, directly and without additional restrictions. Since 2011, AFNIC allows .fr registration by any individual or legal entity with residence or headquarters in the European Union, EEA or Switzerland. Any EU company or self-employed professional can register a .fr without special procedures.

Does .fr offer any SEO advantage for searches in France?

Yes. Google treats .fr as a geotargetable ccTLD for the French market. Correctly configured in Google Search Console, it can favour rankings on Google.fr over a .com without geotargeting. For searches with local or commercial intent in France, .fr is the most direct extension.

Why do French consumers prefer .fr?

France has a strong cultural identity and a marked national preference in its consumption habits. User behaviour studies show that French consumers trust and click more frequently on .fr URLs than .com for national searches. It is a cultural difference that translates into higher CTR and conversion rates.

Do I need a French address to register a .fr?

No. Since the 2011 reform, it is enough to have residence or headquarters in the EU, EEA or Switzerland. A French postal address or local administrative contact is not required — unlike .de.

Can I register a .fr with French special characters (é, à, ç)?

Yes. AFNIC supports IDN domains with French characters: é, è, ê, à, â, ù, û, ô, î, ï, ç and œ. This allows registering domains like café.fr or château.fr, although in practice domains without accents are more common for universal compatibility.

Can I transfer my .fr domain to miHosting?

Yes. Transferring a .fr to miHosting has no additional management cost. You need the authorisation code (Auth Code) from your current registrar. The process takes 5 to 7 business days.

Register your .FR today

Your .FR domain.
Your online identity.

Real technicians behind your domain. No complications, no surprises. Full management from your control panel.

✓ DNS management included ✓ Email @yourdomain ✓ Free SSL ✓ Real technical support
The .fr domain is France's official ccTLD, managed by AFNIC since 1986. With over 3.8 million active domains, it is the reference extension for the EU's second-largest market: 67 million consumers, a GDP of €2.8 trillion and an e-commerce market of over €150 billion. French consumers show a marked preference for .fr URLs over .com in national searches — a proven trust and CTR factor. Companies such as Orange (orange.fr), Carrefour (carrefour.fr), Renault (renault.fr) and Air France (airfrance.fr) use it as their main domain. Any EU company can register a .fr directly, as EU membership qualifies. Registering a .fr domain at miHosting costs $8.99/year (renewal at the same price), with managed DNS, @yourbrand.fr email and real technical support. If your business exports to France, attracts French visitors or wants to rank in Europe's second-largest market, .fr is the most cost-effective investment per euro spent. Combine it with our professional hosting for a solid French presence from day one.