I'm trying to transfer my .au domain from Porkbun to Amazon Route 53. The domain is registered to me as an individual Australian citizen or resident, which is allowed under .au registration rules. However, Route 53's transfer form only offers ABN, ACN, or trademark as the AU ID type, and it requires an AU ID number before I can continue. I previously had an ABN, but it has since lapsed. Does Route 53 only support .au transfers for businesses, or is there another way to complete the transfer?
3 Answers
You don’t actually need to transfer the domain to use Route 53 for DNS. Add the domain as a hosted zone in Route 53, copy the assigned nameservers, and replace the nameservers at your current registrar. The registration stays with Porkbun, while Route 53 handles DNS.
This looks like a limitation or oversight in Route 53’s domain-transfer workflow. The newer .au namespace allows individuals without an ABN, but AWS’s form appears to assume that every Australian domain needs an ABN, ACN, or trademark. You may need AWS to update the form or handle the transfer manually.
One practical workaround is to register for an ABN as a sole trader. It’s free and generally straightforward, so you could use that ABN to satisfy Route 53’s form requirements even if you’re not operating through a company.
That may be the simplest option. I let my previous ABN lapse because I wasn’t using it, and I mistakenly thought getting one involved a fee. Since registering is free, I’ll probably apply for a new one.