Some conditions must be met to transfer your domain, and they may differ depending on its extension, as some ccTLDs have different policies for transferring domains.
This article describes the prerequisites for a successful transfer for all gTLDs and ngTLDs (and most ccTLDs).
60-Day Domain Registration Lock
First, it’s essential that more than 60 days have passed since your domain registration date, and that it has been in the same registrar for more than 60 days as well. This assures your domain is eligible to exit the current registrar.
Per ICANN, domains that are less than 60 days old or have been transferred from another registrar within the last 60 days cannot be transferred out.
Unlocked Domain Name
The next step is unlocking the domain with your registrar. This lock is usually called Registrar Lock, and in most registrars, it’s assigned either a Lock Icon or a Locked/Unlocked Status.
Note: In some registrars, there may be additional approvals or conditions to be met. An example would be GoDaddy’s Ownership Protection having to be downgraded to Basic.
Valid Authorization Code
Authorization Code, or AuthCode/EPP Code, is a code of text and numbers assigned for each domain, which works as a password to transfer domains between registrars. This Authorization Code is set and given to you by your current registrar, and then provided to your new registrar to process the domain transfers.
Note: Make sure to retrieve the authorization code last, as some registrar’s security measures reset the Authorization Code automatically when unlocking the domain name, or it can result in an invalid code.