Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is vu.nl legit or a scam?
vu.nl was registered Feb 15, 1989 (37 years old), per public registration records. AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns vu.nl?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for vu.nl. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
When was vu.nl registered?
vu.nl's registration dates to Feb 15, 1989 (37 years old), per public registration records. SURF B.V. is the registrar on record today.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Registered 1989 · site is live · HTTPS valid
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is a research university in Amsterdam offering undergraduate and graduate education across sciences, humanities, social sciences, and professional fields. The institution serves students and researchers internationally and maintains research centers focused on child studies, movement sciences, and the relationship between science, worldview, and society.
Authority 95/100— ahead of 95% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
95 is a percentile: higher than 95% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #6,824)+9
Verified continuity: 37.7 years (RDAP registration)+11
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+5
Calibration adjustment (published map)+20
Model score: 49/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 95/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
What vu.nl said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Een inspirerende onderwijsomgeving, internationaal toonaangevend op een aantal onderzoeksvelden. Een platform voor discussie over de relatie tussen wetenschap, levensbeschouwing en samenleving.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date; self-description below is the 2013 record.
1989
Domain registered (Feb 15, 1989).
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Oct 7, 2006); profile edited 3 times through 2013.
2013
Self-description at the time:
“VU.nl Dutch technical university in Amsterdam offering free education”
✓ domain continuity 37 years registered✓ live verified Oct 26, 2026
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 1 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 1 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment
Lifeline · vu.nl over time
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 37 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · one registrar since Jan 15, 2025 · 1 ownership change since 2009 · last checked Oct 25, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredFeb 15, 1989vu.nl was registered on Feb 15, 1989.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageOct 7, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described vu.nl from Oct 7, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
SURF B.V.SURF B.V.Jan 15, 2025 – Oct 10, 2026 (latest)Registrar SURF B.V. in the registration data recorded, first on Jan 15, 2025 and most recently on Oct 10, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Ownership
Ownership recordsJan 11, 2009 – Jun 12, 2026Registration records for vu.nl are held from Jan 11, 2009 to Jun 12, 2026 (31 records). 1 change of registrant name or organization is marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Zone file
Nameservers: vu.nlJan 15, 2025 – Jun 12, 2026Registration records listed vu.nl nameservers (new-ns1.vu.nl, new-ns2.vu.nl) for vu.nl from Jan 15, 2025 to Jun 12, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CAOct 20, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CA issued 112 certificates for vu.nl from Oct 20, 2026, the latest valid until May 9, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
1990200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (12)
Feb 15, 1989Registration: vu.nl was registered on Feb 15, 1989.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Een inspirerende onderwijsomgeving, internationaal toonaangevend op een aantal onderzoeksvelden. Een platform voor discussie over de relatie tussen wetenschap, levensbeschouwing en samenlev…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Oct 7, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described vu.nl from Oct 7, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (3 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jan 11, 2009 – Jun 12, 2026Ownership: Registration records for vu.nl are held from Jan 11, 2009 to Jun 12, 2026 (31 records). 1 change of registrant name or organization is marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Jan 15, 2025 – Oct 10, 2026Registrar: Registrar SURF B.V. in the registration data recorded, first on Jan 15, 2025 and most recently on Oct 10, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Jan 15, 2025The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Jan 15, 2025. Who it changed to is in the full report.
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Een inspirerende onderwijsomgeving, internationaal toonaangevend op een aantal onderzoeksvelden. Een platform voor discussie over de relatie tussen wetenschap, levensbeschouwing en samenlev…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJun 22, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Ownership change
Jan 15, 2025
The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Jan 15, 2025. Who it changed to is in the full report.
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
1 ownership change, 2009–2026
Google Trust Services
Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026
Google Trust Services issued 7 certificates for vu.nl from Oct 20, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Let's EncryptOct 21, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 35 certificates for vu.nl from Oct 21, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Certificate from Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CAJul 30, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026 (latest)Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CA certificate valid Jul 30, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027, as seen on Sep 27, 2026.Source: TLS check, Sep 27, 2026
Ownership:
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Jan 15, 2025 – Jun 12, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed vu.nl nameservers (new-ns1.vu.nl, new-ns2.vu.nl) for vu.nl from Jan 15, 2025 to Jun 12, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jun 22, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Jul 30, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026Certificate: Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CA certificate valid Jul 30, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027, as seen on Sep 27, 2026.Source: TLS check, Sep 27, 2026
Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions CA issued 112 certificates for vu.nl from Oct 20, 2026, the latest valid until May 9, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Google Trust Services issued 7 certificates for vu.nl from Oct 20, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Oct 21, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 35 certificates for vu.nl from Oct 21, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)