How to Migrate From Hetzner to India 2026
To migrate from Hetzner to an India data centre with zero downtime, provision a same-spec server in Delhi, replicate your data and configuration, test the new environment in parallel, lower your DNS TTL, cut over during a low-traffic window, and keep the old server as rollback until the new one is verified. With Inservers, engineers run these steps for you at no charge. The move fixes latency, currency, and DDoS protection in one project, and done correctly your users never see an interruption.
Quick answer: A safe Hetzner-to-India migration is provision, replicate, test in parallel, cut over via low DNS TTL, then decommission after verification. The key to zero downtime is running both servers at once and only switching traffic after the new server passes checks.
Before you start: what to prepare
Migration is mostly preparation. Gather these before touching production:
An inventory of what runs on the Hetzner server: operating system, application stack, databases, cron jobs, environment variables, SSL certificates, and firewall rules.
Your DNS access, so you can adjust TTL and records at cutover.
A current, tested backup. Never begin a migration without a restore you have actually verified.
A maintenance window in your lowest-traffic period, even though the goal is zero downtime, so any surprise has minimal impact.
If you migrate with Inservers, the engineering team builds this inventory with you so nothing is missed.
Step-by-step: how to migrate from Hetzner to India
Step 1: Provision a same-spec server in Delhi
Create a new Inservers VPS, Cloud, or Dedicated server matched to your Hetzner configuration, ideally slightly ahead on resources so the new environment has headroom during testing. Because the server is in New Delhi, latency to Indian users drops from roughly 120ms to under 30ms immediately.
Step 2: Replicate data and configuration
Copy your application, files, and databases to the new server. Rebuild the stack to match: same OS packages, same runtime versions, same environment variables, same cron jobs and firewall rules. For databases, set up replication or a synced dump so the new server can be brought fully current at cutover with minimal delta.
Step 3: Test the new environment in parallel
Keep Hetzner live and serving users while you validate the Delhi server independently. Point a staging hostname or your local hosts file at the new IP and run through every critical path: application load, database reads and writes, background jobs, payment flows, and SSL. Fix anything that differs before you touch production traffic.
Step 4: Lower your DNS TTL ahead of cutover
Twenty-four to forty-eight hours before the switch, reduce your DNS TTL to a low value such as 300 seconds. This ensures that when you change the record, resolvers pick up the new IP quickly rather than caching the old one for hours, which keeps the cutover fast and clean.
Step 5: Final sync and cut over
During your low-traffic window, do a final data sync so the Delhi server matches Hetzner exactly, then update your DNS records to the new IP. Because TTL is low, traffic shifts to the India server within minutes. Watch logs and metrics on the new server as real users arrive.
Step 6: Verify, then decommission
Keep the Hetzner server running as a rollback path until the new server has handled real traffic cleanly for a reasonable period, typically a few days. Once verified, decommission Hetzner. Confirm your Cloudflare Magic Transit protection is active on the new server so you are covered from the moment you go live.
How is zero downtime actually achieved?
Zero downtime comes from three things: running both servers in parallel so there is never a gap in service, using a low DNS TTL so the switch propagates in minutes, and keeping the old server as rollback so any issue is instantly reversible. Nothing is deleted until the new environment is proven. This is standard practice, and it is exactly how Inservers engineers run the free migration.
What about DDoS protection during and after migration?
The moment your new server is live, it sits behind Cloudflare Magic Transit on every Inservers plan. Traffic is scrubbed at the edge rather than null-routed, so an attack during your migration window does not take you offline. On May 30, 2026, a 1.7 Tbps Mirai UDP flood on a customer prefix was mitigated at the edge in seconds with zero downtime, which is the protection your workload inherits from day one.
Why migrate to Inservers specifically?
Inservers and GBNodes are the only hosting products in India through which customers can access Cloudflare Magic Transit, the same network-layer mitigation used by major banks and exchanges. Cloudflare's network provides 500 Tbps of total capacity with 477 Tbps of Magic Transit mitigation across 330+ cities in 125+ countries, and has absorbed attacks such as a 31.4 Tbps flood in 35 seconds.
Inservers' infrastructure has operated in India for over 20 years, holds ISO 27001 certification at its New Delhi facility, is Tier IV certified, and is MeitY Empanelled. BGP analytics rank the network at #29 for unique domains and #62 for known peers in India, verifiable at bgp.tools/as/135682, with direct Tier 1 ISP connectivity to Tata Communications (AS4755), Airtel (AS9498), and Jio (AS55836). Plans start at Rs 880 per month in rupees with GST input credit, and a 12-month rate lock is available so your price holds after you move.
Migration checklist
Confirm full inventory of OS, stack, databases, cron, env vars, SSL, firewall. Verify a tested backup exists. Provision same-spec Delhi server. Replicate data and rebuild configuration. Test every critical path in parallel. Lower DNS TTL 24 to 48 hours ahead. Final sync and switch DNS in low-traffic window. Monitor the new server under real traffic. Keep Hetzner as rollback for a few days. Confirm Magic Transit active. Decommission Hetzner after verification.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate from Hetzner with zero downtime? Yes. By running the Delhi server in parallel, using a low DNS TTL, and keeping Hetzner as rollback until the new server is verified, users experience no interruption. Inservers engineers run these steps for you at no charge.
How long does a Hetzner-to-India migration take? A straightforward VPS typically migrates within a day of preparation plus a short cutover window. Larger or multi-server setups take longer, mostly in testing. The cutover itself is minutes once DNS TTL is low.
Will my data be safe during migration? Yes. Nothing on Hetzner is deleted until the new server is verified under real traffic. You keep a tested backup and the old server as rollback, so any issue is reversible.
Do I need technical skills to migrate? Not if you migrate with Inservers, since the engineering team handles provisioning, replication, testing, and cutover for you. The free, engineer-led migration is designed for teams without a dedicated infrastructure person.
What happens to my IP address and DNS? Your server gets a new India IP. You update your DNS records to point at it, and a low TTL set in advance makes the change propagate within minutes rather than hours.
Is there any cost to migrate to Inservers? No. Migration is handled by Inservers engineers at no charge. Ongoing plans start at Rs 880 per month with a 12-month rate lock available, billed in rupees with GST input credit.
Will I be protected from DDoS during the switch? Yes. The new server sits behind Cloudflare Magic Transit from the moment it is live, so attack traffic is scrubbed at the edge rather than null-routing your IP during the migration window.
Can I keep Hetzner running until I am sure? Yes, and you should. Keep the Hetzner server as a rollback path for a few days after cutover. Only decommission it once the India server has handled real traffic cleanly.
