Registering and microchipping a dog
Are you buying or getting a dog in the Netherlands? If so, you must have your dog microchipped and registered by a vet. In addition, your dog needs to have a European pet passport. Are you bringing your dog to the Netherlands from another country? This is also subject to certain rules.
Last updated on 12 July 2022
Lees deze informatie in het Nederlands
Bringing a dog to the Netherlands from another country
Are you importing a dog from another European Union (EU) Member State? If so, this is subject to certain rules. For example, your dog must have an EU pet passport and be microchipped. You must also have your dog registered by your vet upon its arrival in the Netherlands.
Are you importing a dog from a country outside the EU? If so, the dog must be microchipped and have a health certificate. You must have your dog registered and identified by your vet upon its arrival in the Netherlands. Your also need to obtain an EU pet passport for your dog.
Do you want to know more about importing dogs from another country? You can find information about importing dogs to the Netherlands from another EU Member State, as well as from outside the EU on the Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit – NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) website.
Are you going on holiday to the Netherlands with your dog? And are you going for less than 3 months? If so, you do not need to have your dog registered and microchipped.
Having your dog microchipped and registered by a vet or microchipper
Your vet is permitted to microchip and register your dog. However, they must comply with the rules. Microchippers (for example from the Raad van Beheer (Dutch Kennel Club)) are also permitted to microchip and register your dog. They can also be entered in the register of microchippers with the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland – RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency). Microchippers are not permitted to microchip or register dogs from a country outside the Netherlands. You cannot microchip your own dog.
Do you want more information about the rules on microchipping and registration? If so, visit the RVO website.
European pet passport mandatory for dogs
Since 1 November 2021, it has been mandatory for dogs to have a European pet passport. Only veterinarians can issue European pet passports.
Did you have your dog before 1 November 2021? If so, your dog needs a European pet passport only if you take it outside the Netherlands or if the dog gets a new owner.
Laws and regulations (in Dutch)
Besluit houders van dieren, hoofdstuk 3, paragraaf 4