Registering and microchipping a dog
Your dog must be microchipped and registered no later than 7 weeks after it is born. Your dog must also have a pet passport. Imported dogs must have been microchipped in the country they came from. And they must have a pet passport or an animal health certificate. You must register an imported dog within 2 weeks of its arrival in the Netherlands.
Last updated on 12 November 2025
Have your dog registered and microchipped by a vet or microchipper
Your dog can be registered and microchipped by a vet or a professional microchipper. The microchipper must be registered in the microchippers register (Chippersregister) (in Dutch) by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). You may not implant a microchip in your own dog.
Check microchip, registration and passport when buying a dog
If you are planning to buy a dog, ask if the dog has been microchipped and registered, and if it has a European pet passport. If you wish, you can have this checked by a vet. Buying a dog that is not registered and microchipped and that does not have a pet passport is a punishable offence.
After you have bought the dog, you must register as the dog’s new owner online (in Dutch). You can do this right away. You do not have to wait until the previous owner has deregistered online.
Microchip, registration and passport for imported dog
If you are importing a dog, you must register it within 2 weeks of its arrival in the Netherlands. Imported dogs must have been microchipped in the country they came from. They must have been issued a pet passport or an animal health certificate before being imported into the Netherlands.
Find a complete overview of the rules when importing dogs on the website of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).