Dogs and cats in Belgium must normally be microchipped and registered. Dogs are registered in DogID. Cats are registered in CatID.
These are Belgium’s official national pet databases.
A correct registration helps vets, shelters and rescuers contact you when your pet is found.
Which microchip database is used in Belgium?
Belgium has two main pet microchip databases:
- DogID for dogs
- CatID for cats
Both databases cover the whole of Belgium.
DogID is the official registration platform for dogs.
CatID is the official registration platform for cats.
Are microchips required in Belgium?
Dogs and cats must normally be microchipped and registered.
The exact rules are set by Belgium’s three regions: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.
In general:
- Dogs must be microchipped and registered by eight weeks of age.
- Cats must be microchipped and registered by twelve weeks of age.
- A dog or cat must be registered before it is sold, adopted or given away.
The registration shows who is responsible for the animal.
It is not always legal proof of ownership.
Who registers the microchip?
A vet normally implants the microchip and completes the first registration.
Only a vet can create a new DogID or CatID registration.
The vet records the chip number, information about the animal and your contact details.
Ask the vet to scan the chip first.
This confirms that the chip can be read and that the number matches the paperwork.
How to register a dog in Belgium
- Make an appointment with a vet.
- The vet scans the dog or implants a microchip.
- The vet registers the dog in DogID.
- The vet prepares or updates the dog’s passport.
- Check that all contact details are correct.
Every dog in Belgium must have a passport.
You can check and manage many details through Online DogID.
How to register a cat in Belgium
- Take the cat to a vet.
- The vet scans the cat or implants a microchip.
- The vet registers the cat in CatID.
- The vet gives you proof of registration.
- Check that your contact details are correct.
CatID registrations are completed electronically.
You can view and update many details through Online CatID.
Check whether your contact details are visible
Your details may not be visible during a public chip search unless you allow this.
Log in to DogID or CatID and check:
- That the pet is linked to you
- That your address is correct
- That your telephone number is current
- That your email address is correct
- Whether your contact details can be shown when the chip is searched
A vet or shelter may still be able to see details that are hidden from the public.
How to update a Belgian microchip registration
Update the registration when:
- You move home
- Your telephone number changes
- Your email address changes
- The animal moves to a new keeper
- The animal goes missing
- The animal moves abroad
- The animal dies
Many changes can be made online.
You may need a Belgian electronic identity card to use the online account.
Your vet can also help.
Changing the information in the passport is not enough on its own.
The DogID or CatID record must also be updated.
What do Belgian microchip numbers look like?
Modern pet microchips used in Belgium normally contain 15 digits.
Belgium’s ISO country code is:
056
A country-coded Belgian chip may therefore begin with 056.
However, not every pet living in Belgium has a 056 chip.
Some chips begin with a manufacturer code instead.
Other animals were microchipped abroad before arriving in Belgium.
This is common with:
- Imported dogs and cats
- Pets adopted through foreign rescue organisations
- Animals that moved to Belgium with their families
- Older pets with a manufacturer-coded chip (Begins with number 9)
A foreign-coded or manufacturer-coded chip can still be registered in DogID or CatID.
The first digits are only a clue.
They do not prove where the animal lives or where the registration is held.
DogID and CatID also recognise some older identification formats. These can include older 15-digit numbers, nine digits followed by a letter, or ten-character numbers containing letters and digits.
Read our guide to pet microchip numbers for more information.
Transferring a dog to a new owner
The current keeper, breeder, seller or shelter should report the transfer to DogID.
The new owner should check that:
- The dog is already registered
- The transfer has been completed
- The passport has been handed over
- The new contact details are correct
Check that the chip number matches the number in the passport before accepting the dog.
Transferring a cat to a new owner
A cat must be chipped and registered before it is sold, adopted or given away.
The transfer can be completed online or with help from a vet.
Both the old and new keeper may need to confirm the change.
Afterwards, the new keeper should log in and check that the cat appears in their CatID account.
What if the pet is still registered to someone else?
First, contact the previous keeper, breeder, shelter or rescue.
Ask them to complete the transfer.
When that is not possible, take the animal and all available documents to a vet.
Useful documents may include:
- An adoption contract
- A purchase agreement
- The pet passport
- Veterinary records
- A message or letter from the former keeper
A microchip registration can help show who is responsible for the animal.
It may not settle an ownership dispute on its own.
Bringing a pet to Belgium from another country
A foreign microchip registration does not always replace Belgian registration.
If the pet will live in Belgium for at least six months, it should normally be registered in DogID or CatID within eight days of arrival.
Take the pet to a Belgian vet with:
- The animal
- Its passport or health certificate
- Its rabies vaccination record
- Your identification
- Your Belgian address
- Any foreign registration papers
The vet will scan the chip and check that the number matches the documents.
A readable microchip usually does not need to be replaced.
Travelling to Belgium with a pet
Microchip registration and travel rules are not the same thing.
For most travel within the EU, dogs, cats and ferrets need:
- A readable microchip
- A valid rabies vaccination
- A European pet passport
Pets arriving from outside the EU may need extra documents or tests.
Always check the latest rules before travelling.
What if a Belgian microchip cannot be found?
Ask a vet or shelter to scan the animal again.
One wrong digit is enough to give a “not found” result.
Then:
- Check the pet passport
- Check veterinary records
- Ask whether the animal came from another country
- Contact the vet, breeder or shelter that first handled the animal
- Use ChipTrace to look for other registry or manufacturer clues
A chip can still have a valid registration even when nothing appears in a public search.
The details may be private, the record may be abroad or the database may only be available to vets and shelters.
Read our guide to why a microchip may not appear in any database.
Found a microchipped pet in Belgium?
Take the animal to a vet, shelter, rescue organisation or police service.
They can scan the chip and check the correct database.
Do not assume that every cat outdoors is lost.
Some owned cats are allowed to roam close to home.
Read Found a Microchipped Pet? What to Do Next for practical advice.
Useful Belgian microchip contacts
DogID
Website: dogid.be
Telephone: +32 (0)2 333 92 22
Email: info@dogid.be
CatID
Website: catid.be
Telephone: +32 (0)2 333 49 94
Email: info@catid.be
Both helpdesks are open daily from 8:00 to 20:00.