Pet Microchips in Czechia: Registration, Databases & Tracing

Czechia now has an official national dog register called Centrální evidence psů (CEP). However, if you find a microchipped animal, CEP is just one part of the tracing process. Private databases like BackHome and NRMZ are still important.

In this guide:

If you already have a microchip number, start with ChipTrace. It can help you check possible databases, country clues and manufacturer routes before you contact registries manually.

What do Czech microchip numbers look like?

Most modern pet microchips follow the ISO standard and contain 15 digits.

The official ISO numeric country code for Czechia is 203.

A Czech country-coded microchip may therefore begin with 203. The 203 prefix is widely used for pet microchips in Czechia, and Czech microchip registry NRMZ specifically recommends microchips that contain the Czech national code.

However, not every dog or cat living in Czechia has a 203 chip.

Manufacturer-coded microchips are also common in Czech pets. These start with the digit 9 rather than a country code. Current Czech microchip records include animals with prefixes such as 941, 963, 981, 991, 945 and 900.

Manufacturer-coded numbers can appear in several countries, so they do not prove where the pet was chipped or registered.

Some animals also received their microchip in another country before arriving in Czechia.

This is common with:

Imported dogs and cats
Pets adopted through foreign rescues
Animals that moved to Czechia with their families
Former stray animals that later travelled abroad
Animals with manufacturer-coded microchips

Foreign country-coded chips also appear in Czech registrations. For example, current NRMZ records include animals with microchips issued under another country’s ISO code.

A readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip can still link to a Czech registration. The prefix tells you something about how the microchip number was issued, but it does not tell you where the animal is registered now.

In short, the first digits can give a clue about origin. They do not prove where the animal lives or which database holds the registration.

Example formats commonly found in Czechia

Many different microchip numbers may appear in Czechia. These examples show a few possible formats, but many other variations exist.

203123456789012 — Czech country-coded microchip
941123456789012 — manufacturer-coded microchip
981123456789012 — manufacturer-coded microchip
616123456789012 — foreign country-coded microchip

A manufacturer-coded prefix can appear in more than one country. For this reason, use the prefix as a clue only.

Read our guide to pet microchip numbers for more detailed information and practical steps.

What should you do if you find a pet with a Czech microchip?

Start by confirming the full microchip number.

Ask a veterinarian, shelter, rescue or municipal service to scan the animal carefully. Make sure to check every digit before you start searching.

Then:

Use the free ChipTrace microchip lookup to check the available Czech and international routes.
Check BackHome, one of Czechia’s major public tracing databases.
Check Národní registr majitelů zvířat, usually shortened to NRMZ.
Search EUROPETNET, where CzechPetNet represents Czechia.
If the animal has a Czech pet passport, check the Veterinary Chamber’s pet-passport register.
For a dog, contact a veterinarian, municipality, municipal police or shelter if you need an authorised CEP check.
If none of these steps finds the registration, continue with ChipTrace: it can check available international routes and use the chip number itself for country or manufacturer clues.

Can you search CEP yourself?

You cannot search CEP in the same way as BackHome or NRMZ.

CEP is Czechia’s official legal dog register, but it is not a normal public microchip lookup where anyone can enter any chip number and open the dog’s record.

Dog keepers can access their own records, while veterinarians and authorised public bodies have wider access. CEP also publishes public lists of dogs reported lost or found.

If you find a dog and need someone to check CEP, contact a veterinarian, municipality, municipal police or shelter.

What if the found animal is a cat?

CEP will not help you trace a cat because it is a dog register.

For a microchipped cat, use the private and international tracing routes instead:

1. Check BackHome.
2. Check NRMZ.
3. Search EUROPETNET.
4. If the cat may have a Czech pet passport, check the Czech Veterinary Chamber pet-passport register.
5. If nothing appears, continue with ChipTrace: it can check available international routes and use the chip number itself for country or manufacturer clues.

A negative result in one Czech database does not mean the cat is unregistered. The registration may sit in another private database, a passport system or a registry in another country.

Read Found a Microchipped Pet? What to Do Next for more practical tracing advice.

What if the microchip is not found?

A negative search does not prove that nobody registered the animal.

First, scan the animal again and confirm every digit.

Then consider the most likely explanations:

Someone entered the number incorrectly.
The chip exists in another Czech database.
The animal has a foreign registration.
The chip uses a manufacturer prefix rather than 203.
The animal has a Czech passport record but no match in the database you searched.
A vet implanted the chip, but nobody completed a private registration.
The registration is recent or hasn’t appeared in the system you checked yet.

Keep tracing after a negative result

At this point, having several databases in Czechia becomes helpful rather than frustrating.

Check another Czech registry instead of assuming the trace has failed.

BackHome has a public microchip search and says its registry accepts animals with microchips of all brands. It also participates in the international PetMaxx network.

NRMZ also offers a public chip search and remains active as a lost-and-found service after the launch of CEP. It explicitly states that NRMZ registration does not replace official CEP registration.

If the Czech searches still return nothing, use EUROPETNET, check any country where the animal may previously have lived, and follow manufacturer or distributor routes.

Sometimes, getting a ‘not found’ result is just the beginning of the real search.

Read our guide to why a microchip may not appear in any database for more tracing options.

Which microchip databases does Czechia use?

Czechia has several systems, but they do different jobs.

Centrální evidence psů – CEP

CEP is the official national dog register.

The Czech Veterinary Chamber operates it as a public-administration information system. Since 1 July 2026, registration in CEP fulfils the statutory national registration requirement for dogs. Private databases do not replace it.

BackHome

BackHome is a private lost-pet and microchip registry with a public chip search.

Its purpose is primarily to help trace found microchipped animals, and it forms part of the international PetMaxx search network.

For ChipTrace, BackHome is particularly useful because we can check this Czech registry directly as part of the tracing workflow.

Národní registr majitelů zvířat – NRMZ

NRMZ is another established Czech microchip registry.

It continues to operate after CEP’s launch as a service for missing and found animals.

NRMZ can be used for pets including cats as well as dogs, which makes it especially useful for animals that are not covered by CEP.

Its public lookup does not normally expose the keeper’s personal telephone number. NRMZ operators can act as the intermediary between finder and keeper, and the service says this assistance operates 24 hours a day.

CzechPetNet and EUROPETNET

CzechPetNet represents Czechia in EUROPETNET.

That gives you another useful route, especially if an animal has travelled or lived elsewhere in Europe.

Czech pet-passport register

The Czech Veterinary Chamber also runs a separate pet-passport register.

Anyone can search it using a microchip number or Czech pet-passport number.

The Chamber stresses that this system exists primarily to record pet passports, not to serve as a general lost-pet database.

Still, if the chip appears there, you have found another useful trail.

How does ChipTrace search Czechia?

Czechia shows why ChipTrace is more than just a single database search.

There is no one Czech search that replaces every other route.

ChipTrace can help identify the useful Czech databases, check available international routes and use the chip number itself for country or manufacturer clues.

It can also check BackHome directly.

That matters when:

one Czech registry finds nothing
the animal carries a foreign chip
the number starts with a manufacturer prefix
the pet moved between countries
a private registry and CEP contain different parts of the picture
you need to continue tracing after the obvious searches fail

The official CEP registration and tracing databases each have their own purpose.

Are microchips required in Czechia?

Dogs

Yes.

Czech law requires owners to microchip newly born dogs before offering them for sale or transferring them to a new keeper, and no later than three months of age.

A clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 remains an exception.

Since July 2026, dogs must also be entered in the official CEP register.

Puppies enter CEP when the owner arranges the identification process. Owners of older dogs that were already microchipped must arrange CEP registration no later than the dog’s next rabies vaccination or booster.

Cats

Cats follow different rules from dogs in Czechia.

Czechia does not generally require privately owned domestic cats to have a microchip. The Czech State Veterinary Administration confirms that the compulsory domestic identification rule applies to dogs, not cats or other species.

However, we strongly recommend microchipping and registering pet cats.

A microchip gives a cat permanent identification, but the number is much more useful when it links to current keeper contact details.

This is particularly important for cats because they are not covered by the compulsory CEP registration system used for dogs.

A microchipped cat can be registered in private Czech databases such as NRMZ and BackHome. These registrations provide practical tracing routes if the cat goes missing.

If your cat has a Czech pet passport, its microchip may also appear in the Czech Veterinary Chamber pet-passport register. This is mainly a passport database rather than a lost-pet registry, but a successful microchip search can provide another useful lead.

CEP is different. It is the official national dog register, so do not rely on CEP when tracing or registering a cat.

So although microchipping a pet cat is not generally required by Czech law, having your cat microchipped and properly registered is very much recommended.

International travel brings separate identification requirements for cats.

How to register a pet microchip in Czechia

Registering a dog

A veterinarian handles the official CEP registration.

Registration is not automatic simply because your dog already appears in BackHome, NRMZ, a pet-passport system or another private database. The Czech Veterinary Chamber specifically warns owners that those registrations do not fulfil the legal CEP requirement.

When registering a dog:

Ask your veterinarian to scan and confirm the microchip number.
Ask the vet to register the dog in CEP.
Check your name, permanent address, place where the dog lives and contact details.
Keep the dog’s vaccination and identification documents.
Consider keeping a private tracing registration active as well.

The veterinarian must enter the CEP record within 7 days after the keeper requests registration.

This is important: CEP and private lost-pet databases are not the same.

One meets the legal registration requirement, while the other offers extra ways to trace your pet.

Registering a cat

There is no compulsory CEP registration for ordinary pet cats.

However, if your cat has a microchip, we strongly recommend registering the number in a tracing database.

You can use a Czech private registry such as NRMZ or BackHome.

Ask your veterinarian to scan the cat before registration and check every digit carefully.

Make sure the registration contains your current telephone number and other contact details.

If the cat already has a foreign registration, keep that record active until you are sure the Czech registration is working correctly.

Can I add a global microchip registration?

Yes. A global registration can provide another route back to the owner.

Animal-ID allows owners to create an additional record using an existing microchip number.

This can help when:

The pet travels outside Czechia
The animal was first registered in another country
A finder uses an international search service
The Czech registration is difficult to check from abroad
The animal has a foreign or manufacturer-coded chip
A microchipped cat needs an additional international tracing route

Important: a global registration is only an extra safety net.

For dogs, it does not replace compulsory registration in CEP.

It also does not automatically update or replace registrations in BackHome, NRMZ or another database.

For cats, a global registration can be especially useful because Czechia does not have the same compulsory national cat-registration system that applies to dogs.

Keep the same contact details in every active record.

How to check or update a Czech microchip registration

Dogs

Dog keepers can log into CEP through Czech electronic identity services and view their own records.

Important changes to the dog or keeper details must be kept up to date.

If you also use BackHome, NRMZ, Animal-ID or another private registry, update those records separately.

Updating CEP does not automatically update other databases.

Cats and other pets

Check every private or international database where you registered the microchip.

If your cat is registered with BackHome, NRMZ, Animal-ID or another service, make sure your telephone number, email address and other contact details are current.

If the pet has more than one registration, update each one separately.

A correct microchip number with old contact information can still make it difficult for a finder to reach you.

Buying, adopting or transferring a pet in Czechia

Before taking a pet home, have someone scan the microchip.

Check that:

the chip can be read
the number matches the documents
any existing microchip registrations can be updated
the passport and vaccination documents belong to the same animal

Dogs

For a dog, also check that the correct CEP registration exists.

If the dog already appears in CEP, ask a veterinarian to record the new keeper.

If the dog came from abroad and does not yet appear in CEP, ask a Czech veterinarian which registration requirement applies to your situation.

Keep a written purchase, adoption or transfer agreement as well. CEP recommends written documentation when a dog changes hands.

Cats

Ask whether the cat has a microchip and which database holds the registration.

Have the chip scanned and compare the number with any passport, vaccination record, adoption contract or other documents.

If the cat is registered in BackHome, NRMZ, Animal-ID or another database, make sure the keeper details are changed to you.

If the cat has a microchip but no useful registration, create one.

Even though registration is not generally compulsory for pet cats, leaving a microchip unregistered removes much of its value if the cat later goes missing.

What should you do if your pet goes missing?

If your dog goes missing

Mark the dog as lost in CEP as soon as possible.

The registered keeper can do this through CEP. If that is not possible, a veterinarian or authorised public body can help.

CEP publishes a public list of dogs reported lost and another list of found dogs.

Also update any private registration you use.

If your cat goes missing

Check every database where you registered the microchip.

If your cat is registered with NRMZ, BackHome, Animal-ID or another service, make sure your contact details are correct and use any available lost-pet reporting option.

If the cat has a Czech pet passport, check that the chip appears in the Veterinary Chamber’s pet-passport register.

For any missing pet, also contact:

local veterinarians
shelters and rescue organisations
the municipality or municipal police where appropriate
nearby lost-and-found animal groups

Never share the full microchip number in public.

Keep part of the number private so you can use it to confirm ownership or verify someone who claims to have found your pet.

When the animal comes home, update its status in every relevant database.

Moving to Czechia with a pet

If your pet already has a readable foreign microchip, moving to Czechia does not automatically mean you need to replace it.

Have a Czech veterinarian scan the chip and compare it with the animal’s passport or other documents.

Moving with a dog

Current Czech Veterinary Chamber guidance makes an important distinction for foreign residents.

A citizen of a non-EU country who stays in Czechia for more than six months must register their dog in CEP.

The Veterinary Chamber states that this obligation does not apply to citizens of another EU Member State whose dogs already appear in another EU Member State’s registration system.

Because individual situations can differ, ask a Czech veterinarian what applies when you settle permanently.

Keep any foreign microchip registration active until you know the Czech records are correct.

Moving with a cat

CEP does not apply to cats.

Ask a Czech veterinarian to scan the microchip after arrival and check that the number matches the passport or other travel documents.

Even though Czechia does not generally require ordinary pet cats to be microchipped or registered domestically, ChipTrace strongly recommends registering your cat in a database that can lead a finder back to you.

If your cat already has a foreign microchip, you do not need to treat the foreign number as a problem simply because you now live in Czechia.

Consider adding the chip to a Czech tracing database such as NRMZ or BackHome. You can also use an additional international registration such as Animal-ID.

Keep the existing foreign registration active as well, at least until you have confirmed that the new registration contains the correct microchip number and current contact details.

Travelling with a pet to or from Czechia

Microchip registration and travel rules are connected, but they are not the same.

Dogs, cats and ferrets travelling between EU countries need the identification, rabies vaccination and travel documents required for that journey.

A Czech pet-passport record can also confirm a chip number, but it does not replace the official CEP requirement for dogs or a dedicated lost-pet registry.

Our Pet Travel: Microchip Checks Before You Go guide covers the practical checks to make before travelling.

Always check current official rules for your exact route before departure.

In short

No single microchip database in Czechia covers everything.

CEP is the official legal dog register.

BackHome, NRMZ and other private databases remain useful for tracing lost and found animals.

For cats, there is no equivalent compulsory national CEP registration. That makes a useful private or international microchip registration especially important.

CzechPetNet connects Czechia to EUROPETNET, while the Veterinary Chamber’s pet-passport register provides another possible route.

For a found microchipped animal, the practical approach is:

Czech public registries → EUROPETNET → ChipTrace → pet-passport search → veterinarian or authority for CEP when the animal is a dog → foreign and manufacturer routes if necessary.

If the first database says ‘not found,’ keep searching.

In Czechia, another database might still have the answer.

And if you have a cat, remember the distinction:

Microchipping may not be compulsory, but microchipping and registering your cat is very much recommended.