Pet Microchips in Egypt: Dog Licensing, Registration and Tracing

Egypt does not have one public national microchip database for every dog and cat.

A pet’s chip record may be held by a veterinary clinic, kennel organisation, rescue, supplier or international database.

Egypt also has an official licensing and registration system for dogs.

However, the dog-licensing record is not the same as a public microchip search database.

When a chip is found, it may be necessary to follow several tracing routes.

Which microchip databases are used in Egypt?

Egypt does not appear to have one public database containing every microchipped dog and cat.

A microchip record may be held by:

  • The veterinary clinic that implanted the chip
  • The Egyptian Kennel Federation
  • A shelter or rescue organisation
  • A breeder
  • The microchip supplier or distributor
  • An international microchip database
  • A database in another country

A dog may also be recorded in Egypt’s official dog-licensing system.

However, that system is not an open public chip lookup service.

An animal may appear in one record system but not another.

For this reason, it is often necessary to check several routes.

Egyptian dog-licensing records

Egypt has a legal system for licensing and registering dogs.

Law No. 29 of 2023 regulates dog ownership and dangerous animals.

Its executive regulations were issued in 2025.

Licensed dogs are recorded by the relevant veterinary authority.

The official record can include:

  • The owner’s name
  • The owner’s address
  • A description of the dog
  • Identifying features
  • Vaccination information
  • The dog’s licence details
  • An official serial number

The owner also receives an identification tag for the dog.

This tag should be attached to the dog’s collar.

The licensing record may help an authority trace a licensed dog.

However, it should not be treated as a public national microchip database.

Egyptian Kennel Federation

The Egyptian Kennel Federation records pedigree dogs and breeding information.

Its records may include a dog’s microchip number.

This can be useful for dogs registered by breeders or kennel organisations.

However, it is not a recovery database for every pet dog in Egypt.

A mixed-breed dog, rescue dog or privately owned pet may not appear there.

Are microchips required in Egypt?

Egyptian law requires dogs to be licensed.

However, the current dog-licensing regulations do not clearly state that every licensed dog must have a microchip.

The official system uses a registration record, serial number and physical identification tag.

Local procedures may develop or differ between veterinary directorates.

Ask the relevant government veterinary office what identification is currently required.

Do dogs need a licence?

Yes.

Dogs must be licensed through the relevant veterinary authority.

Owners may need to:

  • Take the dog to the local veterinary directorate
  • Provide personal identification
  • Provide their address
  • Have the dog registered
  • Provide vaccination information
  • Pay the current licence fee
  • Receive the dog’s licence and identification tag

The licence is normally valid for one year.

Ask the nearest government veterinary office for the current process.

Are cats required to be microchipped?

Egypt does not appear to have the same national licensing duty for every privately owned cat.

Microchipping is still strongly recommended.

It gives a cat a permanent form of identification.

Indoor cats can also escape through a door, window or balcony.

A chip may also be needed for international travel.

What do Egyptian microchip numbers look like?

Modern pet microchips normally contain 15 digits.

Egypt’s ISO country code is:

818

An Egyptian country-coded chip may therefore begin with 818.

However, not every pet living in Egypt has an 818 chip.

Many chips use a manufacturer code instead.

Manufacturer-coded microchips usually begin with the number 9.

Other animals were microchipped abroad before arriving in Egypt.

This is common with:

  • Imported dogs and cats
  • Pets adopted through international rescues
  • Animals that moved to Egypt with their families
  • Pedigree dogs imported by breeders

A readable foreign chip does not normally need to be replaced.

The first digits are only a clue.

They do not prove where the animal lives or where its registration is held.

Read our guide to pet microchip numbers for more information.

What should you do if you find a microchipped pet in Egypt?

Take the animal to a veterinary clinic, shelter or rescue organisation.

Ask them to scan the animal carefully.

Write down the complete microchip number.

It is useful to scan more than once and across the shoulders and body.

A chip may have moved from its original position.

Then check:

  • The veterinary clinic connected to the chip
  • The government dog-licensing record, when the animal is a dog
  • The Egyptian Kennel Federation, when the dog may be pedigree
  • The shelter, rescue or breeder connected to the animal
  • International microchip databases
  • Databases in countries where the pet may have lived
  • The microchip manufacturer or distributor

Use ChipTrace to check available databases and identify possible country or manufacturer information.

ChipTrace can also suggest the next tracing contact when no registration is found.

A public search should not reveal the owner’s private contact details.

A vet, authority, database or rescue may contact the registered owner instead.

Do not publish the complete microchip number online.

Keep part of the number private so that ownership claims can be checked.

Read how ChipTrace works for more information about database checks and next-step advice.

What if an Egyptian microchip cannot be found?

Ask a vet or shelter to scan the animal again.

One incorrect digit is enough to produce no result.

Then:

  • Check the animal’s veterinary records
  • Contact the clinic that implanted the chip
  • Ask the local veterinary authority about the dog licence
  • Contact the Egyptian Kennel Federation for a pedigree dog
  • Contact the shelter, rescue, breeder or former owner
  • Check databases in countries where the pet has lived
  • Contact the chip manufacturer or distributor
  • Use ChipTrace for database, country and manufacturer clues

The chip may have been implanted but never registered in a public database.

The record may only exist in a veterinary clinic, shelter, breeder file or government system.

A foreign database may also hold the registration.

If no database record is found, the manufacturer or distributor may still provide a trace-back route.

The manufacturer may be able to identify the distributor or supplier that received the chip.

The supplier may then identify the clinic, breeder, shelter or rescue that received it.

That organisation may know where the chip was implanted or registered.

They will not normally give the finder the owner’s private details.

Instead, they may contact the next organisation or the registered owner directly.

Trace-back is not guaranteed.

Records may be old, incomplete or unavailable.

A missing result does not prove that the animal has no family.

Read our guide to why a microchip may not appear in any database.

Check a Microchip

Can I add a global microchip registration?

Yes.

An additional international record can provide another route back to the owner.

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

This may be especially useful in Egypt because there is no simple public national chip lookup for every pet.

An extra global registration may help when:

  • The pet travels outside Egypt
  • The animal is adopted abroad
  • A finder uses an international search service
  • The local record is difficult to identify
  • The animal has a foreign chip

This is an extra safety net.

It does not replace a dog licence, veterinary record or other local registration.

Keep the same contact details in every active database.

How to register a dog microchip in Egypt

There is no single public national microchip registration process for every Egyptian pet.

The correct route depends on the chip, clinic and animal.

  1. Make an appointment with a veterinary clinic.
  2. Ask the vet to scan the dog.
  3. If needed, have a microchip implanted.
  4. Write down the complete chip number.
  5. Ask where the chip record will be held.
  6. Ask whether the clinic registers the chip or only implants it.
  7. Contact the local veterinary directorate about the dog licence.
  8. Check that the chip number is correct in every private record.
  9. Keep copies of the licence and veterinary documents.

Useful documents may include:

  • Your identity document
  • Your address details
  • The dog’s vaccination booklet
  • The rabies certificate
  • The microchip certificate
  • The dog licence
  • An adoption or purchase agreement
  • Foreign registration documents

Who implants the microchip?

A vet normally implants the microchip.

The animal should be scanned first.

This checks whether a chip is already present.

If a chip is needed, the vet implants it under the skin.

The vet then scans it again.

This confirms that the chip works and shows the correct number.

Ask for the complete number in writing.

Does the vet register the chip automatically?

Not always.

The vet may record the number only in the clinic file.

The chip may also be added to a kennel, rescue or private database.

In some cases, the owner needs to complete the registration.

Ask the vet:

  • Where will the chip be registered?
  • Has the registration been completed?
  • Is the complete number correct?
  • Are my contact details included?
  • Do I also need a government dog licence?
  • How can I update the record later?

Do not assume that implantation means registration is complete.

A chip without a current contact record may not lead a finder back to you.

Can I register a cat microchip in Egypt?

Ask the vet which database or supplier is linked to the chip.

The clinic may keep its own record.

The chip manufacturer may also operate or recommend a recovery database.

You can also add an international registration.

Keep proof of every registration with the cat’s veterinary documents.

How to update an Egyptian microchip record

There may be more than one record to update.

Update each active record when:

  • You move home
  • Your telephone number changes
  • Your email address changes
  • The animal moves to a new owner
  • The animal goes missing
  • The animal is found again
  • The animal moves abroad
  • The animal dies

Clinic, kennel, licensing and international records may not update each other.

Check each one separately.

For a licensed dog, also tell the relevant veterinary directorate about important changes.

How to transfer an Egyptian microchip record

The transfer process depends on where the chip is recorded.

The former owner may need to approve the change.

The new owner may need to provide documents.

These may include:

  • An adoption contract
  • A purchase agreement
  • A signed transfer document
  • Veterinary records
  • The dog licence
  • Your identification

Contact the vet, database, kennel organisation or government office holding the record.

Update each active record separately.

What if the pet is still registered to someone else?

Contact the former owner, shelter, breeder or rescue first.

Ask them to help transfer the record.

If they cannot help, contact the organisation holding the registration.

Explain how the animal came into your care.

Provide any documents they request.

A microchip record shows who is listed as the contact.

It may not settle an ownership dispute on its own.

Buying or adopting a pet in Egypt

Ask whether the animal has a microchip.

If it does, ask for:

  • The complete microchip number
  • The name of every database holding the record
  • The vaccination booklet
  • The rabies certificate
  • The dog licence, when relevant
  • An adoption or purchase agreement

Ask a vet to scan the chip.

Check that the scanned number matches the documents.

The former owner, breeder, shelter or rescue should help update every active record.

What about a pet adopted from an Egyptian rescue?

Ask the rescue which records already exist.

Also ask:

  • Whether the animal has been scanned
  • Who is named in the chip record
  • Which organisation holds the registration
  • Who will complete the ownership transfer
  • Who will register the pet in its new country
  • Whether the rabies and travel documents are complete

A pet adopted abroad may need records in both Egypt and its destination country.

Keep the Egyptian record active until the new registration is confirmed.

What should you do if your pet goes missing?

Contact every organisation holding a chip or licensing record.

Ask whether the animal can be marked as missing.

Check that your telephone number is current.

Also:

  • Contact local veterinary clinics
  • Contact shelters and rescue groups
  • Contact the local veterinary authority
  • Contact the municipality when relevant
  • Inform the police when theft may be involved
  • Share a clear photograph and the area where the pet disappeared

Do not publish the complete microchip number online.

Keep part of it private so that ownership claims can be checked.

Bringing an imported pet to Egypt

A foreign database registration does not automatically create an Egyptian record.

After arrival, ask an Egyptian vet to scan the animal.

Take:

  • The animal
  • Its veterinary health certificate
  • Its rabies vaccination certificate
  • The microchip certificate, when available
  • Your Egyptian contact details
  • Any foreign database information

A readable foreign chip does not normally need to be replaced.

Check that the number matches every document.

Ask whether the pet needs a local private chip record.

For a dog, also ask about the government licence.

Keep the foreign registration active until the Egyptian records are confirmed.

Travelling with a pet to or from Egypt

Microchip registration and border rules are separate.

The destination country decides which documents are required.

A pet may need:

  • An ISO-compatible microchip
  • A valid rabies vaccination
  • An official veterinary health certificate
  • A rabies antibody blood test
  • Parasite treatment
  • An import permit

Some countries require the chip to be implanted before the rabies vaccination used for travel.

Airlines may also have their own requirements.

Check official rules for Egypt, the destination country and the airline before every journey.

Travelling from Egypt to the European Union

Dogs, cats and ferrets entering the EU from Egypt normally need:

  • A readable microchip
  • A rabies vaccination given after identification
  • A successful rabies antibody titre test
  • An EU animal health certificate
  • Entry through an approved travellers’ point

The blood sample must normally be taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination.

A three-month waiting period normally applies after the blood sample.

Begin the process several months before travel.

Check the latest official EU pet-travel guidance.

Useful Egyptian microchip links

Egyptian dog-ownership law
Read Law No. 29 of 2023

Egyptian executive regulations
Read the 2025 dog-licensing regulations

Egyptian Kennel Federation
Find the recognised Egyptian canine organisation

Animal-ID
Create an additional global microchip registration

EU pet-travel guidance
Check the rules for entering the European Union