This guide explains how pet microchip registration works in France, where to check a French microchip, and what to do if the number is not found.
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 French microchip numbers look like?
Most modern pet microchips follow the ISO standard and contain 15 digits.
The official ISO numeric country code for France is 250.
A French country-coded microchip may therefore begin with 250.
However, not every dog, cat or ferret living in France has a 250 chip. Many pets have manufacturer-coded microchips or chip numbers from other countries.
Manufacturer-coded microchips start with the digit 9. These numbers may appear in several countries, so they do not prove where the pet was chipped or registered.
Some animals received the microchip in another country before arriving in France.
This is common with:
- Imported dogs, cats and ferrets
- Pets adopted through foreign rescues
- Animals that moved to France with their families
- Former stray animals that later travelled abroad
- Older animals with manufacturer-coded chips
A readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip may still link to an I-CAD record when a veterinarian has registered the animal in France.
Some older French animals may have a tattoo instead of a microchip.
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 France
Many different microchip numbers may appear in France. These examples show a few possible formats, but many other variations exist.
250123456789012— French country-coded microchip981123456789012— manufacturer-coded microchip945123456789012— manufacturer-coded microchip056123456789012— 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 French microchip number?
Follow these quick tracing steps to help reunite the animal with its owner.
- Ask a veterinarian, shelter, pound, rescue, police service, gendarmerie or local authority to scan the animal and confirm the full identification number.
- Use ChipTrace to check available international routes and 100+ databases worldwide.
- Use the I-CAD found-animal service.
- Ask a veterinarian or authorised organisation to check I-CAD directly.
- Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual European search.
- Contact any veterinarian, shelter, rescue or breeder that may be connected to the animal.
I-CAD or an authorised organisation may contact the registered owner for you.
Do not expect to receive the owner’s private details directly.
If nobody can reach the owner, you can post on local social media and leave leaflets at veterinary clinics, shelters, pounds and nearby shops.
Do not publish the complete microchip number online. Share only part of it so ownership claims can be checked safely.
Remember: some owned cats in France are allowed to roam near their home. Do not assume every outdoor cat is lost.
Before taking action, look for signs that the animal is injured, frightened, displaced, trapped, very young, or unfamiliar with the area.
Read Found a Microchipped Pet? What to Do Next for practical advice and template messages you can send to local shelters and vets.
What if the microchip number is not found in any database?
A missing database result is not always the end of the trace.
Start by asking a veterinarian, shelter, pound, rescue or local authority to scan the animal again and confirm every digit. One wrong digit can return no result.
Possible causes and next steps:
- A vet implanted the chip, but nobody completed the registration. Ask the veterinarian, breeder, shelter or rescue to check their records and I-CAD.
- Someone entered the number incorrectly. Re-scan the animal and search again with the verified number.
- The registration is very recent. Ask I-CAD or the veterinarian when the record should appear, then try again later.
- The animal has a tattoo or older identification record. Ask a veterinarian or authorised service to check the format.
- Another country may still hold the animal’s registration. Use ChipTrace for country or manufacturer clues and open the relevant manual route.
- The chip is manufacturer-coded. Use the manufacturer or distributor route when no registry result appears.
Extra tracing routes to try
- Use ChipTrace again after confirming the number. It can also suggest a likely country, manufacturer or distributor, including contact information where available.
- Use the I-CAD found-animal service.
- Ask I-CAD, a veterinarian, shelter, pound, police service, gendarmerie or local authority to check the French record directly.
- Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual European search.
- Check databases in countries where the animal may have lived.
- Contact the microchip manufacturer or distributor. They may identify the distributor who sold the chip and the vet, breeder, shelter or rescue that received it.
You can use the email template ChipTrace creates to contact the manufacturer or distributor when no registration is found.
Manufacturers and distributors normally do not give out the owner’s private details. Instead, they may identify the distributor that supplied the chip, the vet or organisation that received it, or pass a matched enquiry to the next organisation.
Finding the owner is not guaranteed, but these extra steps often help. If you still cannot trace the owner after checking every route, contact a local shelter, pound, rescue, local authority or veterinary clinic for advice.
Read our guide to why a microchip may not appear in any database.
Which microchip database is used in France?
France uses one national identification register called I-CAD.
I-CAD holds the official identification records for:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Ferrets
An I-CAD record may include:
- The microchip or tattoo number
- Information about the animal
- The registered owner’s details
- The identifying veterinarian or professional
- Loss, theft and recovery information
- A change of owner
- Temporary contact details
- The animal’s death
Owners can manage many details through their private I-CAD account.
Is I-CAD a public microchip search?
I-CAD does not provide an open public search that shows the owner’s full private details.
Veterinarians, shelters, pounds, police, gendarmerie and authorised local services can check more information.
A member of the public can use the I-CAD found-animal service.
I-CAD or an authorised organisation can then contact the registered owner.
The owner’s private details should not be displayed publicly.
Can EUROPETNET find a French registration?
Yes. France takes part in EUROPETNET.
I-CAD is listed as France’s EUROPETNET member database.
A manual EUROPETNET search may therefore identify an I-CAD registration.
The result normally tells the finder that I-CAD holds the record. It does not show the registered owner’s private contact details.
ChipTrace may provide a button or link that opens EUROPETNET. ChipTrace does not perform that EUROPETNET search itself. The user completes the manual search.
If EUROPETNET gives no result, do not assume that the animal has no I-CAD record. Re-check ChipTrace, I-CAD and any relevant foreign databases.
Read how ChipTrace works for more information about database checks and manual searches.
How does ChipTrace search France?
ChipTrace checks available French and international database routes where possible.
For France, this includes guidance and direct routes for I-CAD and EUROPETNET manual searching.
ChipTrace also checks 100+ other registries and databases worldwide.
This increases the chance of finding a registration, especially when a pet was imported, adopted through a rescue, moved between countries or has a manufacturer-coded chip.
ChipTrace can also suggest manufacturer or distributor contact routes where available. That may help when no public database result appears.
ChipTrace shows which databases and services it checked. It does not reveal the registered owner’s private contact details. An authorised organisation must contact the owner.
Are microchips required in France?
Dogs, cats and ferrets must be officially identified in France.
Microchipping is now the normal method.
A readable tattoo may still be valid in some situations.
Dogs
Dogs must be identified before they reach four months of age.
A dog must also be identified before it is sold, adopted or given away.
This applies whatever the dog’s age.
Cats
Cats must be identified before they reach seven months of age.
A cat must also be identified before it is sold, adopted or given away.
This applies whatever the cat’s age.
Ferrets
Ferrets born after 1 November 2021 must be identified before they reach seven months of age.
A ferret must also be identified before it is sold or given away.
Who can implant and register the microchip?
A veterinarian normally implants the microchip and creates the first I-CAD registration.
The veterinarian checks whether the animal already has a chip.
If needed, the veterinarian implants a new chip and confirms the number.
The veterinarian then sends the animal and owner information to I-CAD.
Identification is not complete until the number has been registered correctly.
How to register a pet microchip in France
A veterinarian normally completes the first identification and registration.
To register a dog, cat or ferret:
- Make an appointment with a French veterinarian.
- Take the animal and any existing documents.
- Ask the veterinarian to check for an existing microchip or tattoo.
- If needed, ask the veterinarian to implant a microchip.
- Ask the veterinarian to create the first I-CAD registration.
- Check the complete identification number.
- Check your name, address and contact details.
- Ask the veterinarian to confirm that the record has been sent.
- Create or access your I-CAD account.
- Download and keep the identification card.
Useful documents may include:
- An EU pet passport
- A vaccination record
- A microchip certificate
- An adoption contract
- A purchase agreement or invoice
- A veterinary certificate
- A foreign registration document
Do not assume that implanting the chip completes the registration.
The I-CAD record must also be created.
What is the I-CAD identification card?
The I-CAD identification card confirms that the animal is registered.
It contains information about the animal and registered owner.
The card is normally available through the owner’s I-CAD account.
Keep a copy with the animal’s other records.
The identification card is not the same as an EU pet passport.
The I-CAD card confirms the French identification record. The passport contains identification, rabies vaccination and travel information.
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 France
- The animal was first registered in another country
- A finder uses an international search service
- The I-CAD record is difficult to check from abroad
- The animal has a foreign or manufacturer-coded chip
Important: a global registration is only a safety net. It does not replace I-CAD registration.
Updating Animal-ID also does not update I-CAD. Keep the same contact details in every active record.
How to check your pet’s microchip registration
This section is for owners who already know their pet’s microchip number.
If you do not know the number, ask a veterinarian, shelter or rescue to scan the animal first.
To check the registration:
- Sign in to your I-CAD account.
- Check that the animal appears in the account.
- Download the identification card.
- Compare the number with the pet passport and other records.
- Ask a veterinarian to confirm the number when needed.
- Use ChipTrace to check available international routes and possible foreign registrations.
- Open EUROPETNET when another European record may be involved.
When checking the record, confirm the owner’s name, address, telephone number and email address.
Also check that the animal’s status is correct. The record should not still show the animal as lost, stolen, living abroad or deceased if that information no longer applies.
If the animal does not appear in your account, contact I-CAD or the veterinarian that created the registration.
How to update an I-CAD registration
Update the I-CAD record whenever important information changes.
Update the registration when:
- You move home
- Your telephone number changes
- Your email address changes
- The animal goes missing
- The animal is found again
- The animal is stolen
- The animal moves to a new owner
- The animal moves abroad
- The animal dies
Many changes can be made through the private I-CAD account.
You can also add temporary contact details when travelling or staying somewhere else.
Updating the EU pet passport is not enough.
The I-CAD record must also be changed.
Update any additional international registrations separately.
How to transfer an I-CAD registration
The owner currently registered in I-CAD should normally start the transfer.
The transfer can usually be completed through the online account.
The new owner receives access to the updated identification record after the transfer.
The new owner should:
- Check that the transfer has been completed
- Create or access an I-CAD account
- Check the animal’s information
- Check the complete identification number
- Download the new identification card
- Check the address, telephone number and email address
An ordinary online transfer is normally free.
A different process may be needed when the identification documents or online account are not available.
What if the pet is still registered to someone else?
Contact the previous owner, breeder, shelter or rescue first.
Ask them to complete the I-CAD transfer or provide the documents needed for the change.
If this is not possible, contact I-CAD or speak to a veterinarian.
They may ask for:
- An adoption contract
- A purchase agreement or invoice
- The identification card
- The EU pet passport
- Veterinary records
- Written confirmation from the previous owner
- Proof that the animal is now in your care
The exact documents depend on the situation.
An I-CAD record can show who appears as responsible for the animal. However, it may not settle a legal ownership dispute on its own.
Buying or adopting a pet in France
Ask for the complete microchip or tattoo number before taking the animal home.
When possible, ask a veterinarian, shelter or rescue to check the identification.
Make sure the number matches every document.
You should normally receive:
- The complete identification number
- Proof of sale, adoption or transfer
- A veterinary certificate
- The I-CAD identification information
- The relevant health documents
- An EU pet passport, when available
The person transferring the animal should start the change of owner in I-CAD.
Do not rely only on the name written in the passport.
The I-CAD registration must also be transferred.
What is the certificate of commitment and knowledge?
A person acquiring a dog, cat or ferret in France must normally receive a certificate of commitment and knowledge.
The certificate explains the animal’s needs and the responsibilities of ownership.
The new owner must receive and read it at least seven days before taking the animal home.
The breeder, shelter, rescue or seller should explain the process.
What about a pet adopted from a foreign rescue?
Ask the rescue who will arrange the French registration.
Also ask:
- Whether the animal has been scanned
- Who is named in the passport or health certificate
- Which foreign database holds the current record
- Who will update the foreign registration
- Who will start the I-CAD import process
- Who will transfer the I-CAD record to the adopter
- Whether the health and transport documents are complete
A foreign database record does not replace I-CAD when the animal will live in France.
The rescue should explain the process before the adoption is completed.
What should you do if your pet goes missing?
Act quickly.
Report the animal as missing through I-CAD as soon as possible.
Check that your telephone number and email address are correct.
You should:
- Contact local veterinarians.
- Contact shelters and animal-welfare organisations.
- Contact the local pound.
- Contact the town hall.
- Contact the police or gendarmerie when appropriate.
- Share a clear photograph and the area where the animal disappeared.
Do not publish the complete microchip number online.
Share only part of the number publicly. Keep the full number for veterinarians, shelters, pounds, rescues, I-CAD and trusted organisations helping with the search.
When the animal returns, update the I-CAD record and close every missing-pet report.
Bringing an imported pet to France
A foreign registration does not automatically create an I-CAD record.
If a dog, cat or ferret will live in France, the animal normally needs an I-CAD registration unless the stay is under three months.
After import or arrival from another EU country, the owner must normally register the animal in the French national identification file within seven days.
Start by visiting a French veterinarian.
Take:
- The animal
- Its EU pet passport or official health certificate
- Its rabies vaccination record
- The microchip certificate, when available
- Your identification
- Your French address and contact details
- Any foreign registration documents
- An adoption or transfer document, when relevant
The veterinarian checks the existing microchip and starts the French registration process.
Normally, the veterinarian does not need to replace a readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip.
I-CAD may ask for more documents when information is missing.
Keep the foreign registration active until the French record has been confirmed.
Update or transfer the foreign registration afterwards when possible.
Travelling with a pet to or from France
Microchip registration and border requirements are separate.
For most travel within the EU, dogs, cats and ferrets need:
- A readable microchip
- A valid rabies vaccination
- An EU pet passport
Normally, the veterinarian must implant the microchip before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccination used for travel.
After the first rabies vaccination, you normally need to wait at least 21 days before travel.
A clearly readable tattoo may still be accepted when it was applied before 3 July 2011.
If the pet travels from outside the EU, other documents may be needed. For example, some journeys require an animal health certificate, a declaration, entry through an approved travellers’ point, or a rabies antibody blood test.
For this reason, always check the current rules before travelling.
Travelling to France from outside the European Union
If you are travelling to France from outside the European Union with a dog, cat or ferret, check the official European Commission and French customs rules before you travel.
Requirements may include identification by microchip, rabies vaccination, an animal health certificate, a declaration, entry through an approved travellers’ point, and a rabies antibody blood test for some departure countries.
Read the official European Commission guidance: Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to the EU from a non-EU country.
New EU certificate models from October 2026: For non-commercial movements of dogs, cats or ferrets into the EU from a non-EU country or territory, the new EU animal health certificate model applies from 1 October 2026. Certificates using the previous model remain valid only if they were issued before that date.
For commercial entry, the revised certificate model applies from 17 October 2026. Certificates using the previous model are accepted only if they were issued before that date.
Read the official European Commission guidance for non-commercial pet travel into the EU and commercial entry of dogs, cats and ferrets into the EU.
Travelling from France to another country
If you travel from France to another country, the destination country may set its own rules.
For EU travel, the EU pet passport and rabies rules normally apply.
For non-EU travel, you may need export documents, a health certificate, official endorsement or extra tests.
Before travelling, ask your veterinarian and check the destination country’s official requirements.
Useful French microchip links
I-CAD
Open the French national identification database
I-CAD owner account
Access or manage an I-CAD owner account
I-CAD found-animal guidance
Report or trace a found dog, cat or ferret
I-CAD lost-animal guidance
Report a dog, cat or ferret as missing
EUROPETNET
Complete a separate manual European microchip search
Animal-ID
Create an additional global microchip registration
French pet-travel guidance
Check current French pet-travel guidance before travelling
French customs – travelling with a dog, cat or ferret
Check French customs guidance for dogs, cats and ferrets
European Commission – bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
Read the EU rules for dogs, cats and ferrets entering the EU from outside the EU
European Commission – travelling with a pet within the EU
Check EU pet travel rules before travelling