Pet Microchips in Germany: TASSO, FINDEFIX and Tracing

 

This guide explains how pet microchip registration works in Germany, where to check a German 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 German microchip numbers look like?

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

The official ISO numeric country code for Germany is 276.

A German country-coded microchip may therefore begin with 276.

However, not every dog or cat living in Germany has a 276 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 Germany.

This is common with:

• Imported dogs and cats
• Pets adopted through foreign rescues
• Animals that moved to Germany 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 a German record when the owner has registered the animal with TASSO, FINDEFIX or another German service.

Some older 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 Germany

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

• 276123456789012 — German country-coded microchip
• 981123456789012 — manufacturer-coded microchip
• 945123456789012 — manufacturer-coded microchip
• 250123456789012 — 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 German microchip number?

Follow these quick tracing steps to help reunite the animal with its owner.

1. Ask a veterinarian, shelter, rescue or animal-welfare group to scan the animal and confirm the full microchip number.
2. Use ChipTrace to search available German and international routes, including 100+ databases worldwide.
3. Check the number through the public TASSO microchip search.
4. Check FINDEFIX and Tierregistrierung.de through ChipTrace or their own services where needed.
5. Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual European search.
6. Ask about an official state or city dog register when the animal is a dog.
7. Contact any veterinarian, shelter, rescue or breeder that may be connected to the animal.

TASSO, FINDEFIX, Tierregistrierung.de or another 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 and nearby shops.

Do not publish the complete microchip number online. Share only part of it so ownership claims can be checked safely.

Remember: many owned cats in Germany are allowed to roam. 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, rescue or animal-welfare group 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 registered it. Ask the veterinarian, breeder, shelter or rescue to check their records.
• Someone entered the number incorrectly. Re-scan the animal and search again with the verified number.
• The animal is registered with only one German database. Check TASSO, FINDEFIX, Tierregistrierung.de and any official dog register separately.
• The owner’s contact details are old or private. Ask the database, shelter or veterinarian to help contact the owner.
• 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.
• Check the public TASSO microchip search.
• Check FINDEFIX and Tierregistrierung.de through ChipTrace or their own services where needed.
• 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, rescue, animal-welfare group, municipality or veterinary clinic for advice.

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

Check a Microchip

Which microchip databases are used in Germany?

Germany has several important pet registers and tracing services.

The main services are:

• TASSO
• FINDEFIX
• Tierregistrierung.de
• Official state and city dog registers
• Databases in other countries

An animal may be registered with one service or several services.

Updating one database does not update the others.

What is TASSO?

TASSO is a private animal-welfare organisation.

It operates one of Germany’s largest pet registers.

Registration and its normal recovery services are free.

A TASSO record may include:

• The microchip or tattoo number
• Information about the animal
• The registered owner’s contact details
• An emergency contact
• A missing-pet report
• A change of owner

TASSO also provides a 24-hour recovery service.

A TASSO registration is useful when a lost animal is found. However, it is not a government registration.

What is FINDEFIX?

FINDEFIX is the pet register of the German Animal Welfare Federation.

Its German name is Deutscher Tierschutzbund.

Registration is free.

A FINDEFIX record may include:

• The microchip, tattoo or ring number
• Information about the animal
• The registered owner’s contact details
• A missing-pet report
• Recovery information

FINDEFIX can help a veterinarian, shelter or finder contact the registered owner.

What is Tierregistrierung.de?

Tierregistrierung.de is a German pet register and tracing service.

It holds its own registration records.

A search result may show which organisation should be contacted.

The owner’s private details should not be shown to the finder.

Can TASSO and FINDEFIX be searched publicly?

Yes. Both services provide a public microchip-number search.

A result may confirm that the number is registered.

It should not show the owner’s full private details.

The database can contact the owner or help the finder instead.

Can EUROPETNET find a German registration?

Yes. Germany takes part in EUROPETNET.

TASSO is listed as Germany’s EUROPETNET member organisation.

A manual EUROPETNET search may therefore identify a TASSO registration.

FINDEFIX is not Germany’s listed EUROPETNET member. A FINDEFIX-only record may therefore not appear there.

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 is unregistered in Germany. Re-check ChipTrace, TASSO, FINDEFIX, Tierregistrierung.de and any relevant foreign databases.

Read how ChipTrace works for more information about database checks and manual searches.

How does ChipTrace search Germany?

ChipTrace checks available German and international database routes where possible.

For Germany, this includes Tierregistrierung.de and FINDEFIX through PetMaxx.

ChipTrace does not currently search TASSO automatically.

For that reason, TASSO should be checked separately through its public microchip search.

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 Germany?

Germany does not have one national microchip rule for every privately owned dog and cat.

The rules depend on the German state and local authority.

The requirement may depend on:

• The German state
• The municipality
• The dog’s size or weight
• The dog’s breed or type
• Whether the dog is classed as dangerous
• Whether the animal travels internationally

Some states require all dogs to be identified and officially registered.

Other areas apply the rules only to certain dogs.

Ask your municipality or local veterinary authority which rules apply.

Are cats required to be microchipped?

There is no national rule requiring every privately owned cat to have a microchip.

However, some towns and districts have local cat-protection rules.

These rules may require free-roaming cats to be:

• Neutered
• Microchipped or tattooed
• Registered in a recognised pet database

The rules vary by area.

Even when identification is not required, microchipping and registration are strongly recommended.

Does my dog need an official registration?

Possibly.

Several German states have an official dog register.

Some cities also have their own system.

This registration is not the same as registering with TASSO or FINDEFIX.

Ask your local authority which rules apply.

What about dog tax?

Most dog owners in Germany must register their dog for local dog tax.

This is called Hundesteuer.

The municipality manages the tax record.

Dog tax registration does not create a TASSO or FINDEFIX record.

You may therefore need to:

• Register the dog for local dog tax
• Enter the dog in an official state or city register
• Register the microchip with TASSO, FINDEFIX or another pet database

Do not assume that one registration completes all three steps.

How to register a pet microchip in Germany

A veterinarian normally implants the microchip.

The chip contains only an identification number.

The owner’s contact details must be added to a database separately.

To register a pet:

1. Ask a veterinarian or shelter to confirm the complete microchip number.
2. Choose TASSO, FINDEFIX or both.
3. Create or claim the animal’s record.
4. Add your current contact details.
5. Add an emergency contact when possible.
6. Check every digit carefully.
7. Save the registration confirmation.
8. Check whether an official dog registration is also required.
9. Register the dog for local dog tax when needed.

Useful documents may include:

• The microchip certificate
• An EU pet passport
• A vaccination record
• An adoption contract
• A purchase agreement
• A foreign registration document
• Official dog-register documents

Do not assume that the veterinarian registers the chip automatically.

Ask which database holds the record.

Check the registration yourself afterwards.

How to register a pet with TASSO

Registration with TASSO is free.

To create a registration:

1. Open the TASSO registration page.
2. Create or use a MeinTASSO account.
3. Enter information about the animal.
4. Add the complete microchip or tattoo number.
5. Add your contact details.
6. Check the number carefully.
7. Submit the registration.
8. Keep the confirmation with the pet’s documents.

How to register a pet with FINDEFIX

Registration with FINDEFIX is also free.

To create a registration:

1. Open the FINDEFIX registration page.
2. Enter the microchip, tattoo or ring number.
3. Add information about the animal.
4. Add your current contact details.
5. Check the number carefully.
6. Submit the registration.
7. Keep the confirmation and account details.

A veterinarian may offer to complete the registration for you.

Check the record yourself afterwards.

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 Germany
• The animal was first registered in another country
• A finder uses an international search service
• The German registration is difficult to identify from abroad
• The animal has a foreign or manufacturer-coded chip

Important: a global registration is only a safety net. It does not replace TASSO, FINDEFIX or any official registration required locally.

Keep the same contact details in every active database.

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:

• Use ChipTrace to search Tierregistrierung.de, FINDEFIX and relevant international databases.
• Use the public TASSO microchip search.
• Open EUROPETNET when a TASSO or foreign European record may be involved.
• Check the database named on the microchip certificate.
• Compare the number with the EU pet passport and other documents.
• Sign in to each active database and check the registered details.

When checking the record, confirm the owner’s name, address, telephone number and email address.

Also check that the pet’s status is correct. The record should not still show the pet as missing, found, transferred or deceased if that information no longer applies.

A public search should not show the owner’s full private details.

How to update a German microchip registration

Keep every active registration up to date when important information changes.

Update the records 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

Change TASSO and FINDEFIX separately when the animal is registered with both.

An official dog register and dog-tax record may also need separate changes.

Updating the EU pet passport is not enough.

Update any foreign or international registration separately.

How to transfer a German microchip registration

The process depends on the database.

The previous owner may need to start or approve the transfer.

The new owner may need to show that the animal is now in their care.

Useful documents may include:

• An adoption contract
• A purchase agreement or invoice
• The EU pet passport
• Veterinary records
• A signed transfer document
• Written confirmation from the previous owner

Update every active private and official record separately.

Transferring a TASSO registration

Contact TASSO or use its online service to request the change.

TASSO may contact the person already listed in the database.

This helps stop an unauthorised change.

Keep the adoption contract or purchase agreement in case proof is needed.

Transferring a FINDEFIX registration

Contact FINDEFIX or use its online services to report the new owner.

The exact process depends on the existing record.

Information or approval from the previous owner may be needed.

Check the registration after the transfer.

What if the pet is still registered to someone else?

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

Ask them to update or transfer the registration.

If this is not possible, contact the database directly.

Provide any documents the database requests.

A database record can show who appears as the animal’s contact. However, it may not settle a legal ownership dispute on its own.

Buying or adopting a pet in Germany

Ask for the complete microchip number before taking the animal home.

When possible, ask a veterinarian, shelter or rescue to check the microchip.

Make sure the number matches every document.

Also ask for:

• An EU pet passport, when available
• Vaccination records
• An adoption contract or purchase agreement
• The TASSO or FINDEFIX registration details
• Proof of an official dog registration, when required
• Foreign registration information, when relevant

The previous owner, breeder, shelter or rescue should help transfer every active registration.

What about a pet adopted from a foreign rescue?

Ask the rescue which records already exist.

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 create the German registration
• Whether the travel and health documents are complete

Do not assume that every German registration has already been completed.

Check the microchip and contact details yourself.

What should you do if your pet goes missing?

Act quickly.

Report the animal as missing to every database where it is registered.

TASSO and FINDEFIX can help create and share missing-pet notices.

You should:

• Check that your contact details are correct.
• Contact local veterinarians.
• Contact shelters and animal-welfare groups.
• Contact the local animal service.
• Contact the police when theft may be involved.
• 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, rescues, animal-welfare groups, databases and trusted organisations helping with the search.

When the animal returns, close every missing-pet report.

Bringing an imported pet to Germany

A foreign microchip registration does not automatically create a German lost-pet record.

After arrival, ask a German veterinarian to check the microchip and documents.

Take:

• The animal
• Its EU pet passport or official health certificate
• Its rabies vaccination record
• The microchip certificate, when available
• Your German address and contact details
• Any foreign registration documents
• An adoption or transfer document, when relevant

Normally, the veterinarian does not need to replace a readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip.

Register the existing number with TASSO, FINDEFIX or both.

Keep the foreign registration active until the German record has been confirmed.

You may also need to:

• Register a dog for local dog tax
• Complete an official state or city dog registration
• Meet local rules for certain dog breeds or types

Ask the local municipality or veterinary authority which rules apply.

Travelling with a pet to or from Germany

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.

Young puppies normally cannot enter or transit Germany until they are at least 15 weeks old.

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 Germany from outside the European Union

If you are travelling to Germany from outside the European Union with a dog, cat or ferret, check the official German and European Commission 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 Germany to another country

If you travel from Germany 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 German microchip links

TASSO
Open TASSO pet registration and recovery services

FINDEFIX
Open FINDEFIX, the pet register of the German Animal Welfare Federation

FINDEFIX registration
Register a pet with FINDEFIX

Tierregistrierung.de
Open the German pet register and tracing service

Official German pet-entry guidance
Check German entry rules 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