Germany does not have one national microchip database containing every pet.
Most owners register their animal with TASSO or FINDEFIX.
Both lost-pet registers are free.
Tierregistrierung.de also provides access to participating German registration records.
Some federal states and cities require dogs to be entered in an official dog register.
Dog tax, official dog registration and lost-pet registration are separate processes.
Which microchip databases are used in Germany?
Germany has several important pet-registration and tracing services.
The main services include:
- TASSO
- FINDEFIX
- Tierregistrierung.de
- Official state and municipal dog registers
- Veterinary, shelter, rescue and breeder records
- Databases in other countries
TASSO and FINDEFIX allow owners to register a pet’s microchip number and contact details free of charge.
They help vets, shelters, animal services and finders contact the registered keeper when an animal is found.
An animal may be registered with one service, several services or a database in another country.
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 the standard recovery services are free.
A TASSO record can include:
- The microchip or tattoo number
- Information about the animal
- The keeper’s contact details
- An emergency contact
- A missing-pet report
- A change of keeper
TASSO also operates a 24-hour recovery service.
A TASSO registration is very useful for tracing a lost animal.
However, it is not a government registration.
What is FINDEFIX?
FINDEFIX is the pet register of the German Animal Welfare Federation.
Its German organisation name is Deutscher Tierschutzbund.
Registration is free.
A FINDEFIX record can include:
- The microchip, tattoo or ring number
- Information about the animal
- The keeper’s contact details
- A missing-pet report
- Recovery information
FINDEFIX can help a vet, shelter or finder connect a found animal with its registered keeper.
What is Tierregistrierung.de?
Tierregistrierung.de is a German animal-registration and tracing service.
It provides access to participating registration records and can help identify where a chip may be registered.
ChipTrace searches Tierregistrierung.de through Petmaxx.
A result may identify the registry or organisation that should be contacted.
The registered keeper’s private information should not be displayed directly to a finder.
Can TASSO and FINDEFIX be searched publicly?
Yes.
TASSO provides a public microchip-number check.
FINDEFIX provides its own microchip-number check.
A public result confirms whether the number appears in that register.
It should not display the keeper’s full private details.
The register contacts the keeper or assists the finder instead.
Should I use TASSO or FINDEFIX?
Both are established German pet registers.
You can choose either service.
Some owners register their animal with both.
An extra correct registration can provide another recovery route.
However, conflicting records can slow down tracing.
If you use both databases, keep the same contact details in each one.
Can EUROPETNET find a German registration?
EUROPETNET is a separate European microchip search network.
TASSO is Germany’s member organisation in EUROPETNET.
A TASSO registration may therefore be identified through an EUROPETNET search.
FINDEFIX is not Germany’s listed EUROPETNET member.
This means a FINDEFIX-only record may not appear there.
ChipTrace provides a button that opens EUROPETNET.
The user then completes the search manually on the EUROPETNET website.
A negative result does not prove that the animal is unregistered in Germany.
Are microchips required in Germany?
Germany does not have one nationwide microchip rule covering every privately owned dog and cat.
The rules depend on the federal state and local authority.
The requirement may depend on:
- The federal 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 federal states require all dogs to be identified and officially registered.
Others apply identification rules only to certain dogs.
Ask the local municipality or veterinary authority what is required where you live.
Dogs, cats and ferrets travelling across an EU border normally need a readable microchip.
Are cats required to be microchipped?
There is no general nationwide rule requiring every privately owned cat in Germany to have a microchip.
However, some towns and districts use local cat-protection regulations.
These 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.
An indoor cat can also escape through a door, window or balcony.
Does my dog need an official registration?
Possibly.
Several German federal states operate official dog registers.
Some cities also have their own registration systems.
An official dog register may be used for:
- Checking legal compliance
- Recording the keeper
- Dog-control rules
- Dangerous-dog regulations
- Linking information to dog tax
This official registration is not the same as registering the microchip with TASSO or FINDEFIX.
For the best protection, complete the official registration required locally and also use a lost-pet register.
What about dog tax?
Most dog keepers 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 automatically create a TASSO or FINDEFIX registration.
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 or FINDEFIX
Do not assume that one registration completes all three steps.
What do German microchip numbers look like?
Modern pet microchips normally contain 15 digits.
Germany’s ISO country code is:
276
A German country-coded chip may therefore begin with 276.
However, not every pet living in Germany has a 276 chip.
Many chips use a manufacturer code instead.
Manufacturer-coded microchips usually begin with the number 9.
Other animals were microchipped in another country before moving to Germany.
This is common with:
- Imported dogs and cats
- Pets adopted through international rescues
- Animals that moved to Germany with their families
- Older pets with manufacturer-coded chips
A readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip can still be registered with TASSO or FINDEFIX.
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 Germany?
Take the animal to a vet, shelter, animal welfare organisation or municipal animal service.
The police or fire service may also be able to scan the animal or direct you to the correct service.
Ask for the animal to be scanned carefully.
Write down the complete microchip number.
It can be useful to scan more than once and across the shoulders and body.
A microchip may have moved from its original position.
Then:
- Use ChipTrace to search Tierregistrierung.de and FINDEFIX through Petmaxx
- Open EUROPETNET to search TASSO and other European databases
- Check the EU pet passport and veterinary records
- Contact the veterinary clinic connected to the chip
- Contact the shelter, rescue or breeder connected to the animal
- Check databases in countries where the pet may have lived
- Use ChipTrace for country and manufacturer clues when no registration is found
ChipTrace searches Tierregistrierung.de and FINDEFIX through Petmaxx.
TASSO should still be checked separately.
ChipTrace provides a button that opens EUROPETNET for a manual search.
TASSO, FINDEFIX or another organisation can contact the registered keeper.
The finder should not expect to receive the keeper’s private details directly.
Do not publish the complete microchip number online.
Keep part of it private so that ownership claims can be checked.
Do not assume that every outdoor cat is lost.
Many owned cats in Germany are allowed to roam.
Read how ChipTrace works for an explanation of database checks, manual searches and next-step advice.
What if a German microchip cannot be found?
Ask a vet, shelter or animal welfare organisation to scan the animal again.
One incorrect digit is enough to produce no result.
Then:
- Use ChipTrace to search Tierregistrierung.de and FINDEFIX through Petmaxx
- Open EUROPETNET to search TASSO and other European databases
- Check the EU pet passport
- Check veterinary, vaccination and adoption records
- Contact the clinic that implanted the chip
- Contact the former keeper, shelter, rescue or breeder
- Check official dog records when relevant
- Check databases in countries where the animal has lived
- Contact the microchip manufacturer or distributor
- Use ChipTrace for country and manufacturer clues
The chip may have been implanted but never registered.
The number may have been entered incorrectly.
The animal may be registered with only one German database.
The record may also remain active in another country.
If no database result is found, the manufacturer or distributor may provide another trace-back route.
The manufacturer may be able to identify the distributor or supplier that received the chip.
The supplier may then identify the veterinary 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 keeper’s private details.
Instead, they may contact the next organisation or the registered keeper 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.
Can I add a global microchip registration?
Yes.
An additional global registration can provide another route back to the keeper.
Animal-ID allows owners to create an additional record using an existing microchip number.
An extra record may help when:
- The pet travels outside Germany
- The animal was first registered in another country
- A finder uses an international search service
- The German record is difficult to identify
- The animal has a foreign or manufacturer-coded chip
This is an extra safety net.
It does not replace TASSO, FINDEFIX or an official registration required where the animal lives.
Keep the same contact details in every active database.
How to register a pet microchip in Germany
- Ask a vet or shelter to scan the animal.
- Write down the complete microchip number.
- Choose TASSO, FINDEFIX or both.
- Create or claim the pet’s record.
- Add your current telephone number, email address and home address.
- Add an emergency contact when possible.
- Check every digit carefully.
- Save the registration confirmation.
- Check whether an official dog registration is required.
- Register the dog for local dog tax when necessary.
Useful documents may include:
- The microchip certificate
- An EU pet passport
- A vaccination record
- An adoption contract
- A purchase agreement
- A foreign registration certificate
- Official dog-register documents
- Dog-tax documents
Who implants the microchip?
A vet normally implants the microchip.
The animal is scanned first.
This checks whether a chip is already present.
If a chip is needed, the vet implants it under the skin.
The chip is then scanned again.
This confirms that it works and shows the correct number.
The microchip only stores an identification number.
It does not store the keeper’s name, address or telephone number.
Those details must be added to a database separately.
Does the vet register the chip automatically?
Not always.
A clinic may register the animal for you.
It may instead provide the number and leave the registration to the owner.
Ask the vet:
- Has the chip been registered?
- Which database holds the record?
- Is the complete chip number correct?
- Are my contact details included?
- Do I need to complete the registration myself?
- Is an official dog registration also required?
Do not assume that implantation means registration is complete.
A chip without an active contact record may not lead a finder back to you.
How to register a pet with TASSO
- Open the TASSO registration page.
- Create or use a MeinTASSO account.
- Enter information about the animal.
- Add the complete microchip or tattoo number.
- Add your current contact details.
- Check every digit carefully.
- Submit the registration.
- Keep the confirmation with the pet’s documents.
TASSO registration is free.
Dogs, cats and several other types of animal can be registered.
You do not need to wait for the vet to complete the online registration.
How to register a pet with FINDEFIX
- Open the FINDEFIX registration page.
- Enter the microchip, tattoo or ring number.
- Add information about the animal.
- Enter your current contact details.
- Check the number carefully.
- Submit the registration.
- Keep the confirmation and account details.
FINDEFIX registration is also free.
A veterinary clinic may be able to complete the registration for you.
Ask the clinic, but check the record yourself afterwards.
How to check whether your pet’s chip is registered
Check the number through:
- ChipTrace, which searches Tierregistrierung.de and FINDEFIX through Petmaxx
- The TASSO transponder search
- EUROPETNET when a TASSO or foreign European record may be involved
- The database named on the microchip certificate
- Databases in countries where the animal has lived
A public result may confirm that the number is registered.
It should not reveal the keeper’s full private details.
If none of the German routes finds the number, contact the vet or organisation that supplied the chip.
How to update a German microchip registration
Update every active record 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 is found again
- The animal moves abroad
- The animal dies
Update TASSO and FINDEFIX separately if 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.
How to transfer a German microchip registration
The process depends on the database.
The former keeper may need to start or approve the transfer.
The new keeper may need to provide proof 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 former keeper
Update every active private and official record separately.
How to transfer a TASSO registration
The new keeper can request a change of keeper through TASSO.
TASSO may contact the person already listed in the database.
This helps protect the record from an unauthorised change.
Keep the adoption contract or purchase agreement in case proof is required.
After the transfer, check that:
- Your name is correct
- Your address is current
- Your telephone number is correct
- Your email address is active
How to transfer a FINDEFIX registration
Contact FINDEFIX or use its online services to report the new keeper.
The exact process depends on the existing record.
Information or approval from the former keeper may be needed.
Keep all adoption or purchase documents until the change is complete.
What if the pet is still registered to someone else?
Contact the previous keeper, 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 shows who is listed as the contact.
It may not settle a legal ownership dispute on its own.
Buying or adopting a pet in Germany
Ask whether the animal has a microchip before taking it home.
Also ask for:
- The complete microchip number
- An EU pet passport
- 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
Ask a vet, shelter or rescue to scan the chip.
Check that the scanned number matches every document.
The former keeper, breeder, shelter or rescue should help transfer the active registrations.
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 chip and contact details yourself.
What should you do if your pet goes missing?
Report the animal as missing to every database where it is registered.
Do this as soon as possible.
TASSO and FINDEFIX can help create and distribute missing-pet notices.
Also:
- Check that your contact details are current
- Contact local veterinary clinics
- Contact shelters and animal welfare groups
- Contact the municipal animal service
- Inform 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.
Keep part of it private so that ownership claims can be checked.
When the animal returns, close every missing-pet report.
Bringing an imported pet to Germany
A foreign database registration does not automatically create a German lost-pet record.
After arrival, ask a German vet to scan the animal.
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 database information
A readable foreign chip does not normally need to be replaced.
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 dog registration
- Meet state rules for certain breeds or dog types
- Update the pet passport and contact details
Ask the local municipality or veterinary authority which rules apply.
Travelling with a pet to or from Germany
Microchip registration and border rules are separate.
For most journeys within the EU, dogs, cats and ferrets need:
- A readable ISO-compatible microchip
- A valid rabies vaccination
- An EU pet passport
The microchip normally needs to be implanted before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccination used for travel.
A clearly readable tattoo may still be accepted when it was applied before 3 July 2011.
Young puppies normally cannot enter Germany until they are at least 15 weeks old.
Pets arriving from some countries outside the EU may also need:
- An EU animal health certificate
- A rabies antibody titre test
- Entry through an approved travellers’ point
- Customs or identity checks
The exact rules depend on the country of departure and type of journey.
Check the latest official German pet-entry guidance before travelling.
Useful German microchip links
ChipTrace
Search Tierregistrierung.de and FINDEFIX through Petmaxx
Tierregistrierung.de
German animal-registration and tracing service
TASSO
Open the German pet register and lost-pet service
Register with TASSO
Create a free TASSO registration
TASSO microchip search
Check whether a chip is registered with TASSO
FINDEFIX
Open the pet register of the German Animal Welfare Federation
Register with FINDEFIX
Create a free FINDEFIX registration
FINDEFIX microchip search
Check whether a chip is registered with FINDEFIX
EUROPETNET
Complete a manual European microchip search
Animal-ID
Create an additional global microchip registration
German pet-entry rules
Read official information about entering Germany with a pet
German EU pet-passport guidance
Read official information about EU pet passports and travel