Pet Microchips in the Netherlands: Databases, Registration and Tracing

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Last updated: 1 October 2026

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This guide explains how pet microchip registration works in The Netherlands, where to check a Dutch 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 Dutch microchip numbers look like?

Modern pet microchips normally contain 15 digits.

The official ISO numeric country code for the Netherlands is:

528

A Dutch country-coded microchip may therefore begin with 528.

A 528 chip may only be implanted in the Netherlands. However, not every pet living in the Netherlands has a 528 chip.

Manufacturer-coded microchips start with the digit 9. These numbers may be used in several countries, so they do not prove where the pet was chipped or registered.

Other animals were chipped in another country before moving to the Netherlands.

This is common with:

  • Imported dogs and cats
  • Animals adopted through foreign rescue organisations
  • Pets that moved to the Netherlands with their families
  • Older animals with manufacturer-coded chips

A readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip can still be registered in a Dutch database.

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

Read our guide to pet microchip numbers for more information.

Example formats commonly found in the Netherlands

Many different microchip numbers are used in the Netherlands. These examples show a few common formats, but many other variations exist.

  • 528123456789012 — Dutch country-coded microchip
  • 945123456789012 — manufacturer-coded microchip
  • 985123456789012 — manufacturer-coded microchip
  • 826123456789012 — foreign country-coded microchip

What should you do if you find a pet with a Dutch microchip number?

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

  1. Ask a veterinarian, shelter, rescue or animal ambulance to scan the animal and confirm the full microchip number.
  2. Use ChipTrace to search Chipnummer.nl, its connected Dutch databases and 100+ other databases worldwide.
  3. Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual European search.
  4. Check the number in the government I&R Dieren app when the animal is a dog.
  5. Check missing-pet reports on Amivedi.
  6. Contact any breeder, shelter, rescue or veterinarian that may be connected to the animal.

A successful search may show which registry or database holds the record. Do not expect to receive the owner’s private details directly. The registry, or an authorised organisation, can then contact the registered keeper.

If the keeper cannot be reached, you can post on local social media and leave leaflets at veterinary clinics, shelters and animal ambulances.

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 the Netherlands are allowed to roam outdoors. Do not assume an outdoor cat is lost. Look for signs that the animal is injured, frightened, displaced or unfamiliar with the area before taking further action.

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

What if the microchip number is not found in any database?

A microchip not found in a database is not always the end of the trace.

First, ask a veterinarian, shelter, rescue or animal ambulance to scan the animal again and confirm every digit. One wrong digit can return no result.

Possible causes and next steps:

  • The chip was implanted but never registered. Ask the vet, breeder, shelter or rescue to check their records and try the relevant Dutch portal again.
  • Someone entered the number incorrectly. Re-scan the animal and search again with the verified number.
  • The registration is very recent. Ask the database when the record should appear, then try again later.
  • The database is temporarily unavailable. Retry later and ask an authorised organisation to check.
  • The animal is still registered in another country. Use ChipTrace for country or manufacturer clues and open the relevant manual route.
  • The animal is a dog with only government I&R information available. Check the I&R Dieren app or ask an authorised organisation for help.

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.
  • 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 your local shelter, rescue, animal ambulance, municipal service or relevant local authority for advice.

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

Check a Microchip

Which microchip databases are used in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands has several approved pet-registration portals.

Dog owners must use a portal approved by the Dutch Enterprise Agency, known as RVO. The portal holds the pet registration and sends the required dog information to the government I&R system.

The owner can choose which approved portal to use. It does not need to be the same portal used by the breeder, veterinarian or previous keeper.

Prices and services differ between portals.

Check the current RVO list of approved dog-registration portals before registering a dog.

Approved dog-registration portals

The approved dog-registration portals include:

This list can change. Always check RVO before registering a dog.

What is the government I&R Dog system?

I&R Dog is the Dutch government system for the identification and registration of dogs.

Approved portals send required dog reports to this system.

These reports may include:

  • The placement of a Dutch microchip
  • The birth of a puppy
  • The first registration
  • The import of a dog
  • The issue of an EU pet passport
  • A change of keeper
  • Export, death or another important change

The I&R system is not the same as a public lost-pet database.

The public I&R Dieren app can show limited information about a dog. It does not display the keeper’s private contact details.

What is Chipnummer.nl?

Chipnummer.nl is a Dutch microchip search service.

It is not a registration database. Instead, it searches connected Dutch databases and may show which database holds the record.

Its connected databases include:

  • BackHome Club
  • Chipbase
  • Databank Honden
  • Hondregistreren.nl
  • Huisdier-registratie.nl
  • NDG
  • PetBase
  • Petlook
  • Dierplatform.nl

Chipnummer.nl does not currently receive search results from the government I&R Dog system.

For this reason, a dog that is not found through Chipnummer.nl may still have a valid government registration.

Can the public search Dutch microchip registrations?

The public can use services such as Chipnummer.nl, EUROPETNET and the I&R Dieren app to look for limited information.

However, public searches should not display the keeper’s full private contact details.

In practice, a search may show which database or service holds the record. Then the database, a veterinarian, an animal ambulance, a shelter or another authorised organisation may need to contact the keeper.

Can EUROPETNET find a Dutch registration?

Yes.

NDG and PetBase are Dutch member databases in EUROPETNET.

An EUROPETNET search may therefore identify a registration held by NDG or PetBase.

ChipTrace provides a button or direct link that opens EUROPETNET.

ChipTrace does not perform the EUROPETNET search itself. The user completes that manual search.

If EUROPETNET gives no result, do not assume that the animal is unregistered in the Netherlands. Re-check ChipTrace, Chipnummer.nl, the I&R Dieren app for dogs, and any relevant foreign databases.

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

How does ChipTrace search the Netherlands?

ChipTrace checks the most relevant available database routes for the Netherlands where possible.

For Dutch microchips, this includes Chipnummer.nl and its connected Dutch databases when relevant. 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 shows which databases and services were checked. It does not reveal the registered keeper’s private contact details. An authorised registry, veterinarian, shelter, animal ambulance or official organisation must contact the keeper.

ChipTrace may not cover every Dutch registration route directly. Manual checks through EUROPETNET, Chipnummer.nl, the I&R Dieren app or the relevant Dutch portal may still be important.

Are microchips required in the Netherlands?

Dogs

Every dog kept in the Netherlands must be microchipped and registered.

Puppies born in the Netherlands must normally:

  • Be microchipped within seven weeks of birth
  • Have their birth registered within eight weeks
  • Be registered within one week after microchipping
  • Receive an official EU pet passport

The breeder or first keeper is responsible for the first registration.

A dog must already have a chip, registration and valid passport before its first transfer.

Dogs born on or after 1 November 2021 must have an EU pet passport. A dog of any age must also have a passport when it is sold, adopted or given to another keeper.

Cats

There is no general national rule requiring every cat born in the Netherlands to be microchipped and registered.

However, microchipping and registration are strongly recommended.

A chip only helps when the number is linked to current contact details.

The Dutch government has announced plans for a national cat-chipping rule. However, check the latest government information before relying on a start date.

A cat travelling internationally normally needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the correct travel document.

Special rules for hairless and folded-ear cats

The Netherlands introduced a ban on keeping most hairless cats and cats with folded ears from 1 January 2026.

Owners who already had one of these cats may use the transitional rule. They must be able to prove that they had the animal before 1 January 2026.

A dated microchip or database registration can help provide this proof.

This is a special welfare rule. It is not a general microchipping requirement for all cats.

Who can implant and register the microchip?

For dogs, microchipping and registration must follow the Dutch I&R rules.

A veterinarian or registered chipper may implant a microchip. The required dog reports must then be made through an approved portal.

For cats, a veterinarian normally implants the microchip. The owner can then register the chip with a database that accepts cats.

Implanting and registering are different steps. The microchip itself holds only an identification number. Keeper contact details are stored in the registry or database.

How to register a pet microchip in the Netherlands

Registering a dog

The breeder, importer, rescue organisation or first keeper normally arranges the first registration.

A new keeper must register the dog in their own name within two weeks.

To register a dog:

  1. Ask a veterinarian or shelter to scan the dog.
  2. Write down the complete microchip number.
  3. Check that it matches the EU pet passport.
  4. Choose an approved RVO registration portal.
  5. Register the dog in your name.
  6. Complete the registration within two weeks of taking over the dog.
  7. Check your telephone number, email address and home address.
  8. Save the confirmation, registration code or safe code.

The new keeper may choose a different approved portal from the previous keeper.

A second or later keeper of a correctly registered dog normally does not need a UBN.

What is a UBN?

UBN stands for Uniek Bedrijfsnummer.

It identifies a location where animals are kept.

Most ordinary owners taking over an already registered dog do not need one.

A private owner may need a UBN when they:

  • Breed a litter of puppies
  • Import a dog and become its first Dutch keeper
  • Arrange a missing first registration
  • Have a dog microchipped or its chip replaced
  • Apply for a new or replacement EU pet passport

A private owner can apply through RVO using DigiD. A veterinarian may need the UBN before completing certain reports or issuing a passport.

Registering a cat

Registration is not yet generally required for cats.

However, it is strongly recommended.

To register a cat:

  1. Ask a veterinarian to scan the cat.
  2. If needed, ask the veterinarian to implant a microchip.
  3. Choose a Dutch database that accepts cats.
  4. Register the chip number and your contact details.
  5. Check every digit carefully.
  6. Save the registration confirmation.
  7. Keep the details up to date.

Not every dog portal offers the same services for cats. Check the database’s fees, update process and recovery service before registering.

Chipnummer.nl is a search service. It does not register animals itself.

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

This is an extra safety net. It does not replace registration through the correct Dutch portal.

For dogs, it also does not replace the required government I&R reports.

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 microchip number, ask a veterinarian, shelter or animal ambulance to scan the animal first.

To check the registration:

  • Use ChipTrace to search Chipnummer.nl, its connected Dutch databases and relevant international databases.
  • Check the I&R Dieren app when the animal is a dog.
  • Open EUROPETNET when a Dutch or foreign European database may be involved.
  • Compare the microchip number with the pet passport and registration confirmation.
  • Sign in to the database holding the record and check the registered contact details.

Check that the keeper’s name, home address, telephone number and email address are correct.

A public search may confirm where the microchip is registered. It should not display the keeper’s full private details.

If a search identifies the database but you cannot access the record, contact that database directly.

How to update a Dutch microchip registration

Update the record through the portal where the pet is registered.

Update every active registration when:

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

Important dog changes must normally be reported within 14 days.

The portal sends required dog reports to the government system.

If the pet is registered with more than one database, update each record separately.

Updating the pet passport does not automatically update a database.

If you do not know which database holds the record, use ChipTrace or Chipnummer.nl.

How to transfer a Dutch microchip registration

The former keeper should report that the animal has left their care.

The new keeper then registers the animal in their own name.

For dogs, the new keeper must complete this within two weeks.

The new keeper can choose any approved portal. It does not need to be the portal used by the former keeper.

The transfer may require:

  • The complete microchip number
  • A registration number
  • A safe code or security code
  • An online account
  • An adoption contract
  • A purchase agreement
  • The EU pet passport

For cats, the exact transfer process depends on the database.

After the transfer, check that the animal is linked to the correct name, telephone number, email address and home address.

What if the pet is still registered to someone else?

Contact the previous keeper, breeder, shelter or rescue organisation first.

Ask them to report the transfer or provide the required code.

If this is not possible, contact the database holding the record.

The database may ask for:

  • An adoption contract
  • A purchase agreement or invoice
  • The EU pet passport
  • Veterinary records
  • Written confirmation from the previous keeper
  • Proof that the animal is now in your care

A database record shows who is listed as the keeper or contact. It may not settle a legal ownership dispute on its own.

Buying or adopting a pet in the Netherlands

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

Also ask a veterinarian, shelter or rescue organisation to scan the animal when possible.

Check that the scanned number matches every document.

Buying or adopting a dog

Check that:

  • The dog is microchipped
  • The dog has a valid first registration
  • The dog has an official EU pet passport
  • The microchip number matches the passport
  • The previous keeper will report the transfer
  • You know how to register the dog in your own name
  • Any import registration has been completed

Do not buy or adopt a dog without a chip, registration and valid passport.

Register the dog in your own name within two weeks.

You can use the I&R Dieren app to check whether government information is available for the chip.

Buying or adopting a cat

Microchipping is not yet generally required for cats.

However, many cats are already microchipped when they are adopted or sold.

If the cat has a chip, ask:

  • Which database holds the record
  • Whether the previous keeper has reported the transfer
  • Whether you need a registration code or account
  • Whether the contact details are current
  • Whether a foreign registration also needs to be updated

Make sure the registration is changed to your name.

A chip linked to the previous keeper may delay contact when the cat is found.

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.

Dog owners should also report the change through their approved portal.

Also:

  • Check that your contact details are correct.
  • Report the animal to Amivedi.
  • Contact local veterinary clinics.
  • Contact animal shelters.
  • Contact the local animal ambulance.
  • Share a recent 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 the Netherlands

A dog entering the Netherlands must first meet the relevant travel and import rules.

If you import the dog and become its first Dutch keeper, you normally need a UBN.

You must take the dog to a Dutch veterinarian within 14 days of arrival.

Only a veterinarian can complete the official import report.

Take:

  • The dog
  • Its EU pet passport or official health certificate
  • Its rabies vaccination record
  • The microchip certificate, when available
  • Your identification
  • Your Dutch address
  • Your UBN
  • Any foreign registration documents

The veterinarian scans the existing microchip and records the import using your UBN.

A readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip normally does not need to be replaced.

Dogs staying in the Netherlands for less than three months may not need Dutch registration when they are not transferred or sold.

Dogs staying for at least three months normally need to meet the Dutch registration rules.

Keep any foreign database registration active until the Dutch record has been confirmed.

Dogs brought in by a foreign rescue

The rescue organisation that brings the dog into the Netherlands is responsible for the first Dutch import registration.

This applies even when the dog travels directly to its adopter.

The organisation must arrange a veterinary import report within two weeks of arrival.

The report must use the rescue organisation’s UBN.

Ask the rescue organisation:

  • Who is registered as the importer
  • Which approved Dutch portal was used
  • Whether the import report has been completed
  • Whether the dog has a valid EU pet passport
  • How the transfer to the adopter will be recorded
  • Which foreign registration also needs to be updated

Bringing a cat to the Netherlands

A cat must meet the applicable Dutch and EU travel rules.

This normally means a readable microchip, valid rabies vaccination and correct travel document.

Dutch database registration is not yet generally required for cats.

However, it is strongly recommended when the cat will live in the Netherlands.

A Dutch veterinarian, shelter or animal ambulance may not check the foreign database first.

Registering the existing chip in a Dutch database can make the cat easier to trace locally.

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

Travelling with a pet to or from the Netherlands

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

The microchip must be implanted before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccination used for travel.

A first rabies vaccination normally becomes valid after 21 days.

Pets entering from some countries outside the EU may also need an animal health certificate.

A rabies antibody blood test and waiting period may also be required.

The exact rules depend on the country of departure, the country of destination and the type of journey.

Check the latest requirements with the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority – NVWA before travelling.

Travelling to the Netherlands from outside the European Union

If you are travelling to the Netherlands from outside the European Union with a dog, cat or ferret, check the EU rules before you travel.

The European Commission explains the requirements for bringing pets into the EU from a non-EU country. These may include microchipping, rabies vaccination, an animal health certificate, a declaration, a travellers’ point of entry, and a rabies antibody blood test for some departure countries.

Read the EU guidance for bringing a pet into 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 the Netherlands to a country outside the EU

If you travel from the Netherlands to a country outside the European Union, the destination country may set its own rules.

You may need export documents, a health certificate or document legalisation.

The NVWA explains when it legalises travel documents for dogs, cats and ferrets leaving the Netherlands.

Read the NVWA guidance on legalising travel documents for dogs, cats and ferrets.

RVO – identification and registration of dogs
Read the official Dutch dog-registration rules

RVO – approved dog-registration portals
Check the official list of approved dog-registration portals

Chipnummer.nl
Search connected Dutch pet databases

EUROPETNET
Complete a separate manual European microchip search

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

NVWA – travelling with pets
Check Dutch pet travel guidance before travelling

Amivedi
Report or search for a missing or found pet in the Netherlands