Pet Microchips in the Netherlands: Databases, Registration and Tracing

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The Netherlands does not have one public microchip database containing every pet registration.

Instead, several approved databases register dogs, cats and other pets.

Dog registrations are also reported to the Dutch government’s Identification and Registration system. This is usually called I&R Dog.

Finding the correct record can therefore require more than one search.

A chip may appear in a Dutch pet database, the government system, an international database or a database in another country.

Use ChipTrace to check available Dutch and international databases, identify possible country or manufacturer information and find the next tracing step.

What do Dutch microchip numbers look like?

Modern pet microchips normally contain 15 digits.

The 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 usually begin with the number 9.

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 are only a clue.

They do not prove where the animal lives or which database holds the registration.

Read our guide to pet microchip numbers for more information.

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

Use the following tracing routes:

  • Use ChipTrace to search Chipnummer.nl, its connected Dutch databases and relevant international databases
  • Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual search of participating European databases
  • Check the number in the government I&R Dieren app when the animal is a dog
  • Check missing-pet reports on Amivedi
  • Check the pet passport or veterinary documents when they are available
  • Contact any breeder, shelter, rescue or veterinarian known to be connected to the animal

A database may contact the registered keeper for you.

Some databases show limited contact information. Others only provide information to authorised organisations.

Do not publish the complete microchip number online.

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

Do not assume that every outdoor cat is lost.

Many owned cats in the Netherlands are allowed to roam.

Look for signs that the cat is injured, frightened, displaced or unfamiliar with the area.

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

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

Ask a veterinarian, shelter or animal ambulance to scan the animal again and confirm every digit.

One incorrect digit is enough to produce no result.

After confirming the number, try these searches again:

  • Use ChipTrace to search Chipnummer.nl, its connected Dutch databases and relevant international databases
  • Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual search of participating European databases
  • Check the I&R Dieren app when the animal is a dog
  • Use ChipTrace for possible country and manufacturer clues
  • Contact the microchip manufacturer or distributor

If no database result is found, the manufacturer or distributor may provide another tracing route.

The manufacturer may be able to identify the distributor that supplied the chip.

The distributor may then identify the veterinarian, breeder, shelter or rescue that received it.

That organisation may know where the chip was implanted.

It will not normally give the finder the keeper’s private details.

Instead, it may contact the next organisation or the registered keeper directly.

Finding the keeper is not guaranteed, but these extra tracing steps are often worth trying.

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 approved dog-registration portals are:

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 portals 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.

It searches nine 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.

A dog that is not found through Chipnummer.nl may still have a valid government registration.

ChipTrace automatically includes Chipnummer.nl in its searches when relevant.

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.

A negative EUROPETNET result does not prove that the animal is unregistered in the Netherlands.

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

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 rule requiring every cat born in the Netherlands to be microchipped and registered.

Microchipping and registration are strongly recommended.

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

The Dutch government plans to introduce a national cat-chipping rule.

However, no start date has been announced.

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.

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 a free 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 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.

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.

Check the new registration after the transfer.

Make sure 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.

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 and the type of journey.

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

Useful Dutch microchip links

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

Chipnummer.nl
Search connected Dutch pet databases

EUROPETNET
Complete a separate manual European microchip search

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