This guide explains how pet microchip registration works in Poland, where to check a Polish 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 Polish microchip numbers look like?
Most modern pet microchips follow the ISO standard and contain 15 digits.
The official ISO numeric country code for Poland is 616.
A Polish country-coded microchip may therefore begin with 616.
However, not every dog or cat living in Poland has a 616 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 Poland.
This is common with:
- Imported dogs and cats
- Pets adopted through foreign rescues
- Animals that moved to Poland with their families
- Former stray animals that later travelled abroad
- Older animals with manufacturer-coded chips
A readable foreign or manufacturer-coded chip can still be registered in a Polish database.
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 Poland
Many different microchip numbers may appear in Poland. These examples show a few possible formats, but many other variations exist.
616123456789012— Polish country-coded microchip981123456789012— manufacturer-coded microchip945123456789012— manufacturer-coded microchip276123456789012— 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 Polish microchip number?
Follow these quick tracing steps to help reunite the animal with its owner.
- Ask a veterinarian, shelter, rescue or animal service to scan the animal and confirm the full microchip number.
- Use ChipTrace to check available Polish and international routes, including CBDZOE through WorldPetNet.
- Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual search of SAFE-ANIMAL, IDENTYFIKACJA.PL, DOGid Poland and other European databases.
- Search SAFE-ANIMAL directly when needed.
- Search IDENTYFIKACJA.PL directly when needed.
- Check databases in countries where the animal may have lived.
- Contact any veterinarian, shelter, rescue or breeder that may be connected to the animal.
A Polish database, veterinarian, shelter, rescue or other 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, rescues 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 Poland 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 service 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 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 Polish database. Check SAFE-ANIMAL, IDENTYFIKACJA.PL, CBDZOE, DOGid Poland and other relevant routes 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.
- Use ChipTrace to check CBDZOE through WorldPetNet and search other available databases.
- Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual European search.
- Search SAFE-ANIMAL and IDENTYFIKACJA.PL directly.
- 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 service, municipality or veterinary clinic for advice.
Read our guide to why a microchip may not appear in any database.
Which microchip databases are used in Poland?
Poland currently uses several private microchip databases.
The main databases and tracing routes include:
- SAFE-ANIMAL
- IDENTYFIKACJA.PL
- CBDZOE
- DOGid Poland
- Records held by veterinarians, shelters and local authorities
- Databases in other countries
An animal may appear in one database but not another.
Updating one Polish database does not normally update the others.
Therefore, you may need to check several routes.
What is SAFE-ANIMAL?
SAFE-ANIMAL is a Polish microchip database.
It registers dogs, cats and other microchipped animals.
A SAFE-ANIMAL record may include:
- The microchip number
- Information about the animal
- The registered owner’s contact details
- A photograph
- Lost or found information
Owners and veterinarians can create registrations.
Some local microchipping programmes also use SAFE-ANIMAL.
SAFE-ANIMAL is connected to EUROPETNET.
What is IDENTYFIKACJA.PL?
IDENTYFIKACJA.PL is one of Poland’s longest-running microchip databases.
Owners can register an animal online or through a participating veterinarian.
The service includes:
- A public microchip search
- Owner notifications
- Ownership transfers
- Online accounts for owners
- A connection to EUROPETNET
Registration may require a one-time payment.
Check the current price before creating a record.
What is CBDZOE?
CBDZOE is a Polish database for microchipped animals.
It provides public microchip searches, owner accounts and registration transfers.
CBDZOE is connected to WorldPetNet.
A CBDZOE registration sends the microchip number to the WorldPetNet network.
Can EUROPETNET find a Polish registration?
Yes. Poland has several member databases in EUROPETNET.
The listed Polish member databases include:
- IDENTYFIKACJA.PL
- DOGid Poland
- SAFE-ANIMAL
A manual EUROPETNET search may identify a registration held by one of these databases.
The result should not show the owner’s full private details.
It normally shows which database should be contacted.
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 Poland. CBDZOE and any other possible database should still be checked separately.
Read how ChipTrace works for more information about database checks and manual searches.
What is KROPiK?
KROPiK is Poland’s new government register for microchipped dogs and cats.
Its full Polish name is Krajowy Rejestr Oznakowanych Psów i Kotów.
In English, this means the National Register of Marked Dogs and Cats.
The Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture will manage the register.
This agency is known as ARiMR.
Owners will be able to view information about their pets through the mObywatel app.
KROPiK will also record important changes, such as a new owner or the animal going missing.
Is KROPiK available now?
No. The KROPiK law was published on 10 June 2026.
The main system is due to take effect on 11 June 2028.
The government must build and prepare the register before then.
Until KROPiK operates, continue using an established private database.
Do not leave a microchip unregistered while waiting for the new system.
What will KROPiK require?
From 11 June 2028, all dogs and owned cats will need to be microchipped and registered.
Under the new rules:
- A dog must normally be registered by its first rabies vaccination
- A cat must normally be registered before it reaches three months of age
- A dog or cat must be registered before it moves to a new owner
- A pet brought to Poland to live must normally be registered within 14 days
- Shelters and approved foster organisations must register animals in their care
Municipalities will decide whether free-living cats should be included.
Free-living cats on farms are not covered by the general duty.
What about pets that already exist when KROPiK begins?
Older dogs and cats will not all need to be registered on the first day.
Owners will normally have three years from the start of the law.
However, the animal must be registered sooner if it moves to a new owner.
A pet that already has a readable microchip should not need another one.
The existing number can be added to KROPiK.
What will happen to private databases?
The exact long-term role of private databases is not yet clear.
They may continue to provide tracing and international services.
Do not cancel an existing registration because KROPiK is coming.
Wait for official instructions.
Keep every current record active until the KROPiK registration has been confirmed.
How does ChipTrace search Poland?
ChipTrace checks available Polish and international database routes where possible.
For Poland, this includes CBDZOE through WorldPetNet.
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.
SAFE-ANIMAL, IDENTYFIKACJA.PL and DOGid Poland are available through EUROPETNET.
At the moment, ChipTrace does not perform the EUROPETNET search itself.
Instead, ChipTrace provides a button or link that opens the EUROPETNET website.
The user then completes the search manually.
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 Poland?
The new nationwide KROPiK duty is not active yet.
Poland does not currently require every privately owned dog and cat to be registered in one government microchip database.
However, a microchip may already be needed for:
- International travel
- An EU pet passport
- Adoption through some shelters or rescues
- A local microchipping programme
- Some breeders or dog organisations
Microchipping and registration are strongly recommended.
A microchip provides permanent identification.
However, it only helps when the number is linked to current contact details.
How to register a pet microchip in Poland
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:
- Ask a veterinarian or shelter to confirm the complete microchip number.
- Check whether the number is already registered.
- Find out which database holds the record.
- Create or claim the animal’s registration.
- Add your current contact details.
- Add an emergency contact when possible.
- Check every digit carefully.
- Save the registration confirmation.
Useful documents may include:
- The microchip certificate
- A vaccination booklet
- An EU pet passport
- Veterinary records
- An adoption contract
- A purchase agreement
- A foreign registration document
Does the veterinarian register the chip automatically?
Not always.
Some Polish veterinarians implant and register the microchip as one service.
Other veterinarians only implant the chip.
In that case, the owner must create the database record.
Ask the veterinarian:
- Has the microchip been registered?
- Which database holds the record?
- Is the complete chip number correct?
- Is the animal registered under my name?
- Are my contact details correct?
- How can I update the record later?
Do not assume that implantation means registration is complete.
A chip without a current database record may not lead a finder back to you.
Which Polish database should I use?
Start with the database already linked to the microchip.
Ask the veterinarian, shelter, breeder or rescue where the number was registered.
Use ChipTrace and open EUROPETNET before creating a new record.
This may identify an existing registration.
More than one correct registration can sometimes be useful.
However, different owner details can slow down tracing.
Keep the same contact information in every active database.
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 Poland
- The animal was first registered in another country
- A finder uses an international search service
- The Polish 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 the main Polish registration.
It will also not replace KROPiK when the new system begins.
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 check CBDZOE through WorldPetNet and search other available databases.
- Open EUROPETNET for a separate manual search.
- Search SAFE-ANIMAL directly.
- Search IDENTYFIKACJA.PL directly.
- Compare the number with the microchip certificate and pet passport.
- Sign in to each active database and check the registered details.
When checking the record, confirm the registered owner’s name, address, telephone number and email address.
Also check that the animal’s status is correct. It should not still be marked as missing, found, transferred or dead if that information no longer applies.
A public search may only show which database holds the record.
It should not show the owner’s full private details.
How to update a Polish 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
Polish databases do not normally update each other.
Change each record separately.
Updating the pet passport does not update an online database.
Update any foreign or international registration separately.
How to transfer a Polish 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 create an account.
Useful documents may include:
- An adoption contract
- A purchase agreement
- Written confirmation from the previous owner
- Veterinary records
- Your identification
Contact every database holding an active record.
After the transfer, check your name and contact details.
What if the pet is still registered to someone else?
Contact the previous owner, shelter, rescue or breeder first.
Ask them to help complete the transfer.
If they cannot help, contact the database directly.
Explain how the animal came into your care.
Send 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 Poland
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 scanned number matches every document.
Also ask for:
- The name of the database
- Proof of registration
- The vaccination booklet
- The EU pet passport, when available
- An adoption contract or purchase agreement
- Information about any foreign registration
The previous owner, shelter, rescue or breeder should help transfer every active registration.
What about a pet adopted from a Polish rescue?
Ask the rescue which records already exist.
Also ask:
- Whether the animal has been scanned
- Which Polish database holds the microchip record
- Who is named in the registration
- Who will complete the transfer
- Who will register the pet in its new country
- Whether the rabies and travel documents are complete
In some cases, a pet adopted abroad may need active records in Poland and in its new country.
Keep the Polish registration active until the new record has been confirmed.
What should you do if your pet goes missing?
Act quickly.
Report the pet as missing in every database where it is registered.
Check that your telephone number and email address are correct.
You should:
- Contact local veterinarians.
- Contact shelters and rescue groups.
- Contact the local animal service.
- Contact the municipal police or city guard when needed.
- Check local found-pet pages.
- Share a clear photograph and the area where the pet disappeared.
Do not publish the complete microchip number online.
Share only part of the number publicly. Keep the full number for veterinarians, shelters, rescues, databases and trusted organisations helping with the search.
When the animal returns, close every missing-pet report.
Bringing an imported pet to Poland
A foreign database registration does not automatically create a Polish record.
After arrival, ask a Polish 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 Polish 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.
Add the existing number to a suitable Polish database.
Keep the foreign registration active until the Polish record has been confirmed.
After KROPiK begins, imported dogs and owned cats living in Poland will normally need to be registered there within 14 days.
Travelling with a pet to or from Poland
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.
Bringing a pet to Poland from outside the European Union
A dog, cat or ferret may need extra documents when it enters Poland from outside the EU.
Depending on the departure country, requirements may include:
- An EU animal health certificate
- A valid rabies vaccination
- A rabies antibody blood test
- A waiting period
- Entry through an approved travellers’ point
The exact rules depend on the country of departure and the type of journey.
Check the latest Polish and European Union rules before travelling.
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 Poland to another country
If you travel from Poland 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 Polish microchip links
Official KROPiK information
Read about Poland’s new national register
KROPiK legal act
Open the published act on the national register of marked dogs and cats
SAFE-ANIMAL
Search, register or update a Polish microchip record
IDENTYFIKACJA.PL
Search, register or transfer a Polish microchip record
CBDZOE
Search or register a Polish microchip record
WorldPetNet
Search the WorldPetNet microchip network
EUROPETNET
Complete a separate manual European microchip search
Polish pet-entry guidance
Check Polish Veterinary Inspection guidance for pets entering from non-EU countries
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
Animal-ID
Create an additional global microchip registration