Microchip and DogID / CatID registration: the rules in Belgium

A chip the size of a grain of rice, a 15-digit number and a record in a database: that is all that separates a lost pet from a pet that comes home. In Belgium, identification and registration are compulsory for all dogs and all cats, in all three regions. Here is what the law requires, what it costs and what to do if your companion goes missing.

Why the chip and the registration go together

The microchip is a transponder injected under the skin, halfway down the left side of the neck. It holds nothing but a unique number, which is useless until it is linked to your contact details in the official database: DogID for dogs, CatID for cats. A pet that is chipped but not registered, or registered at an old address, stays anonymous. How the chip itself works is covered in our guide to microchipping dogs and cats in Belgium.

Dogs: DogID before 8 weeks

Dog identification has been compulsory in Belgium since 1 September 1998, with the same rules in Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels:

• A puppy born in your home that you keep must be identified and registered before the age of 8 weeks.
• A dog you sell or give away, whatever its age, must be identified and registered before the transfer.
• A dog you buy or receive must already be chipped, registered in the name of the seller or the shelter, and come with its European passport.

The passport is issued at registration and also records vaccinations, including rabies: see our article on compulsory vaccines and the passport and the guide to the European passport for travelling.

Cats: CatID before 12 weeks

For cats the obligation is regional, but the three regions have adopted the same limit: identification and registration in CatID before the age of 12 weeks, and in every case before any sale or gift, even a free one.

• In Wallonia, the obligation covers cats born after 1 November 2017. For older cats, registration becomes compulsory as soon as the cat changes keeper.
• In Flanders, the rule has applied since 1 November 2017 for kittens, and any cat that changes keeper must be chipped and registered, even if it was born before that date.
• In Brussels, since 1 March 2023, all cats must be identified, including those born before 1 November 2017.

A cat arriving from abroad is registered within 8 days. A seller offering a kitten under 12 weeks old, unchipped or "to be registered by the buyer", is breaking the law.

Sterilisation of domestic cats

The second pillar of the regions' cat policy, sterilisation aims to curb abandonment and stray cat colonies. The deadlines vary slightly:

Breeding cats owned by approved breeders are exempt as long as they are used for breeding. Shelters must sterilise every cat before adoption. It is the veterinarian who records the sterilisation in CatID, not you.

Who registers, and how much it costs

Only an approved veterinarian may implant the chip and enter the identification. They validate the data within 8 days and hand you the registration certificate. Read it through: a single mistake in your address or phone number is enough to make the chip useless.

Two amounts add up:

• The registration fee set by the regions. In Wallonia, as of 1 January 2026, it is 10.89 EUR for a dog registered electronically (13.31 EUR on paper) and 6.05 EUR for a cat.
• The veterinarian's fee for the consultation and the implantation, which is unregulated and varies from one practice to another.

Changes you make yourself online (address, phone, status) are free.

Moving house, new owner: keeping the record up to date

The keeper listed in the database is the only person legally responsible for the animal. It is therefore up to you to report any change, within 8 days:

• Address or phone: log in to online.dogid.be or online.catid.be with itsme or your identity card and correct your details; without a means of authentication, your vet does it for you.
• Change of keeper: online transfer if both parties are present and authenticated; otherwise the new keeper goes through a veterinarian, and without a response from the previous keeper within 21 days, the transfer goes through automatically.
• Death or move abroad: report it in the application to close the record.

Also make your contact details publicly visible in the privacy settings, otherwise whoever finds your pet will have to go through the helpdesk or a vet.

My pet has gone missing: the steps in order

1. Set its status to "lost" or "stolen" in DogID or CatID. Your vet can do this at your request.
2. Contact nearby shelters and your municipality, which centralises reports of found or injured animals.
3. Notify the local police with the 15-digit chip number and a recent photo.
4. Share a photo and your details on local networks and put up notices at neighbourhood vets.
5. For a cat, search at night with a torch and leave a litter tray carrying its scent outside the door.

In Zoolinko, your pet's free health record is linked to its chip number; "lost" mode generates a QR code for the collar or the notices, leading to a public page with your contact details and the information useful to the on-call vet who takes the animal in. Fireworks nights are when pets bolt the most: check your details before the holidays, and have the chip read at the annual vaccination visit, just as you keep an eye on weight or digestive warning signs.