The microchip is a transponder the size of a grain of rice, injected under the skin, carrying a unique 15-digit number. It holds no personal data: it is the registration in the national database that links that number to you.
What is mandatory in Belgium
- Dogs: identification and registration mandatory before 8 weeks of age, and in any case before any sale or gift.
- Cats: identification and registration mandatory in the three Regions, before 12 weeks and before any transfer.
- Registration is done by the vet when the chip is implanted, in the official database (DogID for dogs, CatID for cats).
What you must do next
- Check your details in the database after implantation: a chip registered with the wrong phone number is useless the day the animal gets lost.
- Report any change: move, new number, change of owner. This is done online or through your vet.
- Keep the chip number handy: it is on the passport and in the health record.
Chip, tattoo, passport: what is the difference?
- The chip is the current legal means of identification.
- The tattoo is no longer accepted as sole identification for new animals.
- The European passport is the official document listing the chip number and vaccines; it is essential for travel.
What happens if my animal is found?
A vet, a shelter or the police read the chip with a scanner, check the database and contact you. Hence the importance of up-to-date details.
The Zoolinko ZID, as a complement
Zoolinko gives every animal a public ZID identifier (for example ZL-BE-2026-084127) linked to its chip number. A QR code on the collar lets anyone who finds the animal open a "lost animal" page and alert you, without a chip scanner. The chip remains the legal identification; the ZID adds an immediate contact channel.
General information: regulations may change; check with your vet or your Region.