Registration rules for dogs from abroad

Bringing over a dog from abroad for yourself is called an import. You are the first keeper of the dog in the Netherlands. That is why you must register the dog. Follow these steps to do this:

1. Request a unique business number (Uniek Bedrijfsnummer, or UBN).
2. Within 14 days of your dog arriving in the Netherlands, take your dog to a vet.
3. The vet will register the dog under your UBN.

Import regulations will also apply to you. For example, your dog must get a rabies vaccination. See the website of the national information centre for companion animals (Landelijk InformatieCentrum Gezelschapsdieren) for the import requirements per country.

Request your UBN (procedure in Dutch)

A UBN costs €19. You will not receive the invoice immediately. You will receive this by post in the year following your UBN application. You only pay when you receive your invoice.

Lots of people are currently fleeing from the war zone. Some of them will be taking their pets with them. Registration rules for dogs apply in the European Union (EU). We are now faced with exceptional circumstances due to the war. If you are a refugee from the war zone and are bringing your dog with you, please find below some details on what this means for you and your dog.

You are bringing your dog in from a non-EU nation. This means an increased risk of rabies. Please take your dog to a vet for a check-up and vaccination as soon as you can. Until the appointment with the vet, keep your dog in quarantine as much as possible. The vet will take care of the registration, import notification and passport issuance straight away. How this needs to be done will differ depending on your situation.

If you report to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and your dog is taken to an animal shelter

(such as an animal rescue foundation, animal home or boarding kennel), this will be your dog’s first keeper in the Netherlands. A vet will register your dog with an import notification under the animal shelter’s unique company number (UBN). The vet will also issue a European (EU) passport for your dog.

If your dog is taken in by family, friends or a host family

they will be your dog’s first keepers in the Netherlands. The main resident of the home address will need to apply for a unique company number (UBN) and take your dog to a vet. The vet will check your dog’s health and register your dog with an import notification under the main resident’s unique company number (UBN). The vet will check your dog and register your dog with an import notification under the main resident’s unique company number (UBN). The vet will also issue an EU passport for your dog.

If you have your own address in the Netherlands

you will have a place of residence in the Netherlands but not a ‘citizen service number’ (‘burgerservicenummer’, or BSN). Please take your dog to a vet. The vet will check your dog’s health and ensure that he/she is given the right vaccinations. The vet will also register your dog with an import notification. The vet will record your name and address in the veterinary practice’s administration system.

If your dog is to be returned to you

e.g. because you will not be staying in the Netherlands or have found your own place to stay here), your dog’s first keeper will have to make a disposal notification for the dog on one of the designated portals and you will make an adoption notification. You do not need a unique company number (UBN) for this.

The registration requirements for dogs may apply to you. This depends on how long you will stay in the Netherlands to work.

Less than 3 months

Is your stay in the Netherlands less than 3 months? And are you not selling your dog while you are here? Then you do not need to register with us. You also do not need to apply for a UBN. However, other rules may apply. Go to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) website for information on travelling with pets.

4 months or more

Everyone who comes to the Netherlands to work for 4 months or more must register. Once you have registered, you must request a UBN for your dog.

You must register yourself with the Personal Records Database. A citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN) will be issued to you. You can use this to request a UBN. For information on registering, please see the BRP website. These are the steps to complete:

1. Register with the BRP. You will receive a BSN.
2. Use your BSN to request a DigiD. The DigiD website explains how to do this.
3. Register with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency by logging in with your DigiD.
4. Request a UBN from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

Once you have received your UBN, take your dog to a vet. The vet will complete the import registration for your dog. They will also issue an EU pet passport.

Request your UBN (procedure in Dutch)

If you are coming to the Netherlands for a holiday stay of 4 months or more, the registration rules for dogs apply. The steps you must complete are the same as when you work in the Netherlands for 4 months or more. Is your holiday stay in the Netherlands 3 months or less? Then the registration rules do not apply to you.

Read the general guidance on registration rules for dogs. See the website of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority for a step-by-step guide. By following these steps, you will know what other rules apply to you.