EU pet pre-registration, Regulation (EU) 2026/1818, EU dog and cat traceability regulation

The EU is creating a database to record every dog and cat that enters the Union as a non-commercial movement. Once it is running, owners will have to pre-register a microchipped dog or cat at least five working days before arrival, unless the animal is already registered in an EU country's database.

The reason is fraud. The non-commercial route is meant for owners travelling with their own pets, and the EU says it has been used by traders to bring in animals that are later sold. The database is meant to give authorities a record of genuine movements and flag suspicious ones.

For pet shippers, it will add a fixed deadline to every non-commercial EU entry. It isn't in force yet, and the start date is years away. This guide sets out what's confirmed in law, the timeline, what it will change for shippers, and what to do now.

What's confirmed

The database comes from Regulation (EU) 2026/1818 on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability (EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2026/1818). It's the first EU-wide law on cat and dog welfare, covering breeding, keeping, sale, identification and imports.

For pets entering the EU, the regulation sets out:

• Pre-notification for non-commercial movements. The owner pre-registers the microchipped dog or cat in the EU pet travellers' database at least five working days before arrival. Animals already registered in an EU country's database, and those entering from certain countries, are exempt.

• Five-year data retention. Owner and movement data in the database is kept for five years from pre-notification, so authorities can analyse it and target checks on likely fraud.

• Separate rules for pets imported for sale. Dogs and cats imported to be sold must be microchipped before entry, registered in a national database within five working days, and meet welfare standards equivalent to EU rules.

Timeline

The European Commission confirms the publication, entry-into-force and 31 August 2028 dates on its dogs and cats welfare page (European Commission: Dogs and cats welfare and traceability).

In short: pre-registration isn't something to act on for 2027 moves. But it's confirmed in law, and when the database goes live it will apply to every non-commercial EU entry you handle.

How it fits today's EU rules

The database adds a step on top of rules shippers already work with. Pet Holiday Club's rules base for dogs travelling from the US to Italy shows the current non-commercial requirements it will sit alongside:

• Who travels. For a non-commercial movement, the owner or a designated person must travel within 5 days of the pet, with no more than 5 pets.

• Identification first. An ISO 15-digit microchip, implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination.

• Rabies timing. Rabies vaccination at least 30 days before travel, with the pet at least 12 weeks old. Pets under 16 weeks can't enter Italy.

• Parasite treatment within 10 days of travel, and DHPP at least 30 days before.

The pre-registration step depends on the first two points. A move that is wrongly classed as non-commercial, or a microchip number with an error, is exactly what the database is designed to catch.

What it will mean for shippers

• A new deadline on every non-commercial EU entry. Five working days is a full calendar week. Last-minute EU moves will get harder.

• More scrutiny of the non-commercial route. Check every client move genuinely meets the non-commercial rules. Moves that don't belong on the commercial certificate route.

• Questions about who registers. The regulation puts the obligation on the owner. Expect clients to ask you to handle it, and decide your process in advance.

• Microchip accuracy matters more. Pre-registration is keyed to the microchip number. Errors that slip through today will be caught before the pet arrives.

What to do now

1. Classify every EU move carefully, commercial or non-commercial, from the first enquiry.

2. Make microchip verification part of onboarding: scan, record and match the number across every document.

3. Watch for the Commission's implementing rules, which will set out how the database works in practice.

4. Build buffer into EU timelines, so a five-working-day step will fit when it arrives.

Pet Holiday Club builds a checklist for each route from our rules base of 1,661 requirement items across 238 countries and 131 airlines, matched to origin, destination, species, breed and airline, with lead times counted back from the travel date. When EU rules change, the rules base changes, and so do the checklists. Owners upload the pet's documents, and the scanner flags gaps, including microchip details, before travel.

See how Pet Holiday Club works →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EU pet travellers' database?

A planned EU database where owners must pre-register dogs and cats entering the EU as non-commercial movements, at least five working days before arrival. It was created by Regulation (EU) 2026/1818.

When does EU pet pre-registration start?

Not yet. The regulation entered into force on 30 August 2026 and generally applies from 31 August 2028, but the database doesn't exist yet and the pre-registration rule has a longer transition. Reporting suggests it will be enforced around 10 years after adoption.

Who has to pre-register the pet?

The regulation places the obligation on the owner. Shippers may be asked to help, but the owner remains responsible.

Are any pets exempt from pre-registration?

Pets already registered in an EU country's database, and those entering from certain countries, are exempt.

Does this affect pets imported for sale?

Yes, separately. Dogs and cats imported to be sold must be microchipped before entry and registered in a national database within five working days.

Further reading on Pet Holiday Club

• International Pet Travel Requirements: Complete 2026 Global Guide

• Moving Abroad With Your Pet in 2026: The Relocation Documentation Masterclass