The dog and cat microchip will have new rules in Spain starting from January 2, 2027. The Government has approved the Royal Decree 986/2026, of November 11, published this Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE), which establishes a uniform system for identifying and registering companion animals throughout the national territory. The regulation sets out the technical requirements of the devices, the deadlines for identifying pets, and the obligations to update the registries, with the aim of improving the traceability of animals and facilitating their location in the event of loss or abandonment.
The main novelty affects the way animals are identified and registered. All dogs, cats, and ferrets must have an implanted electronic microchip before they turn three months old and, in any case, before their first transfer to another person, whether through a sale, adoption, or other form of change of ownership. This obligation will also extend to certain animals that until now were excluded from the scope of the Animal Welfare Law, such as hunting, herding, rescue, or security dogs.
However, the entry into force of the new regulations does not mean that owners have to change the microchip of their pets. The Royal Decree expressly states that animals identified before 2027 may keep their original device, as long as it continues to be legible. The measure prevents millions of owners from having to go back to the veterinarian to replace an identification system that already fulfills its function.
The regulation develops what is provided for in the Law 7/2023 on the Protection of the Rights and Welfare of Animals, which already contemplated mandatory identification via microchip. Therefore, this is not an entirely new obligation for all owners, but an update to the technical and administrative conditions that will have to be applied in Spain.
What happens if your dog or cat already has a microchip: do you have to change it?
One of the main questions raised by the entry into force of the Royal Decree is what will happen with animals that are already identified. The answer is set out in the single transitional provision, which allows microchips implanted before January 2, 2027 to be kept.
This means that if a dog, cat or ferret already has a microchip that can be read correctly, it will not be necessary to place another one on it or replace it with a new model. There is also no general obligation to go to the vet to repeat the identification simply because the legislation has changed.
The exception occurs when the device stops working or cannot be read. In that case, the vet must implant a new microchip with the same identification code, recording the duplicate in the corresponding regional register. In this way, the animal will retain its administrative identity and the information associated with it.
The regulations also introduce requirements for new devices. As a general rule, microchips must be implanted under the skin, on the left side of the neck, although another location may be used when there is a veterinary justification. In addition, they must meet certain technical specifications intended to ensure they can be read and to prevent duplicates.
Starting on 1 January 2028 new requirements will come into force regarding the structure of identification codes, related to European regulations. This change will not require replacing older microchips that continue to work, thanks to the transitional regime established.
New deadlines to register pets and report changes of owner
Another of the main updates lies in the revision of the records of companion animals. The royal decree establishes that each pet must be registered in the register of the autonomous community where it has its habitual residence, without being able to appear simultaneously in several autonomous registers.
Identification is not limited to implanting an electronic device. It also involves linking its code with the animal’s and owner’s information, so that authorities can know who is responsible for a pet when it is lost, abandoned, or needs assistance.
Starting in January 2027, new deadlines will apply for reporting certain changes. When an animal changes owners, the new holder must report the transfer to the corresponding register within three business days. If the pet is moved to another autonomous community and changes its habitual residence there, it must be registered in the register of the destination territory during the month following its arrival.
The regulations also establish that the death of an animal must be reported within a maximum of seven business days, while pets coming from other countries that remain in Spain for more than six months will have to be added to the corresponding autonomous community register under the conditions provided.
Owners must keep the information associated with their animals up to date, including contact details. This obligation is especially important because the microchip does not work as a GPS device. Its usefulness lies in providing a code that can be read by a scanner and consulted in a database to identify the holder.
In addition, the autonomous communities will have twelve months from the entry into force of the royal decree to adapt their registers to the Central System of Animal Protection Registers (SICERPA). Once that adaptation has been carried out, owners will have another twelve months to update the information required. Therefore, not all holders will have to complete new administrative procedures immediately in January 2027.
Hunting dogs and cats from colonies will also be included
One of the most relevant aspects of the new regulations is that they expand and unify the identification obligations of different groups of animals, including some that were excluded from the general scope of the Animal Welfare Law.
Among them are the dogs used in hunting activities, sheepdogs and livestock guarding dogs, rescue and security animals, and employees in certain professional or sporting activities. Although these categories maintain legal particularities, they must comply with the identification rules established by the new royal decree.
The regulation also includes a specific situation for community cats that live in feline colonies. These animals must be identified in the name of the competent local administration in the territory where the colony is located when they are captured for identification. In the case of newly born puppies, the responsible veterinarian may determine when it is appropriate to implant the device.
In addition to dogs, cats and ferrets, the new regulations govern the identification of certain pet birds through leg banding, as well as the requirements that may apply to other species included in the official lists of pet animals.
The Government’s objective is to have a system that facilitates monitoring of animals from their birth, reduces the possibilities of trafficking and illegal breeding, and allows for quicker action in situations of abandonment.
What fines can be imposed for failing to identify a pet
Failure to comply with identification obligations can have significant economic consequences. The Law 7/2023 considers it a serious offense not to comply with the animal identification obligations, an conduct for which it provides for fines of 10,001 to 50,000 euros.
However, this does not mean that any error in the registry data or administrative delay must automatically be penalized with those amounts. The classification of the offense and the applicable penalty will depend on the specific circumstances, the corresponding legal framework, and the administrative procedure.
For animals excluded from the general scope of the Animal Welfare Law, the royal decree refers to the penalty-regime of Law 8/2003 on Animal Health, so not all categories are necessarily subject to the same provisions.
Spanish regulations also fit within the adaptation to the new European rules on welfare and traceability of dogs and cats. The Regulation (EU) 2026/1818 sets common identification and registration requirements that will begin to be applied in phases starting in August 2028.
Thus, for those who already have a dog or cat correctly identified, the main check will be to ensure that the microchip continues to be readable and that the owner’s data are up to date. The new regulation does not require replacing existing devices, but it does strengthen control of the registries and sets more precise deadlines to identify young animals and to report changes in ownership or residence.