Registering your pet in Spain after you arrive

Key rules

• Registry: Use the registry of the region where you live, not a national one.
• Who registers: A licensed vet enters your pet in the registry and you sign the form.
• Deadline: Regions set their own deadlines, so ask your vet or registry in your first weeks.
• Foreign chip: A chip from abroad stays in place if it is ISO-standard; otherwise bring a reader.
• Changes: Report a new address, a new region or a new owner to the registry each time.

Which registry you use

Register your pet in the registry of the region where you live. Spain has no single place to sign up. Madrid uses RIAC and Castilla y León uses SIACyL. Each regional registry links to a national one, so you only deal with your own region. This applies to dogs, cats and ferrets.

A vet does the registration for you. The vet must be a colegiado, meaning licensed with the provincial veterinary college. The vet enters your pet in the regional database, and you sign the form they prepare.

By when

Register soon after you arrive. Regions set their own deadlines for new residents, often between 1 and 3 months. Ask your vet or regional registry which one applies to you, and book the first visit in your first weeks. For a puppy born in Spain, the usual deadline is 3 months from birth.

Your pet must already be chipped before it enters Spain. Pets from outside the EU also have to meet entry health requirements.

What to bring

The documents block below lists everything. In short, bring your ID, the chip number and your pet's details. If your pet had an earlier owner, bring the pet passport or that owner's details. The vet issues the identification certificate when they check the chip. Documents can vary a little by region, so ask when you book.

If your pet was chipped abroad

You do not need a new chip. A 15-digit chip that meets the ISO standard is accepted, and the vet enters the foreign number under your details. If the chip is not ISO, you must bring your own reader to the visit. The decision block below helps you choose.

When you move

• Within your region: tell the registry your new address, through your vet or the registry itself. Do this within a short period, normally 1 to 3 months.
• To another region: register your pet in the new region's registry. The old registry transfers or links the record.

When the owner changes

If you sell or give your pet away, or take over a pet, notify the registry through an authorised vet or the registry's own channel. Both the old and new owner give ID, the chip number and the signed transfer form. The registry updates the record and issues a new certificate. Many regions require this within a set period after the transfer, often 10 to 30 days, so do it quickly.

If you are late

Missing registration can bring a fine. It can also make it hard to prove ownership if your pet is lost. Register as soon as you notice.

Choosing between options

Does the microchip your pet got abroad work in Spain?

• Keep the foreign chip: The chip is an ISO 15-digit chip. Register your pet in your region's registry and have the foreign chip number entered under your details.

• Keep the chip and bring a reader: The chip is not ISO. It is accepted only if you bring a reader that can read it to the registration.

Either way the chip does not need to be replaced. What matters is that the chip is an ISO 15-digit one, or that you bring a reader for it.

Registering your pet: step by step

• Make sure your pet has a microchip and that you know which region you live in: Before you start

• Choose a first vet who is licensed with the provincial veterinary college (colegiado), has a microchip reader, can access your regional registry, offers vaccines, parasite control, passport issuance and out-of-hours cover, and gives clear price lists: As soon as you settle in

• Book the first visit, let the vet check the chip and ask them to enter your pet in the registry of your region. Check whether your region or town hall also needs an in-person visit, a local census, a dangerous-dog licence or a municipal tag: At the first vet visit

• Bring your ID (DNI, NIE or passport), the microchip number, the vet's identification certificate, your pet's details (species, breed, sex, birth date), the pet passport and any previous owner's details, then sign the form the vet prepares: At the first vet visit

• Ask your vet to register the pet in your region's animal identification registry, which links to the national registry. Examples are RIAC in Madrid, RAIA in Andalucía and RIVIA in the Comunidad Valenciana: At the same visit

• Register without delay and ask your vet or regional government which exact deadline applies where you live: Soon after you arrive

• If registration is missed, expect a possible fine of a few hundred euros or more, and difficulty reclaiming a lost pet. Book the vet visit now and, if you move region later, ask for the record to be transferred to the new registry: If you have not registered yet or you move to another region

Documents you need

• Your ID: a DNI, NIE or passport.

• The microchip number of your pet.

• The identification certificate from the authorised vet who checks the chip.

• Your pet's details: species, breed, sex and birth date.

• The pet passport or the previous owner's details, if your pet had an earlier owner.

• The signed transfer form, with ID from both the old and the new owner, if you are taking over a registered pet.

Required documents vary by region, so confirm the list with your vet or regional registry before you go.

Checklist

• Find the animal identification registry for the region where you live, such as RIAC in Madrid or SIACyL in Castilla y León.

• Ask an authorised vet (colegiado) to enter your pet in that registry.

• Gather your ID, the microchip number, the vet's identification certificate and your pet's details before the visit.

• Sign the registration form the vet prepares for you.

• Tell the registry about a new address, through your vet or the regional registry, normally within 1 to 3 months of moving.

• Register your pet in the new region's registry if you move to another autonomous community.

• Notify the registry of a change of owner through an authorised vet, with both owners' ID and the signed transfer form, and ask for the new certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Does my pet need a new microchip if it was chipped abroad?

No, a chip implanted abroad is accepted if it is an ISO 15-digit chip, so your pet does not need a new one. If the chip is not ISO, you must bring your own reader for it to be accepted.

What do I do if I sell or give my pet to someone else?

You and the new owner both notify the regional registry, usually through an authorised vet.

What happens if I move to another region of Spain?

You register your pet in the registry of the new region, and the old registry then transfers or links the record. A move within the same region only needs a change of address, normally within 1 to 3 months. Ask your vet or the regional registry for the exact period.