Moving to the UK With Pets: Microchips, Vets & Local Rules

Once your dog or cat has arrived and completed the entry process, help them settle into their new home with a local veterinary practice and contact details that work in the UK. Some requirements apply across the UK; others depend on whether you live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

YOUR ARRIVAL CHECKLIST

Four steps to settling in

Use this as your action list. The timing below is a planning guide; legal deadlines depend on the authority and your pet’s circumstances.

1. 1Register the existing chip

   Promptly after settling

   Have it scanned, check the UK database and update or register with a government-compliant provider. Petlog has a specific route for overseas chips.

   KEEP AS CONFIRMATION

   Correct keeper details, UK address and reachable telephone.

2. 2Check your nation and council

   Before assuming the rules

   Check the dog/cat distinctions. In Northern Ireland, arrange the council dog licence; elsewhere check local walking and dog-control rules.

   KEEP AS CONFIRMATION

   Any required licence and its renewal date.

3. 3Join a local vet practice

   Before an urgent problem

   Transfer clinical history, vaccine details and prescriptions; ask who provides out-of-hours care.

   KEEP AS CONFIRMATION

   Practice registration, emergency number and vaccine plan.

4. 4Prepare identification and reminders

   Ongoing

   Check the dog’s public-place collar/tag requirements. Keep chip contact details current and separate routine health dates from future travel requirements.

   KEEP AS CONFIRMATION

   Updated tag and calendar reminders.

Keep the chip record, local registration and veterinary plan together. Completing one does not automatically complete the others.

1. Check the chip—and the database behind it

GOV.UK's microchipping guidance says dogs across the UK must be microchipped and registered by eight weeks. In England, cats must be microchipped and registered by twenty weeks, including indoor cats. The same page explains that cat microchipping is optional in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; it is still a useful safeguard.

Ask the vet to scan the existing chip and check the number. Use the government list of databases meeting its standards to establish or update the UK record. Do not assume a foreign database or the number printed in a pet passport is sufficient. Keep your address and contact details current, including when you move from temporary accommodation. Discuss an unreadable chip with the vet before considering another implant.

2. Understand where a dog licence is required

Northern Ireland has a local council dog-licensing system. Its licensing and microchipping guidance explains that dogs must be microchipped before a licence is issued and that inaccurate or inaccessible chip details can invalidate the licence. Apply through the council for your address and record the renewal date.

England, Scotland and Wales do not use Northern Ireland's general dog-licensing process. You should still check the council's rules on dog control, restricted areas and keeping multiple animals. Breed-specific restrictions and exemption conditions are a separate matter and should be checked before relocating.

3. Register with a vet while your pet is well

Use the RCVS Find a Vet service to identify local practices and check the professionals providing care. Ask whether the practice is taking new patients and where it sends emergencies overnight or at weekends. Complete its registration form, then have your previous vet send the clinical history with your permission.

Bring vaccination certificates, current medication names and doses, laboratory results and any relevant import paperwork to the first appointment. Ask the practice to check what is due next and whether it needs to examine your pet before issuing ongoing prescriptions. Practice registration is a care arrangement; it does not update the microchip database for you.

4. Agree a vaccination plan for life in the UK

RSPCA dog guidance covers protection against diseases including distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis and respiratory infections. Its cat guidance discusses cat flu, infectious enteritis and feline leukaemia. The vet should choose the appropriate vaccines and booster dates using your pet's records, health and exposure.

Do not confuse a travel rabies vaccination with the complete routine health plan. Ask separately what is needed for everyday protection, boarding or daycare, and any future overseas journey. A cattery's admission policy may require evidence that is different from the paperwork needed to register with a veterinary practice.

5. Make identification useful outside the house

For a dog, arrange the identification collar and tag required in public, including your name and address; add a reachable phone number as a practical extra. Keep the microchip database current as well. Check local signs before letting your dog off lead and ask your council about public-space restrictions rather than assuming every park permits it.

For a newly arrived cat, make a secure settling-in area and ask the vet about a suitable introduction to the new environment. Check windows and exits before movers or visitors arrive.

Keep a digital folder and a paper copy of the essentials. A little administration at the start makes an unexpected vet visit—or a lost-pet search—much easier.

Useful resources: go straight to the right service

These links take you to the organisation responsible for the service. Commercial registries are options, not exclusive recommendations; check acceptance of your chip and current fees before paying.