Estonia to make microchipping of dogs, cats and pet ferrets mandatory

Estonia's parliament, the Riigikogu, on Wednesday, 28 October, adopted amendments to the Veterinary Act and related laws. Under the changes, microchipping and registration in a state database will become mandatory for dogs, cats and pet ferrets in Estonia. The requirement takes effect in the middle of next year.

The bill was initiated by the government. It was backed by 60 members of parliament, with 10 voting against and one abstaining.

What the new rules provide

From 1 June 2027, all animals of these species must be microchipped and entered in a national pet register, which is to be set up under the Agricultural Registers and Information Department. Animals already kept by owners have a transition period until 1 January 2029 to be chipped and registered.

A state fee of 12 euros is charged for the first registration of an animal and whenever ownership changes. State institutions and animal shelters are exempt. If an animal was microchipped and registered before the amendments take effect, its data will be transferred to the new register automatically, and the owner will face no additional costs.

Purpose

Urmas Kruuse, chair of the parliamentary Rural Affairs Committee, said the aim of the amendments is to improve animal welfare and promote responsible pet ownership. According to him, the new system will make it easier to track animals, increase owners' responsibility and reduce problems linked to stray animals. He also said the system will become clearer for owners, shelters and local governments.