Cats in Netherlands: rules and travel
Dogs must be chipped and registered within 7 weeks of birth and have an EU pet passport. Cat chip and registration are not compulsory, and folded-ear and hairless cats may not be newly acquired since 1 January 2026.
Dog tax, leash rules and where dogs may run off lead are set by each of the roughly 340 municipalities, so they differ from town to town.
Breed rules
| Where | Rule | Breeds and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Whole country | Banned | vouwoorkatten (Scottish Fold, Highland Fold, Foldex), naaktkatten (Sphynx, Bambino, Peterbald) Not a dog rule: from 1 Jan 2026 keeping and exhibiting fold-eared and hairless cats is banned (Besluit houders van dieren, Stb. 2025-288); breeding them was already prohibited; cats born before 1 Jan 2026 may be kept with proof. [1] |
Registration and microchip
Not compulsory for cats born in the Netherlands. Recommended, and optional registration is in the NDG database.[2]
Not compulsory for cats born in the Netherlands, but recommended. A chip and EU pet passport are needed to travel abroad.[2]
Keeping rules
Since 1 January 2026 cats with folded ears and hairless cats may not be kept as pets. Existing cats may be kept until they die but must be microchipped, and owners must prove they had the cat before that date. Breeding them is banned.[3]
The same new EU Regulation will in time require privately kept cats to be microchipped and registered, with a longer phase-in than dogs. Farm cats are exempt.[4]
Travelling to Netherlands with a cat
Pets need a microchip, an EU pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination. A trip with more than five pets, a change of owner, or an animal travelling without its owner counts as commercial import, which needs a health certificate and TRACES certificate.[5]
Pets must enter the EU through a designated point of entry and be checked there. They need a microchip, valid rabies vaccination and either an EU pet passport (listed countries) or an EU health certificate. A blood test may be needed.[6]
Needed only for pets arriving from non-EU countries that are not on the EU list. Blood is taken at least 30 days after the first rabies vaccination and at least 90 days before the certificate is issued, with a result of 0.5 IU/ml or more from a designated lab. Pets from listed countries do not need it.[7]
Not confirmed yet: Quarantine. We only show what an official or named source states.
Laws change: this is general information, not legal advice. The authority linked on each line has the final word.
Sources
- rvo.nl/onderwerpen/dieren-houden-verkopen-verzorgen/houdverbod-naaktkatten-vouwoorkatten (official)
- nvwa.nl/onderwerpen/dier/honden-en-katten/identificatie-en-registratie-honden-en-katten-ch (official)
- rijksoverheid.nl/themas/klimaat-milieu-en-natuur/dierenwelzijn/dierenwelzijn-huisdieren (official)
- uevp.fve.org/news/eu-adopts-landmark-rules-on-pet-welfare-and-traceability (secondary source)
- nvwa.nl/onderwerpen/dier/honden-en-katten/honden-en-katten-invoeren (official)
- nvwa.nl/onderwerpen/dier/op-reis-met-mijn-huisdier/dier-mee-uit-land-buiten-eu/hond-of-kat (official)
- food.ec.europa.eu/animals/movement-pets/eu-legislation/non-commercial-movement-non-eu-coun (official)