The new, stricter pet travel identification rules within the European Union entered into force a few weeks ago but will go into full effect starting January 1, 2028, as per the UE's official report (vía Animalshealth and vía MD). According to the new guidelines, mascots will be obliged to carry a new microchip stating the code of the animal's country of origin/identification.
New chips implanted in pets after that first deadline will have to include the mandatory code. However, existing chips will remain valid. In fact, pets that already have a microchip before that date won't need reimplantation, as long as the piece of hardware still meets the identification requirements, explains the document.
And what if my pet's chip doesn't meet those requirements? As announced, owners of pets with older or non-standard chips may need to carry a compatible reader for travel. If your companion's microchip doesn't meet the ISO frequency standards, the owner of authorised person must bring a device capable of reading it throughout the whole trip outside their country of origin. Besides, regarding tattoos, they're still accepted only if they're clearly legible and if they were applied before July 3, 2011.
How does this impact your future vacation or pet-welcoming plans?