A dog older than eight weeks will no longer be able to live exclusively indoors, and all dogs and cats in the European Union must be identifiable by an electronic microchip. This is provided for by Regulation (EU) 2026/1818, published on 10 August 2026 in the Official Journal of the European Union: the very first unified European text on animal welfare and the traceability of dogs and cats. A change that directly affects the millions of French households that own a four-legged companion.
An unprecedented European regulation
Until now, each Member State set its own rules for breeding, keeping and selling dogs and cats, with large disparities that facilitated illicit animal trafficking. Regulation 2026/1818 changes the game: it now regulates, across the entire Union, the breeding, keeping, traceability, placing on the market and even the entry into European territory of these animals. Stated objective: to harmonize welfare standards and undercut the clandestine networks that feed part of the 200,000 annual abandonments recorded in France.
What changes concretely for owners
The European text introduces several new obligations, which are added to the rules already in force on the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops :
- Prohibition on keeping a dog older than eight weeks exclusively indoors: daily outdoor access or a walk of at least one hour becomes mandatory.
- Generalized electronic identification: all dogs and cats kept in the EU must carry a microchip and be registered in interoperable national databases.
- Strengthened traceability for breeders, sellers and shelters, with common animal welfare standards.
These rules apply while the French feline population continues to grow: as the cat, now the French people's leading pet, reminded us, the country has more than 16.6 million felines, all affected by these new identification obligations.
France anticipates with the Single National Register of Animals
On the ground in France, the shift has already begun. Since 1 January 2026, the national file I-CAD has given way to the Single National Register of Animals (RNUA), which centralizes the identification of carnivorous domestic animals. Breeders must now declare any birth within seven days, and shelters must identify each animal taken in within 48 hours. Tattooing is no longer recognized for new animals: only an electronic microchip compliant with ISO 11784/11785 standards, implanted before the age of four months, is recognized as valid. This administrative undertaking follows the same logic as other recent obligations aimed at animal welfare, such as the ban on leaving a dog in a car from 20°C already adopted by several French cities.
A four-year compliance period
No sudden upheaval for individuals: breeders, sellers and shelters have a four-year period to comply with the new traceability and welfare obligations set by the European regulation. Time enough for professional sectors to adapt, without however delaying the progressive application of controls already initiated in France with the RNUA.
Frequently asked questions
Does my dog or cat that is already identified need to be re-microchipped?
No, animals already identified retain their number. However, in the event of transfer or loss of the chip, only a new electronic identification that complies with the standards will be accepted: tattooing is no longer recognized for new registrations.
Does the European regulation apply immediately?
No. Professionals (breeders, sellers, shelters) benefit from a four-year period to comply with the new traceability and welfare rules.
What does the RNUA mean in practice for an individual?
The Single National Register of Animals replaces the I-CAD file as the reference database for the identification of dogs and cats. Procedures (declaration of birth, transfer or loss) are now handled through this new register.
Sources
European Parliament — First EU rules to protect dogs and cats from abuse
Le Point Vétérinaire — The EU regulates the traceability, breeding and sale of dogs and cats
Ministry of Agriculture — Identification of companion animals, a legal obligation that protects them
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This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence. Editorial policy
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