Register a Dog in Portugal: Microchip and Licence (US and UK Owners)

To register a dog in Portugal, a veterinarian implants a microchip and enters the animal in SIAC, the national pet database, in your name, and the dog needs an annual licence from your junta de freguesia, the first year being covered by the registration. The same microchip and SIAC registration applies to cats and ferrets, and a pet that comes from the US or the UK is registered the same way if it stays 120 days or more.

This guide covers the rules for living here with a pet, after the animal has arrived. The import conditions, the veterinary certificate and the airport notice are in our guide to shipping belongings and pets and are not repeated. It is a summary of what the official pages say, read on 21 October 2026, not legal advice. The most recent change among the pages we read is Despacho n.º 3924/2026 of the DGAV, published in the Diário da República on 25 March 2026, which sets the 2026 rabies vaccination campaign and its fees, so that is the date of this guide’s information. According to the list of amendments on the Diário da República, the last amendment to the decree-law on registration (Lei n.º 12/2022) changed the dog licence article and took effect on 28 June 2022. The DGAV and SIAC pages show no “last updated” line. A pet is one more item on the list in your first month of paperwork.

Do I have to microchip and register my pet in Portugal?

Yes, if it is a dog, cat or ferret. Decreto-Lei n.º 82/2019 of 27 June, which created SIAC, says identification is compulsory for dogs, cats and ferrets, and that it consists of a transponder (microchip) plus registration in SIAC. The DGAV adds that for animals born in Portugal, marking and registration must be done within 120 days of birth, and the SIAC FAQ says that if the exact birth date cannot be determined the identification must be done by the time the milk incisors are lost.

The obligation also covers animals that are not born here but are present in Portugal for 120 days or more (article 4 of the original decree-law). The DGAV states it in its own words: the owner of a pet, “quer se trate de uma pessoa singular ou coletiva”, must make sure the animal is marked and registered “por intermédio de um médico veterinário”. Only a veterinarian can place the microchip, in the center of the left side of the neck, and the SIAC FAQ says registration in SIAC can be done only by a veterinarian.

How does SIAC registration work, and what does it cost?

The SIAC is run by the DGAV. The record is made once and holds the microchip number, a description of the animal, your identification and contact details, and the veterinarian’s. The SIAC FAQ lists your name, tax number (NIF), address and contact among the owner data, so have your NIF ready: it is explained in our guide to the Portuguese tax number.

The DIAC must be requested again after a rabies shot: the SIAC FAQ says to ask for a new one whenever the rabies vaccine is given, because the veterinarian must record it in SIAC. Owners with Chave Móvel Digital or a card reader can download the DIAC from the SIAC owners area, according to the same FAQ; our Chave Móvel Digital guide explains how to get one.

What changes if my pet came from the US or the UK?

The registration rules do not depend on your nationality. What matters is where the animal came from and how long it stays. The DGAV and the decree-law say that pets entering from the EU or a third country, properly marked under Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, “são obrigatoriamente registados no SIAC” if they remain in Portugal for 120 days or more. In our reading, a pet that moves with you to live here will normally stay that long, but the 120 days is the test, not your plan. The registration is made in the name of the person on the pet passport or health certificate.

• Who registers it. An SIAC-accredited veterinarian, an accredited person, the junta de freguesia or the municipality of your area of residence, according to the decree-law. For a potentially dangerous dog from abroad, the DGAV and the SIAC FAQ say the municipal veterinarian does it.
• Your existing microchip. The veterinarian reads it and registers that number. The SIAC FAQ also says an alphanumeric microchip can be registered with help from the SIAC services and that for animals that come to live in Portugal a second microchip is recommended, because not every reader reads an alphanumeric one. If you choose that route, the animal is registered twice, with a note giving both numbers.
• The owner’s name. The registration is made in the name on the pet passport or health certificate, so it is worth checking that this is the person you want as owner in SIAC (our suggestion, not a rule on the pages).
• A Portuguese pet passport. The DGAV says an EU pet passport can be issued only to owners whose habitual and main residence is in the EU. Once you live here, the decree-law says a veterinarian issues the passport on the owner’s request. This matters if you plan to travel with the animal inside the EU, which the DGAV says needs the passport.

Everything about getting the animal into the country is in our shipping and pets guide.

What is the dog licence at the junta de freguesia?

The licence is a dog rule. According to article 27 of the decree-law, as amended up to Lei n.º 12/2022, “os cães registados no SIAC são objeto de licenciamento anual na junta de freguesia da área de recenseamento do seu titular”. The pages we read about licensing speak of dogs; they do not describe a licence for cats.

• The first year is covered. Except for dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs, the first registration in SIAC counts as the licence for one year from the registration date. The SIAC FAQ adds that after that year you go to the junta with the DIAC.
• The fee is local. The parish assembly sets it, with reference to the yearly medical prophylaxis rate N, and the cap is three times that value. It varies with the category of the animal, and parishes may create total or partial exemptions. Guide dogs and dogs of owners in economic hardship are among those exempt, and so are dogs adopted from official collection centers or recognized animal welfare associations. We found no national fee, so ask your junta.
• The junta records it. The junta must note the licensing date in SIAC. Failure to license can be an administrative offense, says the DGAV.

One point to ask the junta about: the licence is tied to the parish “da área de recenseamento do seu titular” (where the owner is on the electoral roll), while the DGAV licensing page and the SIAC FAQ say the licence for dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs (article 5 of Decreto-Lei n.º 315/2009) is issued by the junta of the area of residence. The SIAC FAQ is not consistent on this: its list of owner obligations for dangerous dogs also says “área de recenseamento”, so the two official pages differ. The pages do not explain how a foreign resident who is not on the electoral roll is handled, so confirm with the junta where you live. Your proof of address helps here, and our guide to proving your address lists what the official pages accept.

Is rabies vaccination compulsory in Portugal?

For dogs, yes. The DGAV says that in Portugal “é obrigatória a vacinação antirrábica dos cães a partir dos 3 meses de idade” and that vaccination of cats and other susceptible species is voluntary. The DGAV points to Portaria n.º 264/2013 of 16 August as the legal basis.

• Where. At the official campaign run by the municipal veterinarian, or at any veterinarian you choose.
• Fees in the official campaign. Despacho n.º 3924/2026 (DR, 2nd series, no. 59, 25 March 2026, effective from 1 January 2026) lists a single fee of 10 euros for the vaccination, 2.50 euros for the SIAC record and 1 euro for the health booklet, when the booklet is required. Private clinics set their own prices.
• Microchip first. The despacho says the campaign vaccinates only dogs that are microchipped and registered in SIAC, and the decree-law says the veterinarian must identify an unmarked animal before an obligatory vaccination.
• The record. The veterinarian records the vaccination in the booklet or passport and in SIAC.

The vaccination a pet needs to enter Portugal from the US or the UK follows the entry rules in the shipping guide, not this section.

What must I report after I move house, change owner or lose the animal?

The decree-law gives you 15 days for each of these changes, and the DGAV pages repeat it:

The decree-law adds that a new DIAC is issued after any change. If you rent, the new lease and the address change fit with the steps in our guide to the rental contract and tenant rights.

What rules apply to dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs?

Only if you own one of the breeds on the Portuguese list or a mix. The DGAV says “potentially dangerous” dogs are those of the breeds defined in Portaria n.º 422/2004, their first generation crosses, crosses among them or with other breeds that give a similar type. The SIAC FAQ lists: Cão de Fila Brasileiro, Dogue Argentino, Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bully (type), American Bully Pocket (type) and Tosa Inu. The DGAV says the American Bully is considered potentially dangerous. A “dangerous” dog is any dog, whatever its breed, that has bitten or attacked a person, seriously injured or killed another animal off its owner’s property, was declared aggressive by its owner to the junta, or was judged a risk by the authority.

The SIAC FAQ lists the obligations of the owner:

1. Be older than 16.
2. Pass a training course for owners of dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs. Enrolling in a GNR or PSP course allows a provisional licence of 3 months.
3. Hold a valid rabies vaccination recorded in SIAC and in the booklet.
4. Hold civil liability insurance with a minimum capital of 50,000 euros.
5. Present your criminal record every year, and a signed declaration that you know the law, the housing safety measures and the animal’s history.
6. License the dog at the junta. The FAQ’s list says the junta of the owner’s “área de recenseamento”, while the DGAV licensing page and another FAQ answer say the area of residence (see the licence section above). The first licence is due within 30 days of the SIAC registration, and the licence is annual.
7. Keep a muzzle and a lead of up to 1 meter on the dog in public, and never let it roam alone.
8. Sterilize the dog between 4 and 6 months if it is not in an officially recognized pedigree book; the DGAV gives the Pit Bull Terrier and the American Bully as examples of dogs without one.
9. House it behind a fence of at least 2 meters, with gaps of 5 centimeters at most, and display a warning sign.

For a dog that arrives with you, the DGAV page on entry says that a potentially dangerous breed staying less than 4 months (a holiday) follows the ordinary health rules and travels on a short lead and muzzle, while a stay of 4 months or more means registration in SIAC through the municipal veterinarian and a holding licence from the junta of the owner’s residence. If the dog has no officially recognized pedigree, it must be sterilized. The DGAV states that entry in breach of these rules is subject to fines and to return or euthanasia of the animal. If your dog may be of one of these types, check it against the DGAV and SIAC pages before you travel.

What happens if I do not comply?

Article 21 of the decree-law sets a fine of at least 50 euros and at most 3,740 euros for an individual, or 44,890 euros for a company. It applies, among other cases, to keeping an animal that is not identified as required or without the DIAC, passport or health booklet on a trip, to not updating the record within the period, and to breaching the owner’s duties in article 16. We did not read an official text on additional sanctions, so this guide does not describe them.

Checklist for the first weeks with your pet

• Dog, cat or ferret staying 120 days or more: ask a veterinarian to read the microchip and register the animal in SIAC in your name, and get the DIAC.
• Ask the veterinarian for a Portuguese pet passport if you plan to travel inside the EU.
• Dog: check the rabies vaccination is valid and recorded in SIAC; ask your junta how and when to renew the licence after the first year.
• Report any change of address, owner, or loss or death within 15 days.
• Check whether your dog is on the potentially dangerous list before you arrive.

This guide rests on these official pages, read on 21 October 2026: Decreto-Lei n.º 82/2019 in its consolidated version on the Diário da República and its list of amendments; Despacho n.º 3924/2026 in the Diário da República; eleven DGAV pages on identification and registration of dogs, cats and ferrets, rabies, and dangerous dogs; the SIAC site’s FAQ and legislation pages; and the DGAV page on entering Portugal with a dog or cat from outside the EU. We did not find a gov.pt or ePortugal service page for the dog licence, so the licence description comes from the decree-law and the DGAV, and we did not read the decree-laws on dangerous dogs (Decreto-Lei n.º 315/2009 and Lei n.º 46/2013) themselves, nor Portaria n.º 264/2013 and Portaria n.º 422/2004. The DGAV rabies page cites Despacho n.º 3924/2026 as published in the DR on 20 March 2025 and speaks of the 2025 campaign, which does not match the despacho itself; the figures here come from the despacho. The articles of the decree-law are quoted from the consolidated version as the writer read it on the Diário da República, and we could not re-open that site for this check.