MovePlanUpdating your pet's microchip address
It isn't the vet, and it isn't one central database — and an out-of-date record can stop a found pet getting back to you.
This is a narrower, sharper job than the broad pets guide covers: that page is about settling an animal into a new home. This one is about a database record, and it matters for a specific, bad reason — if your pet goes missing in the first weeks after a move, before it's learned the new area, the microchip is how a vet or rescue centre gets it back to you. If the record still shows your old address, that scan points to a house you've left.
What's actually compulsory
| Animal | Where | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | All of the UK | Microchipped and registered by 8 weeks old |
| Cats | England | Microchipped and registered by 20 weeks old, indoor-only cats included |
| Cats | Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland | Optional — "You can choose to microchip your cat" |
The cat rule for England is relatively new — it came into force on 10 June 2024. Under the England regulations, a keeper whose cat or dog isn't chipped can be served a notice requiring it to be microchipped within 21 days. If you've had the same cat since before June 2024, it's worth checking the chip actually exists and is registered.
Who you actually contact
There's no single UK pet register. Each microchip is registered on one of the 24 databases GOV.UK lists as meeting government standards — names like Petlog, Identi, AnimalData, HomeAgain and SmartTrace. If you don't know which one your pet is on, GOV.UK points you to check-a-chip.co.uk to look the chip number up.
- 1
Find your chip number
It's usually on the paperwork from when the chip was implanted; if you can't find it, a vet can scan the chip for you.
- 2
Identify the database
check-a-chip.co.uk looks up which of the approved databases a chip number is registered with, if you don't already know.
- 3
Update your details with that database directly
GOV.UK says to "Contact the database company your dog or cat is registered with to update any of your details" — not the vet, and not a government site. It also says you might be charged a fee for the update.
- 4
Do it before, not after, the first time the pet is let out
A pet that hasn't learned the new area yet is the one least likely to find its way back on its own, so that's when an up-to-date record matters most.
Pet microchip admin around a move
- Week of the moveFind the chip number and work out which database it's registered with
- Week of the moveUpdate contact details directly with that database
- Before the pet goes outsideConfirm the update has gone through, not just been submitted
This sits alongside the vet-transfer and insurance tasks on the moving house with pets page, which covers the rest of settling an animal in — this page is just the database record. The full who-to-notify list has everything else that moves with you, not just the animal.