Identifying and registering a dog
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Summary:
When owning a dog in Luxembourg, you must comply with certain obligations.
To improve dog identification and control, and to ensure that dog owners comply with certain safety measures, the law imposes certain requirements on dog owners, including:
- electronic ID tagging of the dog, performed by an approved veterinarian;
- recording of data relating to the dog in a database;
- registering the dog with the commune of residence;
- a rabies vaccination;
- payment of an annual tax; etc.
Who is concerned
All dog owners.
Prerequisites - potentially dangerous dog
To own a potentially dangerous dog, you must meet certain conditions:
- successfully complete the theoretical training provided by the Lëtzebuerger Associatioun vun de Klengdéierepraktiker (LAK), commonly known as the 'Hondsführerschäin'; and
- once you have successfully completed this course, you must apply for authorisation to keep animals from the minister responsible for agriculture.
When the 2 conditions above are met, the dog can be welcomed into your home.
Before the age of 18 months, your dog must:
- successfully complete a training course, followed by an exam. The diploma confirming successful completion of the exam is valid for 3 years and renewable for the same period; and
- where applicable, depending on its breed or type, be neutered.
Costs
As a dog owner, you must pay an annual tax to your communal administration. The amount of this tax is a minimum of EUR 10 per year and varies depending on the commune.
The annual tax is not levied for:
- guide dogs for the blind and disabled;
- the dogs of the Grand Ducal Police;
- army dogs;
- the border patrol's dogs; and
- rescue dogs.
When you move to another commune during the year, you only have to pay tax from 1 January of the following year if you can prove that you paid tax in your previous commune of residence.
If the dog dies or runs away, the tax is neither reduced nor refunded.
How to proceed
Mandatory identification of the dog (microchip)
The identification of the dog by means of an electronic ID tag must be done at the latest 4 months after the dog's birth.
ID tagging makes it easier to identify lost or stray dogs.
An approved veterinarian:
- inserts a microchip containing an identification number under the animal's skin (on the left side of the neck); and
- records data relating to the dog in a database.
Rabies vaccination
Following the tagging of the dog, the veterinarian vaccinates the dog against rabies from the age of 12 weeks.
Private civil liability
As a dog owner, you are responsible for any damage your dog causes.
Therefore, in order to be able to compensate any victims, you must be covered by a mandatory insurance policy that guarantees civil liability.
This insurance, taken out for yourself and your family members, covers, among other things, any actions by your dog that cause property damage and/or bodily injury to a third party.
Registration with the communal administration
- Usual case
- Potentially dangerous dog
You must register your dog with your commune of residence within 4 months of its birth.
To enable you to make this registration, the vet will issue a certificate for your dog stating:
- its breed or type;
- whether or not it is classified as a potentially dangerous dog;
- its sex;
- the colour of its coat;
- the number of its chip;
- its current rabies vaccination status.
When registering with the communal administration, you must also submit proof that you have taken out civil liability insurance with a company that is approved or authorised to operate in Luxembourg. Remember to ask your commune of residence about this document. It may be:
- a certificate issued by the insurance company; or
- a simple copy of the insurance contract.
You will then receive confirmation of your registration from the communal administration (a receipt signed by the mayor).
You must register your dog as a potentially dangerous dog with the communal administration of your commune of residence in 2 steps:
- step 1: see the 'Usual case' tab;
- step 2: within 18 months of the dog's birth, you must make a second registration, against receipt, to the communal administration.
It must be accompanied by:
- the certificate attesting to the dog's successful completion of a training exam;
- the veterinary certificate indicating the date of castration for dogs referred to in points (e) to (g) of article 10(1) of the law of 9 May 2008 on dogs;
- the certificate attesting to the successful completion of the training by the dog owner;
- the receipt for the initial registration.
Owner's change of residence
If you change your place of residence, you must register your dog with your new commune within one month, providing the receipt from your previous commune.
You will then be given a new receipt stating your new address.
If you move to Luxembourg from abroad, you must register your dog with the communal administration within one month.
New owners
If you are the new owner of a dog, you must register it with your commune within one month (even if you live in the same commune as the previous owner), providing the valid receipt.
When registering your dog, you must also provide the communal administration with proof of liability insurance for any damage caused by the animal to third parties (e.g. a certificate issued by the insurance company or a copy of the insurance policy).
The loss, death or transfer of ownership of a dog must be reported to the communal administration so that it can keep abreast of the status of dogs living within its borders.
Obligations
The person who owns, has custody of, or cares for a dog must:
- provide it with appropriate food, water and care;
- provide shelter adapted to its physiological, ethological and ecological needs;
- respect its natural needs for exercise and movement, so as to avoid pain, suffering, distress, harm or injury;
- provide adequate care if it is injured or ill;
- not perform unjustified acts that cause pain, suffering, distress, harm or injury to the dog;
- not mistreat it or subject it to passive or active cruelty;
- not put it to death in a cruel manner.
If you fail to comply with any of these obligations, you may lose custody of the dog and be subject to criminal and administrative penalties.
Use of a leash
All dogs must be kept on a leash:
- within urban areas;
- in public transport, in the common areas of apartment buildings, in car parks open to the public, at service stations;
- during public events;
- on sports fields, cycle paths and fitness trails.
In all other areas, you must ensure that your dog is under control and put it on a leash if necessary.
In exceptional cases, each commune may designate:
- within urban areas: areas within which dogs are exempt from being kept on a leash. In these areas, you must also ensure that your dog is under control and put it on a leash if necessary.
- outside of urban areas: areas frequented by large numbers of people and within which dogs must be kept on a leash.
Please check with your commune for the applicable regulations.
Who to contact
-
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture
- Address:
- 1, rue de la Congrégation L-1352 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 247 82 500
- Phone:
-
(+352) 247 82 539
Licences for potentially dangerous dogs
- Fax:
- (+352) 46 40 27
- Email address:
- info@ma.etat.lu
- Website:
- https://agriculture.public.lu
-
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture Directorate for Consumer Protection
- Address:
-
271, route d’Arlon
L-1150
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
B.P. 119, L-2011 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 247 73 700
- Email address:
- info@mpc.etat.lu
- Website:
- https://mpc.gouvernement.lu/en.html
-
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture Passenger complaints
- Address:
- 271, route d’Arlon L-1150 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Email address:
- passagers@mpc.etat.lu
2 of 3 bodies shown
Related procedures and links
Links
Further information
on the Agriculture Portal
Legal references
-
Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013
on the non-commercial movement of pet animals
-
Loi modifiée du 9 mai 2008
relative aux chiens
-
Loi du 27 juin 2018
sur la protection des animaux
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 9 mai 2008
concernant l'identification et la déclaration des chiens
