Since July 1st, 2009, the EU has made it compulsory for all equidae born after this date to be in possession of a valid horse passport with an accompanying chip number. However, a horse passport has been compulsory in the Netherlands since 2004. A horse passport is the document to identity the horse, not a proof of ownership and it must be kept with the horse. In the Netherlands all equidae of 6 months or older must be in possession of a horse passport. So never buy a horse without a (valid) passport!
You can apply for a horse passport at the EFS by sending a fully completed 'application form horse passport'. Your vet will fill it in after the horse/pony has been chipped. The form must be sent to the EFS. Make sure that the stickers with the transponder/chip number are stapled to the form!
When the EFS has received the passport application, an invoice will be sent to the passport applicant. When these costs are paid, the passport will be sent to the applicant.
When applying for a horse passport in the Netherlands, there are a few things you need to consider. We list them for you:
A horse must have a passport within 9 months of birth.
So from 21 April 2021, the following rules apply:
1. Horse must be microchipped within 6 months of birth. (Article 5b.39. Identification deadline, paragraph 2)
2. Application for passport must be made immediately after chipping (draft implementing regulation)
3. Passport must be issued within four weeks of application (protocol passport issue)
4. Horse must have passport within 9 months after birth, otherwise exclusion from human consumption (Article 5b.39. Time limit for identification, paragraph 1)
Have you lost your passport? Then you need to apply for a duplicate passport. We will need the fully completed application form and a declaration from the vet stating the chip number, gender, (estimated) age, colour and markings. If the passport has been stolen, we also need a copy of the official report. The studbook office will always contact the last known owner and ask if a duplicate passport can be issued. If everything is in order, you will receive the horse's passport with a mention 'duplicate' after you have paid the invoice.
Passports are regularly requested for horses that have been microchipped. In the Netherlands, only chips beginning with country code 528 may be used. If a passport is requested for a horse that contains a chip starting with 9, there is a good chance that the horse comes from abroad. It is possible that a passport has been issued before, but it is also possible that the horse has crossed the border illegally. In order to get a passport for such a horse, the EFS needs to treat the horse as an import. You will need to declare where the horse comes from. The EFS will then investigate whether the origin of your horse can be traced and determine whether a new, duplicate or replacement passport needs to be issued. To help you draw up this declaration, you will find a declaration application horses with foreign chip number which you can send to the EFS together with the application form horse passport.
