If you keep horses, ponies, donkeys and/or zebras in the Netherlands, you must register these animals and their location. You do this by applying for a Unique Holding Number (Uniek Bedrijfsnummer, UBN) for the location where the animal is usually kept. You must then register the animal under that location’s UBN.
Applying for a UBN for a location and horse
To register the location, you need a UBN. In English, this is called a Unique Holding Number. You can register the location by applying to the RVO for a UBN (in Dutch).
You can then register horses and other horse-like animals in the identification and registration (I&R) system on the RVO website.
Reporting a change in a horse’s location
If your animal is to stay at another location for more than 30 days, you must register this through Mijn I&R. You do not have to do this for animals who are staying at a location in the Netherlands for up to 90 days for competitions or breeding.
Laws and regulations
EU Regulation 2016/429 (Animal Health Law), Articles 108 and 114
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Last updated on 20 August 2026