How to license your dog in Egypt
Every dog in Egypt needs a licence under Law 29/2023. Where to get one, what it costs and when to renew it.
Since 2023 Egypt has a law on keeping dogs: Law 29 of 2023 on possessing dangerous animals and dogs, with executive regulations issued by Prime Ministerial Decree 1731 of 2025. The short version: every dog needs a licence, not just the big breeds.
Who needs a licence?
- Anyone who keeps a dog, of any breed or size, mixed and baladi dogs included.
- The owner must be 18 or older.
- Conditional breeds (German Shepherd, Husky, Rottweiler and 13 more) come with extra conditions. See banned and conditional breeds.
- Three breeds are banned and can't be licensed at all: Fila Brasileiro, Boerboel and Presa Canario.
Where do you get it?
At the Veterinary Directorate (مديرية الطب البيطري) for the area where you live. The steps in the executive regulations:
- Apply at the directorate with your details and your dog's.
- Have suitable housing for the dog (the regulations point to the World Organisation for Animal Health's recommendations, which the directorate should display).
- Pay the fee: EGP 1,000.
- Bring the dog so it can be registered under a serial number. You get a card with the number, your details and the dog's.
- You receive an ID tag with the serial number. It has to stay on the dog's collar.
Fees and renewal
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Dog licence (one year) | EGP 1,000 |
| Transfer to a new owner | EGP 1,000 |
| Replacing a lost tag | EGP 1,000 |
- A licence lasts one year and can be renewed.
- Apply to renew at least one month before it expires. If you add your dog under My pets, BesBes reminds you.
Rabies vaccination
Under the regulations, licensed dogs are vaccinated against rabies from 3 months of age and then periodically. Keep the vaccination card with you and ask your vet about your dog's dates.
Selling or giving your dog away
- The law counts selling, exchanging and lending as "trading", and the authority must be told when a dog changes hands.
- The transfer fee is EGP 1,000, and the new owner must be 18 or older.
- On BesBes, a listing for a dog aged 3 months or more must include the licence number.
When must you tell the authority?
Straight away if:
- your dog has, or may have, a contagious disease;
- your dog bites or injures someone;
- your dog dies or escapes;
- you want to pass the dog on or can no longer keep it.
If your dog is missing, also read lost pet: the first 24 hours.
What if you don't license?
Fines run from EGP 10,000 to 500,000, and prison is possible when people's lives are put at risk. The regulations gave owners one year from May 2025 to comply, and the Prime Minister can extend that once. Ask your directorate where things stand now, and don't wait.