A clear walk-through of horse passports, identification and registration. What the passport actually is, why every horse must have one, how you register the animal, and what to do when it changes hands.
Few sets of rules cause as much confusion as those around the horse passport – largely because three different things get mixed up: the passport itself, identification with a microchip, and registering the horse on a holding. Here we set it all out in plain language, so you know exactly what is required, how to register your horse, and what to do when ownership changes.
The first step is to keep three often-confused ideas apart. The passport is the horse's identity document, the chip is the physical identification in the animal, and the proof of ownership is a separate paper showing who owns the horse.
Within the EU, every horse must have a horse passport, whatever its breed or age and whether or not it will ever compete. The reason is legal: horses count as food-producing animals, and the passport is how medicinal treatments are traced so that unauthorised substances cannot enter the food chain. In Sweden the passport is issued by breed organisations and registering associations, acting on behalf of Jordbruksverket (the Swedish Board of Agriculture).
On top of the passport, anyone who keeps a horse must make sure the place where the horse stands is registered as a holding with Jordbruksverket, and that the horse is registered there. This is a separate matter from the passport – and this is where many people go wrong.
When a horse is bought or sold, the most important rule is simple: the passport goes with the horse to the new owner – it is not sent in. You report the change of ownership instead to the organisation that issued the passport, or with which the horse has a supplementary registration.
If the passport is lost or destroyed, apply for a new one from the organisation that issued it. Depending on how the horse can be identified, you will receive either a duplicate passport (an exact copy) or a replacement passport, which makes clear that it is not the original document.
When the horse is put down or dies, the passport must be sent to the issuing organisation for cancellation, no later than 30 days after the horse's death. The horse is then deregistered from the database so the passport cannot be reused.
Yes. Within the EU every horse must have a horse passport, regardless of breed, age or whether it will compete. Horses count in law as food-producing animals, and the passport is needed so that medicinal treatments can be traced. In Sweden, horses must also have been identified with an approved microchip since 2021.
No. As a rule the passport travels with the horse to the new owner and is not sent in. You report the change of ownership to the organisation that issued the passport, with the proof of ownership and a copy of the purchase contract. A new proof of ownership is then issued to the buyer.
The horse passport is the horse's identity document and stays with it for life. The proof of ownership is a separate document showing who owns the horse. The passport itself therefore does not prove ownership – the proof of ownership does that, together with the purchase contract.
Yes. Anyone who keeps a horse must register the site as a holding with Jordbruksverket and register the horse there if it will stay for at least 30 days. Every horse that is in Sweden for longer than 90 days must also appear in the central equine database.
Send the passport to the organisation that issued it for cancellation, no later than 30 days after the horse's death. The horse is then deregistered and the passport cannot be reused. If you lose the passport, you can apply for a duplicate or a replacement.