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Cyprus dog law 2026: microchip, licence, leash rules and fines

The 2026 rewrite of the Dogs Law, decoded for real owners — no legalese, just what you must do and what it costs if you don't.

Cyprus rewrote its dog law in 2026, and the changes reach every owner on the island: registration from two months old, an ID tag on every collar, leads and poo bags made mandatory under criminal penalty, and an end to the euthanasia of healthy strays. Here's what's confirmed, what it costs to ignore, and where to check the details the law leaves with your municipality.

€100

on-the-spot fine for dog mess left behind

2 months

every dog older than this must be registered

€1,708.60

top fine for a first unlicensed-dog conviction

One law, and a big 2026 rewrite

Dog ownership in Cyprus rests on the Dogs Law N.184(I)/2002 — and in spring 2026, after roughly a decade of debate, parliament passed a major amendment that touches almost everything: registration, collars, leads, fines and strays. Some things didn't move, though: the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro — and their crossbreeds — remain banned, as they have been since 2002. If you last checked the rules a few years back, most of what you remember is out of date. What follows is what's confirmed so far; for exact fees and local details, your municipality or community council is the authority — literally, since they issue the licences.

Microchip first — it's the only ID that counts

A microchip is the only legally accepted way to identify a dog in Cyprus. Tattoos don't count. A private vet implants the chip, and the dog is entered in the Veterinary Services registry free of charge. Under the 2026 amendment, every dog over two months old must be registered — so this isn't a step you can leave for "when the puppy is older". The chip is also what links a found dog back to you, which is why it's the first thing rescuers scan when a dog turns up on our SOS map.

The annual licence

Every owner needs an annual dog-ownership licence from their local authority — municipality or community council. You'll present the vet health booklet, the Veterinary Services microchip certificate and proof of fee payment. The 2026 amendment raised annual fees and added per-litter breeding fees, but the new amounts weren't published in sources we could verify — ask your municipality for the current figure. The licence is free for certified assistance dogs and for one neutered dog owned by low-pension recipients. And skipping it is no shortcut: keeping an unlicensed dog is a criminal offence, with a first conviction carrying up to 12 months in prison and/or a fine up to €1,708.60.

Walks are regulated now — seriously

Out in public, your dog must wear a collar with a tag showing your licence number and phone number. It must be on a lead attached to that collar, and you must carry bags for its poo — skipping either is now a criminal offence. Leaving the mess behind carries an on-the-spot fine of €100. Hunting dogs are exempt from the lead rule only in designated hunting areas, and beaches remain off-limits to dogs under the Protection of the Beach Law. It sounds strict — it is — but it's also the cheapest part of the law to comply with.

Strays, losses and the end of the 15-day rule

The 2026 law abolished euthanasia of healthy strays — previously a local authority could put a stray down after 15 days. Now only dogs found dangerous to people or animals may be euthanised; healthy strays must go to a shelter instead. The catch: the five regional shelters this depends on don't exist yet. If you adopt from a temporary holding facility, the dog must be microchipped, neutered and registered in your name before it's handed over. And your own paperwork has deadlines: a vet's death certificate within 7 working days if your dog dies, a report within 2 working days if it's lost or stolen. Missing them is a criminal offence.

Four steps to a fully legal dog

Chip and register

Book a private vet to implant the microchip — the only accepted ID in Cyprus — and make sure your dog is entered in the Veterinary Services registry. The registration itself is free.

Get the licence

Take the vet health booklet and the microchip certificate to your municipality or community council, pay the fee, and renew every year. Ask them for the current amount — fees changed in 2026.

Gear up for walks

A collar with a tag showing your licence number and phone, a lead attached to it, and poo bags in your pocket. That's the whole kit — and it keeps you €100 richer.

Save the right numbers

Your municipality handles licences and strays, Veterinary Services runs the chip registry, and the police Citizen's Line 1460 takes cruelty reports. For a dog in trouble right now, withBobi's rescue line is +357 94332799.

Found a dog on the street?

The new law says healthy strays can no longer be euthanised — but someone still has to get them off the road. That's where withBobi comes in: report the animal on our live SOS map in about 30 seconds and nearby rescuers get alerted. Our guide walks you through the rest, step by step.

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