I only lost the record book, the passport is fine: do I need to redo anything?

Usually no. If the EU passport is intact and up to date, it documents the official vaccinations, rabies included. The ordinary record book is handy for day to day management but has no cross border value. You can ask the clinic to reprint it from the history at your next visit, with no rush. What matters is not to let the information live in a single place: make a digital copy of the passport anyway.

Is the microchip alone enough to travel, without the passport?

No. The microchip identifies the animal but does not certify the vaccinations or the health conditions required to travel abroad. To cross borders you need the completed EU passport, with valid rabies cover recorded by an authorised vet. The microchip is the foundation the document rests on, not a substitute. If the passport is lost and you must travel, the duplicate is essential and should be requested early.

Can I request the duplicate in a region other than where I live?

Generally you approach the veterinary service responsible for where you live with the animal, but the registries are linked nationally and microchip data can be looked up anywhere. If you are staying elsewhere or away from home, call the local veterinary service and explain: they will tell you whether they can proceed or how to direct you. Always bring the clinic history, which keeps the process manageable wherever you are.

How much time should I allow before a departure?

It depends on the document and on the rabies status. If the vaccine is valid and documentable, a passport duplicate is often a matter of days, the time for an appointment. If the rabies cover cannot be documented it has to be repeated, and then a waiting period applies before you can travel that cannot be shortened. The practical rule is to act the moment you notice the loss, not the moment the trip date approaches.

Documents and paperwork40 minLevel: IntermediateUpdated on August 20, 2026

Lost pet passport or record book: how to get a duplicate

Lost the EU pet passport or the health record book? Who issues the duplicate, which details to recover first, typical times and costs, and how to cope before a trip.

Audience: Pet owners, Breeders
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: Valid everywhere, Italy, European Union

What you need before you start

Il numero di microchip dell'animale, che trovi sulla medaglietta, in un vecchio referto o interrogando l'anagrafe regionale
Un documento di identità del proprietario e il codice fiscale, indispensabili per l'intestazione del nuovo documento
Foto o scansioni di qualunque pagina del vecchio libretto conservata negli anni, anche parziale
Il nome della clinica o dell'ASL che ha eseguito le ultime vaccinazioni, per recuperare lo storico

The document is not the animal. It sounds obvious, yet when the EU passport or the health record book goes missing it feels like something irreplaceable is gone, often the day before you travel. The real identifier is the microchip, which nobody can lose, and almost everything written on those pages exists elsewhere too: in the clinic's software, in the regional registry, in the sticker photos you took. A duplicate does not rebuild the history from nothing, it moves it onto a fresh official document. This guide explains who issues what, which details to gather before you turn up at the counter, and how to act when a departure is close and time is short.

Work out which document you lost and who issues it

The first step is to tell the two documents apart, because they follow different routes and sometimes only one of them actually matters. The EU passport is an official booklet with a unique number, issued by the public veterinary services and completed by an authorised vet: it is what you need to cross borders. The ordinary health record book is a practical log of vaccinations and treatments, usually handed out by the clinic, with no cross border value but very useful in daily life.

Who issues the duplicate and what each document is for. Local arrangements can vary between one veterinary office and another.
Document	Who issues it	What it is for	Need an official duplicate?
EU passport	The public veterinary service, through an authorised vet	Travelling across borders with your animal	Yes, if you have a trip in Europe planned
Health record book	The veterinary clinic that looks after the animal	Keeping vaccines, treatments and check ups tidy in everyday life	Not always, often a reprint from the history is enough
Registry enrolment certificate	The public registry office or its regional portal	Proving microchip registration and ownership	Yes, you request an updated extract

Gather the data before you reach the counter

Turning up empty handed stretches the process and sometimes bounces the request back. Before you ask for the duplicate, spend half an hour reassembling the information the new document will have to carry, so whoever fills it in is not chasing it on your behalf. The good news is that nearly all of it is already written down somewhere.

The microchip number and its implant date, available from the registry or an old report.
The vaccination history, which the clinic keeps in its software and can print or email.
The vaccine stickers, if you photographed the pages of the old book: they carry product, batch and date.
The date and number of the rabies vaccination, the critical detail if the duplicate is for travel.
The correct owner details, with up to date name, address and tax code.

The procedure step by step

With the data in hand, the request is nearly always a matter of one appointment and a few days of waiting. This is the typical route, allowing for differences between individual veterinary services.

Verify the animal's identity in the registry
Have the microchip read and check that the registered details (name, your contact, ownership) are correct and current. If anything is off, fix it first: the duplicate will inherit those details.
Collect the history from the clinic
Ask for an extract of vaccinations and treatments, ideally signed or on letterhead. It is the basis the vet uses to fill in the pages of the new document.
Book the appointment with the issuing service
For the passport you go to the public veterinary service; for the record book the clinic is enough. Ask at booking which documents to bring, so you do not make the trip twice.
Bring photo identification and your tax code
The new passport is issued in the owner's name, so you must prove who you are. Bring proof of the link to the animal too, such as an old report or the registry certificate.
Have the microchip number and vaccine history transcribed
The vet copies over the transponder and records the documented vaccines. Check in person that the rabies entry carries the exact date and product before you leave.
Keep the receipt and make a digital copy at once
As soon as the duplicate is in your hands, photograph it page by page and save it to an archive that follows you. It is the simplest way to avoid the same situation in two years.

Times, costs and what to do if you leave soon

Timing depends more on the veterinary service's diary than on the paperwork itself, which is quick. A record book reprinted by the clinic can be ready the same day; a passport goes through the public service and needs an appointment, so a few days or more in busy periods. Costs vary by region: budget for the document plus any consultation.

If the trip is within a few days, call the veterinary service straight away and explain the urgency: dedicated slots sometimes exist.
Check the rabies status first, because it is the one element that, if lapsed or undocumentable, forces a waiting period you cannot shorten.
If you cannot make it in time, consider postponing or leaving the animal with someone you trust rather than travelling without a valid document.
Always carry the digital copy of the history: at borders it helps clear up any discrepancy.

Stopping it happening again

A duplicate costs time and sometimes a postponed trip. The biggest cost, though, is not the document: it is being left with no proof of a vaccine given years earlier. The defence is redundancy, the same information held in several independent places, so losing one does not block everything.

Photograph every new written page of the document right after the visit, before you even leave the room.
Keep a digital copy in a synced archive and one export saved off the phone, for example with your household papers.
Note the microchip number in several places: in your contacts, on the tag and in the animal's diary.
Store the paper original in one fixed spot and only take it out when it is really needed, not on every walk.
Before each trip, calmly confirm the physical document is where you think it is, with a few days to spare.

Frequently asked questions

I only lost the record book, the passport is fine: do I need to redo anything?: Usually no. If the EU passport is intact and up to date, it documents the official vaccinations, rabies included. The ordinary record book is handy for day to day management but has no cross border value. You can ask the clinic to reprint it from the history at your next visit, with no rush. What matters is not to let the information live in a single place: make a digital copy of the passport anyway.
Is the microchip alone enough to travel, without the passport?: No. The microchip identifies the animal but does not certify the vaccinations or the health conditions required to travel abroad. To cross borders you need the completed EU passport, with valid rabies cover recorded by an authorised vet. The microchip is the foundation the document rests on, not a substitute. If the passport is lost and you must travel, the duplicate is essential and should be requested early.
Can I request the duplicate in a region other than where I live?: Generally you approach the veterinary service responsible for where you live with the animal, but the registries are linked nationally and microchip data can be looked up anywhere. If you are staying elsewhere or away from home, call the local veterinary service and explain: they will tell you whether they can proceed or how to direct you. Always bring the clinic history, which keeps the process manageable wherever you are.
How much time should I allow before a departure?: It depends on the document and on the rabies status. If the vaccine is valid and documentable, a passport duplicate is often a matter of days, the time for an appointment. If the rabies cover cannot be documented it has to be repeated, and then a waiting period applies before you can travel that cannot be shortened. The practical rule is to act the moment you notice the loss, not the moment the trip date approaches.

What to do next

Tell the passport and the record book apart at once, because they go through different offices. Rebuild the microchip number and vaccine history before you turn up, checking rabies status first. Then request the duplicate from the right service, verify in person what gets transcribed, and make a digital copy so the next loss no longer stalls you.