Licensing requirements

Licensing my cat or dog 

Under the Animals and Birds (Licensing and Control of Cats and Dogs) Rules 2024, all cats and dogs must be licensed. This is for traceability in the event of an outbreak in disease, such as rabies. In such instances, the licensee is expected to produce the pet for examination, if required. 

You can apply for a new cat/dog licence online via the Pet Animal Licensing System (PALS) at pals.avs.gov.sg. Please note the information in the following pages before submitting your application. 

Licensing of Specified dogs

Planning to own a German Shepherd or Rottweiler? Such potentially dangerous dog breeds are listed under the First Schedule of the Animals and Birds (Licensing and Control of Cats and Dogs) Rules 2024 ("Specified Dogs"). These are breeds reported to be more aggressive, and additional measures such as muzzling, have been put in place to minimise chances of an attack.  

Specified dogs are subject to additional licensing conditions. For more information on licensing a Specified dog breed, please refer to this page. 

All dog breeds listed in Part 1 of the list of Specified dogs (except for those which have already been licensed) are currently not allowed into Singapore, be it for sale, temporary visit, or permanent stay. 

Licensing requirements 

Licensees are required to comply with the following requirements: 

• Renew your cat/dog’s licence before it expires via PALS at pals.avs.gov.sg. 

• Inform AVS of any change of licensee by initiating the transfer via PALS at pals.avs.gov.sg.

• Inform AVS if the address where the licensed cat/dog is kept has changed by updating the address via PALS at pals.avs.gov.sg.

• Inform AVS if the licensed cat/dog is missing, permanently exported, or has passed away by cancelling the cat/dog licence via PALS at pals.avs.gov.sg.

• Ensure that all other licensing conditions [PDF, 158KB] are met.

The owner also has to take steps to: 

• ensure that the cat or dog is kept in a safe environment that minimises the risk of death or serious injury to the cat or dog; 

• prevent the cat or dog from being in any place which exposes the dog to the risk of falling from height e.g. meshing of windows; and 

• ensure the cat or dog is properly confined. Cats must be kept under physical control in a public space while dogs must be leashed and properly supervised and controlled. 

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are allowed by HDB or your estate management to keep the cat/dog in the premises registered in your licence application. The cat/dog licence is not an approval to keep the cat/dog at the stated premises. 

The licensee may be liable for an offence in the event of any breach of the rules or licensing conditions.