Certifications and tax incentives for equestrian facilities

Effective date

Current version in force since 1 January 2025

Scope

Everyone who keeps animals in the Netherlands — hobbyist and commercial, including stables, riding schools, competition venues, and breeding operations.

What you need to do

• General duty of care: prevent unnecessary harm and provide sufficient good food, a safe environment, health care, and room for natural behavior
• Prevent you or your staff from causing pain, injury, or harm to an animal without reasonable purpose
• This Act is the parent legislation under which the Animal Keepers Decree sets detailed housing rules (see below)

Penalties

Administrative fines via the NVWA; serious cases go to the Public Prosecution Service. Since 2024 the NVWA can temporarily close a facility; only a court can impose an animal-keeping ban (up to 10 years).

Effective date

Current version since 1 January 2026 (in force since 2014)

Scope

All keepers of horses, ponies, and donkeys in the Netherlands — commercial or hobby.

What you need to do

• Provide a safe, clean, dry lying/resting area, including in paddocks
• Lighting guideline: at least 80 lux for a minimum of 8 hours a day, with the ability to darken the space
• Box-size guideline: (2 × wither height)² — e.g. roughly 10 m² for a 1.65 m horse; permanent tethering is not allowed
• Note: existing stalls must meet the box-size guideline by 1 January 2027 at the latest

Penalties

NVWA intervention policy: warning, order subject to penalty, administrative fine, removal of animals into care, or temporary closure.

Effective date

Since 21 April 2021

Scope

All keepers of equines — including riding schools, boarding stables, and studs; also anyone who stables or transports a horse without owning it.

What you need to do

• Every horse must have a passport and microchip and be registered in RVO's I&R system
• The location holder (stable/riding-school owner) registers the location and keeps track of which horses are present (UBN requirement)
• Horses staying 30 days or longer: report this (and any change) within 7 days in the I&R system
• Stays of 24 hours to 30 days: only the keeper's own written/digital record is required (kept for 3 years)

Penalties

Administrative fine, typically €1,500 per violation; since 2023 the NVWA can also issue a formal criminal report.

EUR-Lex — Regulation 2016/429 RVO — Equine I&R

Effective date

UBN requirement since 21 April 2021; annual fee since 1 March 2025

Scope

Anyone who keeps horses at a location — commercial or hobby.

What you need to do

• Apply for a UBN via mijn.rvo.nl before keeping horses at a location
• Pay the annual fee per UBN — full rate €23.02 from 2026, regardless of the number of horses

Expected date

Confirmed, effective 1 July 2026

Scope

Passport-issuing organizations and, indirectly, all horse keepers who need a passport issued (e.g. for new foals).

What you need to do

• Only KNHS, KWPN, NSPS, NRPS, and NWPCS may issue standard passports from 1 July 2026 onward
• Check which body issues/registers the passport for new horses or foals arriving at your premises

Effective date

Since 1 January 2024 (municipalities finalize their local plans by 2032)

Scope

All owners building or modifying stables, riding arenas, fencing, or other structures — hobbyist or commercial.

What you need to do

• Check the applicable local zoning plan (omgevingsplan) via ruimtelijkeplannen.nl or your municipality
• Apply for a building permit — even an outdoor riding arena legally counts as a structure
• Meet the technical requirements of the BBL: fire safety, escape routes, ventilation

Penalties

Building without a permit can lead to a corrective order or forced demolition/cessation by the municipality.

Effective date

In force; practice has evolved significantly since the 2019 PAS ruling

Scope

Any facility whose activities deposit nitrogen on a Natura 2000 area — depending on location, number of horses, and distance.

What you need to do

• Use an AERIUS calculation to determine whether your business deposits nitrogen on a Natura 2000 area
• Apply for a nature permit if deposition exceeds 0.00 mol/ha/year, unless offsetting is possible
• Note: many Dutch equestrian facilities currently lack a required nature permit

Penalties

Operating without a required nature permit is an offense; enforcement can include a corrective order or fine.

Effective date

National rules since 1 January 2024 under the Environmental Activities Decree

Scope

Commercial equestrian facilities (assessed case-by-case by the municipality).

What you need to do

• Fewer than 50 horses: file a notification with the municipality
• 50–99 horses: have the environmental impact assessed; a limited permit may be required
• 100 or more horses: a full environmental permit is always required

Effective date

Applicable to horses since 2006

Scope

Commercial facilities from roughly 3 hectares of land or 350 kg nitrogen/year (about 6 horses); hobby keepers are exempt.

What you need to do

• Register as an agricultural business if not already registered
• Have manure removed off-site weighed and sampled, with a transport document (VDM)
• Maintain sufficient storage capacity for the September–February period

Penalties

Fines under RVO's Fertilizers Act penalty policy, scaled to the violation.

Effective date

Since 1 January 2024 (replaced the 2012 Building Decree)

Scope

Permanent stable buildings and other structures at equestrian facilities.

What you need to do

• Ensure fire compartmentation, escape routes, detection, and accessibility for emergency services
• Note: mandatory electrical/fire-safety inspections for stables have been announced (date not yet set)

Effective date

Since 1 January 2018

Scope

Outdoor competition sites, shows, and temporary event structures (tents, grandstands).

What you need to do

• File a use notification with the municipality at least 4 weeks in advance if more than 150 people will be present at once, or more than 10 people stay overnight
• Ensure a responsible person is present or on call during the event

Penalties

Use without a required notification can lead to a corrective order or the municipality halting the activity.

Effective date

In force; EU revision not yet adopted (mid-2026)

Scope

Anyone transporting horses in connection with an economic activity — commercial transporters, stables, and venues arranging transport.

What you need to do

• Avoid transport likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering
• Meet vehicle, space, and journey-planning requirements for longer/commercial transports

Expected date

Confirmed, effective 1 April 2027

Scope

Everyone transporting horses, including competition and sport horses — no exemption.

What you need to do

• From 1 April 2027, transport above 30°C is only permitted with specially cooled/ventilated transport
• Plan summer transport to competitions accordingly

Expected date

Not yet adopted (as of mid-2026); no confirmed effective date

Scope

EU-wide, including Dutch competition and transport-heavy facilities, once adopted.

What you need to do

• Monitor progress via the European Parliament; no action needed until the regulation is adopted
• Proposed: max. 21-hour journeys for most competition horses, no daytime transport above 30°C

Expected date

Takes effect 1 June 2026

Scope

Private individuals and stable/competition-venue owners arranging transport to events.

What you need to do

• Transport within a 50 km radius in your own vehicle with your own horse: only the general duty of care applies
• Your own horse to a competition, training, or hack: not "economic activity," so the regulation does not fully apply
• Assess whether your transport activity is nonetheless commercial (e.g. sale, lease, business use)

Effective date

Unchanged; amendment rejected by the Tweede Kamer

Scope

Competition venues and stables selling horses as a professional seller to private buyers.

What you need to do

• Be aware that a defect appearing within 1 year of sale is presumed to have existed at the time of sale (reversed burden of proof), unless you can prove otherwise

Effective date

Since 28 January 2022

Scope

Veterinarians, veterinary clinics, and equine health centers prescribing, supplying, or administering veterinary medicines.

What you need to do

• Keep a detailed register of every purchase and supply of prescription-only medicines
• Keep prescriptions and administration records for at least 5 years
• Perform an annual stock reconciliation
• Exclude a horse from human consumption if a non-authorized medicine is administered

Penalties

Documented cases: warning up to a €5,000 fine for importing without a permit; serious cases can lead to criminal prosecution.

Effective date

Clarified October 2025, based on existing Animals Act definitions

Scope

Equine health centers, veterinarians, dental technicians, physiotherapists, farriers, and the owners who engage them.

What you need to do

• Verify staff are registered in the Veterinary Register before they perform veterinary acts
• Non-registered professionals may only perform limited tasks (e.g. filing teeth), not acts on living tissue or injections