The short answer
In England, Scotland and Wales, no. There is no dog licence to apply for. It was abolished in 1987.
In Northern Ireland, yes. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that still licences dogs.
But there is a separate step that applies wherever in the UK you have landed, and it catches out almost everyone arriving with a pet: your dog's microchip has to be registered on a UK database. More on that below.
England, Scotland and Wales: there is no licence
Dog licences were abolished across Great Britain by the Local Government Act 1988 and have not existed since 1987. There is no form, no fee and no renewal.
If someone tells you that you need to license your dog in England, Scotland or Wales, they are describing a rule that has not applied for nearly forty years.
Northern Ireland: a licence is a requirement
Northern Ireland kept its dog licensing system. If you and your dog are living in Northern Ireland, the licence comes from your local district council rather than from central government, and it runs for twelve months at a time.
A few things worth knowing before you apply:
You need the microchip number to apply. The application form asks for it, so the microchip registration below has to come first.
Fees are set locally. They tend to be around £12.50 for a standard licence, with a reduced rate of around £5 where the dog is neutered or the applicant qualifies for a concession. Some councils waive the fee for a first dog where the applicant is 65 or over. Check your own council's current rate rather than relying on a figure you read elsewhere.
It renews every year. Put the expiry date in your calendar when you get it.
Going without one carries a penalty. Councils can issue an £80 fixed penalty, and prosecution can reach £1,000.
The step that applies everywhere in the UK: register the microchip
This is the one that actually matters for a dog that has just arrived.
The UK requires your dog's microchip to be recorded on a UK Government-compliant database, with your UK contact details on the record. A microchip registered only on a database in the country you moved from does not meet this, even though the chip itself is fine and even though it was checked at the border.
In practice this means the record has to move, not the chip.
In England, the deadline is 30 days from the date your dog arrives. Elsewhere in the UK, register as soon as you can after you land rather than waiting.
Which database? The UK Government publishes a list of compliant databases and states that they all meet government standards. There are 24 of them, and the choice is yours. We do not recommend one over another. The list is here: Get your dog or cat microchipped
Your dog probably does not need a new microchip
This is where people spend money they do not need to spend.
If your dog's chip is a 15-digit ISO 11784/11785 chip, it does not need replacing. That is the same standard the UK already requires for entry, so if your dog cleared the border, the chip is almost certainly the right kind. What needs to change is the database record, not the hardware.
Before booking a re-chipping appointment, check the number on your dog's travel paperwork. If it is 15 digits, you are looking at a registration job, not a veterinary one.
If you are not sure, any veterinary practice can scan the chip and read the number back to you.
A licence is not a travel document
Worth separating two things that sound similar.
A Northern Ireland dog licence and a UK microchip database record are domestic obligations. They apply because your dog lives here now. Neither is checked at the border and neither replaces the entry paperwork your dog needed to arrive.
The requirements for bringing a dog into the UK in the first place are a different set of rules entirely.
What to do
Find your dog's microchip number on the travel paperwork and check whether it is 15 digits.
Choose a database from the UK Government's list and register the chip in your name, with your UK address and contact details. In England, do this within 30 days of arrival.
If you are in Northern Ireland, apply to your district council for a dog licence, using that microchip number, and diarise the renewal.
If you are in England, Scotland or Wales, there is nothing further to apply for.
Keep the database record up to date if you move or change your phone number.
Next: complete your pet's profile in the PadsPass app so the microchip number, vaccination dates and travel documents are all in one place when you need them.