FEI Vaccination Module Mandatory in 2026: What Sport Horse Buyers and Sellers Need to Check

Since January 1, 2026, the FEI Vaccination Module in the FEI HorseApp has been mandatory for every horse competing in international FEI events. Five months later, we see the same pattern in the sport horse trade: the passport is correct, the veterinarian has administered the vaccinations properly, but the digital registration in the FEI HorseApp is half (or completely) empty. For those looking to buy or sell a sport horse, this is no longer a minor detail — it determines whether the horse will even be allowed to participate in an international competition next month.

This article is not legal advice, but a practical checklist based on current FEI, KNHS, and Belgian publications (KNHS Nieuws, EquNews, Horses.nl), with concrete steps for both buyers and sellers of sport horses.

What exactly is the FEI Vaccination Module?

The FEI Vaccination Module is part of the FEI HorseApp: the digital dossier app used by the FEI to track horse identification, ownership, and health registration. The module records when a horse has been vaccinated against equine influenza, with which vaccine, which batch number, and by which veterinarian.

Until the end of 2025, the paper FEI passport — with the stickers and signature of the veterinarian — was paramount. Since January 1, 2026, this is no longer sufficient for FEI competitions. Without complete digital registration in the module, the horse will simply not pass the veterinary inspection at the competition.

Short summary: The FEI passport remains, but the digital module is paramount for competition access from 2026.

What really changed on January 1, 2026?

The following three things are now different from before 2026:

• The module is mandatory instead of optional. 2025 was the enrollment year; until December 31, 2025, correctly completed paper vaccination history was still acceptable. From 2026, the module will be strictly enforced.
• Order of entry is fixed. The owner (or groom/trainer/rider) must first enter the existing vaccination history. Only then can the veterinarian add a new vaccination to the module.
• Veterinarians must log in to the app themselves. The vaccinating veterinarian records the date, vaccine name, batch number, and their own identity on the same day. Veterinarians without existing FEI registration must create a "vaccination-veterinarian" account and await email confirmation before they can add data.

In practice, this means that a vaccination only truly counts if both the owner and the veterinarian have completed their part — and timing is crucial. A vaccination entered days later will be a red flag at the veterinary inspection.

For Sport Horse Buyers: How to Check FEI Registration Before Purchase

If you are buying a sport horse that needs to compete in FEI events (eventually), the FEI HorseApp is just as important as the vetting report. Go through this checklist before the purchase contract is signed.

1. Request Access to the FEI Horse Profile

Ask the seller to show you the horse's FEI Horse Profile — preferably live in their own FEI HorseApp, not via a screenshot. Pay attention to:

• Does the FEI ID match the FEI passport number?
• Is the microchip number correctly listed in the profile and is it the same number as in the studbook passport?
• Is the current owner/PR (Person Responsible) in the profile the same person you are negotiating with?

If any of these three do not match, resolve it first — not after the purchase.

2. Check Vaccination History for Completeness

Open the vaccination module and check:

• Is a primary series of influenza vaccinations visible (first, second, and third primary vaccinations within the FEI schedule)?
• Has a booster been registered at least every 6 months thereafter? (The FEI requires semi-annual boosters, not annual ones like KNHS-only horses).
• Is a batch number and veterinarian filled in for each entry? Empty batch fields or "unknown vet" make the entry practically worthless.
• Is the last booster less than 6 months old on the planned first competition date after purchase?

3. Demand that Missing History be Completed Before Delivery

If history is missing or there is a veterinarian in the previous owner's mind without an FEI account, stipulate in the purchase contract that:

• the seller completes the history in the FEI HorseApp before delivery;
• the seller has the veterinarian confirm that the existing entries have been entered via a valid FEI or "vaccination-veterinarian" account;
• if this is not possible, a price adjustment or a resolutive condition applies.

4. Plan the Ownership Transfer in the App

On the day of delivery, the ownership transfer (and the change of the Person Responsible) must be initiated in the FEI administration. Do not postpone this — without an ownership transfer, you, as the new owner, cannot have vaccinations added under your own account.

For Sport Horse Sellers: Ensure Your Papers and Your App Are in Order

A complete FEI HorseApp registration has become a selling point in 2026. For sellers, this means the following.

Make Your FEI Horse Profile "Sales-Ready"

• Check that the vaccination history for at least 5 years back is neatly entered, not just the last booster.
• Ensure all entries include a batch number and vaccine name — no vague "vaccination 2024" without details.
• Ensure the last booster is fresh enough: less than 6 months old. A horse with an expired FEI vaccination period is a valid price reduction argument for the buyer.

Show That the Horse Is "Competition-Ready"

In your advertisement and in correspondence with serious buyers, it helps to explicitly state:

• "FEI Horse Profile complete, last booster [date]"
• "Vaccination module fully completed by [veterinarian's name, FEI-registered]"
• "Ownership transfer within 5 working days after purchase in the FEI HorseApp"

This may seem minor, but these are precisely the words that will encourage foreign buyers — especially from countries where paper administration was traditionally less stringent — to commit.

Prevent the Horse from Getting "Stuck" Between Two Owners

The biggest pitfall during a sale is the old owner disappearing from the app before the new owner is added. In that gap, no one can add vaccinations. Therefore, work with your veterinarian and (if applicable) federation official to plan the ownership transfer and the next booster in the same week.

Step-by-Step: Adding Missing History Retroactively

Are you encountering an incomplete profile — for example, because the horse was vaccinated in 2024 or 2025, but it was never entered in the app? This is the sequence that works in practice:

1. Gather the original paper vaccination registration (passport and/or veterinarian's letter) with date, vaccine name, and batch number.
2. Ask the owner (or yourself, if you are already PR) to first enter that history into the FEI HorseApp. Without that entry, the veterinarian cannot add anything.
3. Ask the original vaccinating veterinarian to confirm the entries in their FEI account. If they don't have one, they create a "vaccination-veterinarian" account via the FEI HorseApp and await email confirmation.
4. Keep a screenshot of the complete FEI profile in your own records — useful for any discrepancies at the veterinary inspection and for resale.

Tip: Do this cleanup calmly at the stable rather than in the week before an international competition. The FEI HorseApp helpdesk sometimes needs several working days to activate veterinarian accounts.

Non-FEI Sport Horses: Does This Apply to Me Too?

Short version: no, not directly. If your horse only competes in KNHS competitions in the Netherlands and does not have an FEI passport, you are bound by the KNHS vaccination rules (annual booster, plus scaled up per discipline). The FEI Vaccination Module is then technically not your problem.

However, two points of attention:

• Many young sport horses only get an FEI passport later. Those who administer everything properly now prevent the first international competition in two years from being blocked by a gap in the history.
• When selling to an international buyer, a complete FEI vaccination history is valuable, even if you never rode the horse at FEI level yourself. A German, Italian, or French buyer looks at the FEI HorseApp today, not just the Dutch passport.

Moreover, the KNHS website warns that KNHS rules may move closer to the FEI system in the future. Those who already work digitally now will not have to start over later.

Common Mistakes in Practice

In the first months of 2026, veterinarians and traders repeatedly see the same mistakes:

• The owner thinks a good FEI passport is enough. That was true in 2025, but no longer.
• The veterinarian waits several days to enter. An entry from "yesterday" is acceptable; an entry from last week raises questions at the veterinary inspection.
• There is a vaccinating veterinarian in the paper administration who does not have an FEI or vaccination-vet account. The entry then technically does not appear in the app, no matter how carefully the vaccination itself was performed.
• Ownership transfer and booster do not fall in the same week. The horse changes owners, the new owner is not yet PR, and in that gap falls the booster they actually just wanted to have administered.

Each of these errors no longer concerns breeding or studbooks — but administrative discipline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the FEI Vaccination Module also apply to ponies and foals?

Yes, for every horse or pony with an FEI passport that starts in FEI competitions. For foals and young horses without an FEI passport, it only becomes relevant when you apply for that passport — usually when the horse comes into international contention.

My horse only has a KNHS passport. Do I need to take action now?

Not directly. KNHS vaccination rules (annual booster, primary series framework) remain paramount for national competitions. However, it is wise to digitally store batch numbers and dates, so you can easily switch later if the horse goes international — or if you sell it to a foreign buyer.

Can I buy a sport horse with an incomplete FEI profile?

Yes, but on your terms. Make the completion of the FEI HorseApp a resolutive condition in the purchase contract and agree on a deadline. If the seller fails to get the history in order in time, you can dissolve the purchase or enforce a price adjustment.

What if my previous veterinarian does not want to create an FEI account?

Ask if a colleague veterinarian from the same practice can enter the entries based on the paper dossier, or involve a veterinarian with an active FEI account. Some equine clinics already have a standard procedure for this — feel free to ask explicitly.

Does this change the pre-purchase examination?

The pre-purchase examination itself (clinical, X-rays, airway endoscopy) does not change. However, in 2026, it is standard for the veterinarian or buyer to confirm that the FEI HorseApp vaccination history is complete — essentially an administrative check alongside the medical report. We previously covered the pre-purchase examination itself in detail in how to read the vetting report.

Conclusion

The FEI Vaccination Module is not a new vaccine or an extra jab — it is a new administrative layer on top of what veterinarians and owners already did. But precisely because it is "just administration," it is most often overlooked in the sport horse trade. For buyers, in 2026, it is an extra checkpoint before signing; for sellers, it is a selling point that costs no euro and builds trust with international buyers.

Those who get their FEI profiles in order now (May 2026) — complete vaccination history, veterinarian FEI-linked, ownership up-to-date — will have no problems in the summer season.

Ready to take the next step? View current FEI-eligible sport horses on SportHorses.nl or list your own sport horse for sale and show in your advertisement that the FEI profile is correct.