Personal safety and crime
Helps you reduce everyday crime risk and respond when it happens.
Keep everyday risk in proportion and respond to crime: realistic risk by place, police forces, reporting, theft, scams and fraud, home and vehicle security, nightlife safety and dealings with police.
- topics
- 8
- articles
- 70
- of reading
- 7.1 hours
Begin with
Police and reporting a crime
You will know which police to approach, how to file a report properly, what you get from it and what realistically follows.
Who is who among Spain's police forces · Which police to contact for a theft, break-in or other problem · How to report a crime (denuncia) at a police station
More in personal safety and crime
7 more topics in this section, about 7.1 hours of reading in all.
Realistic risk by place
You will know which crimes actually matter in Spain, how risk differs by place and household type, and how to check a particular street or town yourself.
How safe is Spain really for people who live there? · What changes in safety advice once Spain is home · How to check how safe a town or neighbourhood really is
Theft and stolen documents
You will know how theft happens in Spain, how to protect yourself, and exactly what to do and in what order if your phone, wallet or documents are stolen.
How pickpockets work in Spain and the habits that stop them · Staying safe with luggage and documents in your first week · Protecting your phone from theft before it happens
Online, phone and payment fraud
You will recognise Spain's common digital scams, protect your accounts and identity, and know exactly what to do and how likely recovery is if you were caught.
Spotting fake bank, Correos, DGT and tax-office messages · Phone calls from a fake bank agent or fake police officer · The 'Mum, my phone broke' WhatsApp scam
Scams aimed at newcomers
You will recognise the scams that most often catch new arrivals in Spain and know how to verify before paying.
The scams new residents in Spain actually meet · Fake rental listings and deposit scams in Spain · Fake gestors, paid appointments and lookalike government websites
Home and vehicle security
You will know the real burglary and vehicle-theft risks in Spain, cheap effective protections, and the exact steps after a break-in.
Protecting your home: doors, locks, window bars (rejas) and alarms · Changing the locks and securing a rented home after you move in · Keeping an empty or second home safe while you are away
Nightlife safety and harassment
You will know how nights out work in Spain, the specific risks (spiking, harassment, crowds), and practical ways to reduce them and respond.
Staying safe on a night out in Spain · Drink and needle spiking (sumisión química): prevention and response · Street harassment and groping: what counts and how to report
Police stops and public-order fines
You will know what to carry and expect at a police stop, which behaviour is fined, and how to respond to a fine or a stop that goes wrong.
Police identity checks: what you must carry and what to expect · Your rights if police stop, search or detain you · What gets you a public-order fine under the Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana
Other sections in Safety, rights, and support
Discrimination, minorities, and accessibility
Helps you protect access and respond to discrimination or accessibility barriers.
Legal help and dispute resolution
Helps you get legal help and choose the right dispute route.
Crisis planning and support
Helps you have a crisis plan and know where to get help.
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.