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.
This Topic helps you protect a home, a rental, an empty second home, a car, a motorbike or a bicycle in Spain. It also walks you through what to do after a burglary or a vehicle theft.
Pick the article that fits your situation
Protecting your home: doors, locks, window bars (rejas) and alarms
Where to spend your security money in a Spanish home: the front door, the lock cylinder, windows and rejas, and an alarm. For anyone renting or buying a flat or house who wants measures that actually put burglars off.
Changing the locks and securing a rented home after you move in
How to secure a rented home on day one: get your landlord's written OK, agree who pays, then fit a certified high-security cylinder. For tenants who have just collected the keys to a rental in Spain.
Keeping an empty or second home safe while you are away
How to keep an empty home or second home in Spain safe while you are away: neighbours, your community, local police checks, alarms and cameras. For owners and tenants who leave a home for days or months.
Building security: doorman (portero), entry phones and your neighbours
How to use your building's doorman, entry phone and shared keys to stay safe, how to handle neighbours and the community, and what a tenant can and cannot change. For renters and owners in Spanish apartment buildings.
Your home was burgled: police, evidence and what not to touch
What to do in the first hours after finding your home burgled in Spain: keep the scene untouched, call the police, file the denuncia, tell your insurer, secure the home and list what was taken. For anyone living in Spain.
Preventing car break-ins and theft in Spain
Explains what car crime in Spain really looks like and the cheap habits that stop most of it: smash-and-grab break-ins and keyless relay theft. For anyone who drives in Spain, including rental and foreign-plate cars.
Protecting a motorbike, bicycle or e-scooter from theft
How to choose locks, parking and marking to protect a bicycle, motorbike or e-scooter from theft in a big Spanish city, and which registration and insurance duties apply to each. For newcomers who ride or plan to ride.
Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next
For anyone whose car, motorbike or other vehicle has been stolen in Spain. It explains who to report to first, then how to deal with your insurer, the traffic authority, the circulation tax and fines, and what to do if the vehicle turns up.
About this topic
It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. You will learn the real burglary and vehicle-theft risks here, which cheap protections work, and the exact steps to take after a break-in.
Start with "Protecting your home: doors, locks, window bars (rejas) and alarms". It shows you how to check your flat or house and fix the weak points that matter most to Spanish burglars.
From there, pick what fits your situation: locks and keys in a rented home, an empty or second home, building entry systems and neighbours, car security, two-wheelers, or what to do if your home was burgled or your vehicle stolen.
Key rules
- Insurer notice: Tell your insurer about a theft or burglary within seven days of finding out, unless your policy allows longer; in practice, tell them the same day.
- Monitored alarm: A monitored alarm connected to an alarm receiving centre must be installed by an authorised security company, and you cannot connect a DIY system yourself.
- First call: If you find a break-in, do not enter if the intruder may be inside; call 112, 091 or 062 and leave the scene untouched until officers arrive.
- Alarm not required: A private home has no legal duty to have an alarm.
- Scene: Do not enter if the intruder may be inside, and do not move or clean anything until officers have seen it.
- Denuncia: For a forced entry, file in person and leave with a copy showing its reference number.
Home and vehicle security: the whole process, step by step
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Harden your doors and locks, and fit an alarm through an authorised security company if you want one (Protecting your home: doors, locks, window bars (rejas) and alarms): before anything happens
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Tell your landlord and get written consent before changing a cylinder in a rented home (Changing the locks and securing a rented home after you move in): before you change the lock
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If you add a camera, film only your own property and put up a visible video-surveillance sign; a community system needs a vote at the residents' meeting (Building security: doorman (portero), entry phones and your neighbours): before you install it
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Ask your local police whether they offer a free check of empty homes and register your dates (Keeping an empty or second home safe while you are away): before you leave
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Call 112, 091 or 062 and leave the scene untouched (Your home was burgled: police, evidence and what not to touch): as soon as you find a break-in
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Tell your home insurer about the burglary and send the police report (Your home was burgled: police, evidence and what not to touch): the same day if you can, and within seven days of finding out unless your policy allows longer
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Report a stolen vehicle and tell your vehicle insurer, sending the police report, keys and documents (Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next): promptly, usually within a few days
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Wait for the insurer's decision on the stolen vehicle; if it is not found, the insurer pays and you can deregister it at the DGT, Spain's traffic authority (Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next): often around 30 days after the report
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Ask your insurer to suspend or end the policy to stop premiums, and keep your vehicle documents: once the vehicle is declared stolen
Documents you may need
Identity and residence
- Your ID — Your home was burgled: police, evidence and what not to touch, Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next
- Passport — Preventing car break-ins and theft in Spain
The home and the lease
- Rental papers — Preventing car break-ins and theft in Spain
Payments and receipts
Other documents
- A copy of the denuncia with its reference number — Your home was burgled: police, evidence and what not to touch
- A written list of stolen and damaged items with description — Your home was burgled: police, evidence and what not to touch
- Photos of the damage — Your home was burgled: police, evidence and what not to touch
- Vehicle documents — Preventing car break-ins and theft in Spain
- The registration document — Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next
- The DGT proof of deregistration — Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next
- A document from the police that lifts the theft entry — Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next
Home and vehicle security: questions that cross several articles
Can I connect my own DIY alarm to the police?
No, you cannot connect your own DIY alarm to an alarm receiving centre, because only an authorised security company can install a monitored system. The centre checks each signal before calling the police, so false alarms are filtered out, and repeated false alarms can lead to sanctions.
Do I need my landlord's permission to change the lock cylinder in a rented flat?
The safe approach is yes: tell your landlord and get consent in writing before changing the cylinder. Give them a copy of the new key and keep the old cylinder in case your contract requires you to restore it. Read Changing the locks and securing a rented home after you move in.
Can I put a camera at my front door that films the landing?
Only if it films your own property, because a camera must not capture neighbours' doors or shared areas unless the community approves a system. A visible video-surveillance sign is required, and recordings are normally deleted within one month. Read Building security: doorman (portero), entry phones and your neighbours.
Will the police watch my home while I am away?
Possibly, because many local police forces, especially in tourist towns, offer a free home-check service, but there is no national scheme. Register your dates and contact details at the local police station or through the town hall website. See Keeping an empty or second home safe while you are away.
Which lock cylinder should I buy to stop bumping and snapping?
Choose a certified anti-bumping cylinder with anti-drill, anti-pick and anti-snap features, which costs roughly 40 to 150 euros plus fitting. It should not stick out beyond the door plate and should have a security cover plate. In a rented home, agree the change with your landlord first: read Protecting your home: doors, locks, window bars (rejas) and alarms and Changing the locks and securing a rented home after you move in.
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