Your vehicle was stolen: reporting it and what happens next

Terms used

• Denuncia — The denuncia is the official police report of the theft, which the police give you a copy of.
• DGT — The DGT is Spain's traffic authority, which keeps the vehicle register and handles registrations and deregistrations.
• IVTM — The IVTM is the yearly circulation tax on vehicles, paid to your city council.
• Baja temporal por sustracción — The baja temporal por sustracción is a temporary withdrawal of a stolen vehicle from circulation, requested from the DGT.

Key rules

• Police report: File the denuncia as soon as possible, because the insurer, the DGT and the tax office all need it.
• Insurance: Only comprehensive or specific theft cover pays for a stolen vehicle, not third-party insurance.
• Stolen status: A vehicle marked as stolen cannot be sold or transferred until it is recovered and the DGT lifts the status.
• Premiums: Ask your insurer to suspend or end the policy, or the premiums keep running.

Report the theft first

Report the theft as soon as you can. Go in person to the Policía Nacional or the Guardia Civil. In regions with their own police, such as Catalonia (Mossos d'Esquadra) or the Basque Country (Ertzaintza), you can report to them. If it is urgent, call 112, 091 or 062 first, then file the report in person.

Take your ID or passport and the vehicle's registration papers. Be ready to say what was taken, and when and where. The police give you a copy of the report (denuncia). Keep it safe. Your insurer, the DGT and the tax office will all ask for it.

Once filed, the report goes into the national police database and is shared with all forces and Interpol. That lets the vehicle be traced and stopped at checks.

Tell your insurer

Contact your insurer within a few days of the theft. Send them the police report, the keys, the documents and the registration papers.

Only comprehensive cover or specific theft cover pays for a stolen vehicle. Third-party insurance does not.

The insurer usually waits a period, often around 30 days, to see whether the vehicle is found. Only then does it pay out the vehicle's value. If the vehicle is not found, the insurer pays and takes over ownership of it. You can then deregister the vehicle permanently with the DGT.

Third-party cover keeps running unless it is cancelled. Ask the insurer to suspend or end the policy so you stop paying premiums.

What the DGT does

The police pass the report to the DGT. The DGT marks the vehicle as stolen in its vehicle register. While the mark is there, the vehicle cannot be sold, transferred, or have its documents renewed or changed.

You can ask the DGT for a temporary withdrawal from circulation (baja temporal por sustracción). This stops the vehicle being used in checks.

Keep your registration papers. The plates stay linked to the vehicle in the DGT register. You normally do not hand them in unless the DGT asks for that when you deregister.

Fines after the theft

Contest any fine or traffic offence dated after the theft. Use the police report to show the vehicle was stolen.

Get back part of the circulation tax

The IVTM is the yearly circulation tax. Once the vehicle is withdrawn from circulation because of theft, the tax is worked out by quarters. You can ask for a refund of the quarters you no longer owe.

Apply to your city council's tax office. Take the police report and the DGT proof of deregistration. Forms and procedures differ by council, so ask your tax office what it needs.

If the vehicle is found

The police will tell you. Go to them with your ID and documents to recover the vehicle. Ask for a document that lifts the theft entry.

Then do these things:

• Tell your insurer at once. If it has already paid out, the vehicle may now belong to the insurer. If not, the insurer deals with any damage under your policy.
• Ask the DGT to lift the stolen status or the temporary withdrawal.
• Tell the council tax office if you got an IVTM refund.
• Check the vehicle for damage and missing items, and photograph everything.
• Pay any towing or pound fees that apply.

The timeline, documents list and checklist below set out these steps in order.

Timeline and deadlines

• Tell your insurer and send the police report, keys, documents and registration papers: promptly after the report, usually within a few days

• If the car is not found, the insurer pays and takes over ownership; you can then deregister the vehicle permanently at the DGT: after the waiting period ends

Documents you need

• Your ID or passport, needed to file the police report.

• The registration document (permiso de circulación) and the technical data sheet (ficha técnica), needed to file the police report.

• A copy of the police report (denuncia), issued by the police when you report the theft. The insurer, the DGT and the tax office will all ask for it.

• The DGT proof of deregistration, needed for the circulation tax refund together with the police report.

• A document from the police that lifts the theft entry, needed if the vehicle is recovered.

Checklist

• Report the theft as soon as possible to the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil, or to the regional police where they have competence.

• Give the police the details of the vehicle and when and where it was taken.

• Keep a copy of the police report.

• Contest any fine issued after the theft, using the police report.

• Apply to your city council's tax office for an IVTM refund, with the police report and the DGT proof of deregistration.

• If the vehicle is found, go to the police with your ID and documents and ask for a document that lifts the theft entry.

• Photograph any damage or missing items on the recovered vehicle.

Frequently asked questions

Does third-party insurance pay if my car is stolen?

No, third-party insurance does not pay for theft, because only comprehensive or specific theft cover does. Your compulsory third-party cover keeps running unless you cancel it.

Do I have to hand in my plates after a theft?

No, plates are not usually handed in unless the DGT asks for them when you deregister the vehicle. They stay linked to the vehicle in the DGT registry, so keep your documents and registration papers.

Can I get back part of the circulation tax on a stolen car?

Yes, you can ask for a refund of the IVTM, the circulation tax, for the remaining quarters once the vehicle is deregistered at the DGT because of the theft.

What happens to fines issued after my car was stolen?

You should contest any fine for an offence committed after the theft.