Lost property offices, and when to say lost rather than stolen

Terms used

• Denuncia — The denuncia is a formal report of a crime or loss that you file with the police.
• Denuncia de extravío — The denuncia de extravío is a report to the police that you lost a document or item.
• Denuncia falsa — The denuncia falsa is the crime of reporting to the authorities a crime that did not happen, or accusing someone falsely.
• Simulación de delito — The simulación de delito is the crime of inventing a crime to mislead the police.
• IMEI — The IMEI is the unique serial number of your phone, used to block it.

Key rules

• Lost items: Contact the lost-property office or operator where you lost the item, and try the online claim first.
• Theft report: Only file a theft denuncia if the item was really stolen.
• Insurance: Insurers usually cover theft only, not plain loss, so check your policy before claiming.
• Storage time: Every office sets its own storage period, so claim quickly.

Lost items go to lost-property offices, not the police

If you simply lost something, contact the lost-property office of the place where you lost it. Do not file a theft report to make things easier. A false report can bring criminal penalties, and the warning below covers the details.

Where to look in Madrid

• The city's own lost-property office, the Oficina de Objetos Perdidos, on Calle Albarracín.
• The bus company EMT, which runs its own service.
• Metro de Madrid, which has an office at its Cuatro Caminos headquarters and an online form.
• Renfe, through station offices and an online form.
• Madrid-Barajas airport, which has its own lost-property service run by the airport operator.

Where to look in Barcelona

• The city's office, called Troballes, on Carrer Ciutat de Granada.
• TMB, which handles items found on the Metro and buses.
• Rodalies and Renfe, through their stations.
• Barcelona airport, which has its own lost-property office.

Most operators accept an online claim, so start there. Other cities have their own municipal offices, so search for your town hall's lost-property service. Addresses and contact details change, so check them with each operator before you travel.

How long items are kept

Each service sets its own storage period, from a few weeks to a few months. After that, items are disposed of, donated or auctioned. Documents are normally sent to the police. Act quickly, and use the timeline below for the order of steps.

If someone hands an item to a town hall, the find is published. If the owner does not claim it within two years, the finder or the owner of the object can get it.

When you do need the police

• Lost: you usually do not need a police report. A lost-document report, called a denuncia de extravío, is often accepted, and an online form may be enough.
• Stolen: you need a denuncia at the police station.

Banks and mobile operators block cards or SIMs whether the item was lost or stolen. A mobile operator may ask for the denuncia before it issues a replacement SIM or blocks the phone by its IMEI number.

Insurance is stricter. Insurers usually cover only theft with violence or forced entry, and they ask for a denuncia. A plain loss is often excluded. Read your policy to see what counts as theft or loss.

Why you must not call a loss a theft

Reporting a theft that did not happen is a crime. Accusing a named person of a serious crime is denuncia falsa, with 6 months to 2 years in prison plus a fine. Inventing a crime to mislead the police is simulación de delito, with a fine or 6 months to 1 year in prison. Claiming insurance money for a theft that did not happen can also be fraud. If you are not sure whether something was lost or stolen, tell the police exactly what you know and nothing more.

Timeline and deadlines

• Contact the operator where you lost the item (Metro, Renfe, bus, airport) or the city's lost-property office, and use its online claim form if it has one: as soon as you notice the loss

• Collect or claim the item before the office's storage period ends: within the storage period, which runs from a few weeks to a few months depending on the office

• Expect unclaimed items to be disposed of, donated or auctioned, and found documents to go to the police: after the storage period ends

• Know that a found item handed to the town hall is published, and if the owner does not claim it, the finder or the owner of the object can get it: if no one claims it within 2 years

Storage periods differ by office, so check the exact time limit with the office or operator that holds your item.

What to watch out for

• Reporting a loss as a theft: A false report of a crime is a criminal offence called denuncia falsa. If you accuse a specific person of a serious crime, the penalty is 6 months to 2 years in prison plus a fine. Lesser crimes carry lower penalties. If you do not know whether the item was lost or stolen, say so. Report it as a loss and describe only what you know.

• Inventing a theft to mislead the police: Making up a crime to mislead the police is a separate offence called simulación de delito. It carries a fine or 6 months to 1 year in prison. Tell the police exactly what happened, even if a loss is less convenient than a theft.

• Claiming insurance for a theft that did not happen: Insurers usually cover theft but often exclude plain loss. A false theft claim to get insurance money can be charged as fraud (estafa), including insurance fraud. Do not call a loss a theft to get paid. Check your policy for what it counts as theft and as loss, and ask the insurer before you file.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I look for an item I lost in Madrid or Barcelona?

In Madrid, start with the city's Oficina de Objetos Perdidos, then ask the operator where you lost it: EMT buses, Metro de Madrid, Renfe or the airport's lost-property service. In Barcelona, the city's Troballes office covers the street, while TMB handles Metro and bus finds.

How long will a found item be kept before it is disposed of?

Each office sets its own storage period, from a few weeks to a few months, so claim as soon as you can.

Do I need a police report if I only lost something?

No, a loss usually does not need a police report, but a lost-document report (denuncia de extravío) is often accepted when you need to replace papers. For a lost document, an online form may be enough. A theft needs a report at the police station.