Your phone or wallet was stolen: the first 24 hours

Terms used

• Denuncia — The denuncia is the police report you file after a theft. Insurers and operators usually ask for a copy.
• IMEI — The IMEI is the unique serial number of a phone, used by operators to block a stolen handset.
• Bizum — Bizum is a mobile payment service run through Spanish banks, used to send money between phone numbers.
• Pre-denuncia — The pre-denuncia is an online police report form you start on the web and then sign at a station.

Key rules

• Police report: You do not need a denuncia to suspend a SIM or block cards, but operators usually ask for one before blocking the phone's IMEI, and insurers usually require it.
• Card losses: If someone uses your card before you report it, you lose at most 50 euros, and nothing after you notify the bank.
• SIM suspension: Suspending the SIM is free and can be done by phone or in the operator's app.
• Order: Lock the phone, block SIM and IMEI, block cards, secure accounts, then file the denuncia.

Do it in this order

Work through these five steps, starting with the phone. Each one limits the damage before the next. The checklist and timeline below carry the same sequence in short form.

1. Lock the phone.
2. Block the SIM and the IMEI.
3. Block your cards.
4. Secure your accounts.
5. File the denuncia.

If you can use a friend's phone or a computer, start at once. Speed matters most for the first four steps.

1. Lock the phone

Use the phone's built-in remote lock-and-erase tool from another device. Lock it or erase it, and sign out of your accounts from there. This stops a thief reading your messages and email.

2. Block the SIM and the IMEI

Call your mobile operator. Ask them to suspend the SIM. This is free and does not need a denuncia. Suspending the line also stops the thief receiving bank codes by SMS.

Then ask the operator to block the phone's IMEI, so the handset is useless on Spanish networks. You usually need the IMEI number, which is on the phone's box or in your account with the manufacturer. Operators usually ask for a denuncia before blocking the IMEI, so you may have to come back to this once you have done step 5. The decision block below explains what to ask for and when.

Ask about a duplicate SIM too. Some operators charge a small fee, and some waive it when you show the denuncia. Check the current fee with your operator.

3. Block your cards

Call your bank or card issuer's 24-hour line. The number is on the bank's website and often on the back of the card. Most banking apps can also freeze a card instantly. Ask them to switch off mobile payments too. If your card is from a foreign bank, use its international number or app.

You do not need a denuncia to block cards. Report quickly: if someone uses your card before you report it, you lose at most 50 euros, and nothing after you notify the bank.

4. Secure your accounts

Change the passwords for your email, banking and messaging apps. Turn on two-factor authentication on a new device. Change email first, because it can reset every other account.

While you are on the bank's line, ask it to disable online banking, the app and Bizum. Each bank handles Bizum itself, so there is no separate Bizum number.

Check your account for payments you did not make. Report them to your bank right away. The bank normally refunds an unauthorised payment by the end of the next business day, unless it suspects fraud. You can claim within 13 months of the payment, but do not wait.

5. File the denuncia

You can file in person at any Policía Nacional station or Guardia Civil post. In Catalonia go to the Mossos d'Esquadra, and in the Basque Country to the Ertzaintza. For a theft without violence, the Policía Nacional has an online pre-denuncia. You must then sign it at a station within the time it gives you. Big cities have offices for foreign visitors where staff speak several languages. For an emergency, call 112 or 091.

Ask for a copy. Send it to your operator and your insurer. Tell your insurer quickly, because policies set a deadline. If your passport or residence card was taken, also tell your consulate.

When police recover nothing

The denuncia still matters. It is the paper your insurer and operator ask for. The quick answers below cover costs, copies of documents and recovery chances.

Choosing between options

What do you ask your operator for, and when?

• Suspend the line now: Do this straight away. Suspending a SIM is free, you do not need a denuncia, and it stops calls and charges on your number.

• Block the phone once you hold the denuncia: Do this when your operator asks for a copy of the denuncia before blocking the IMEI. Blocking is shared across Spanish operators and usually done within a day or so.

• Ask for the duplicate SIM after showing the denuncia: Do this if your operator charges a fee for a duplicate, because some waive it when you show the denuncia. Prepaid and contract customers are often treated differently.

Suspend the line first without any paperwork. Ask for the phone block and any fee waiver once you have a copy of the denuncia.

Fees and paperwork differ by operator and by contract or prepaid line, so check with yours.

Timeline and deadlines

The first 24 hours in order

• Lock or erase the phone with its remote tool and sign out of your accounts: in the first minutes

• Ask your mobile operator to suspend the SIM and to block the phone's IMEI: right after locking the phone

• Call your bank or card issuer's 24-hour line to block cards and switch off mobile payments: as soon as the SIM is suspended

• Change passwords for email, banking and messaging apps and turn on two-factor authentication on a new device: the same day

• File the denuncia at the police or online as a pre-denuncia: within the first 24 hours

• Tell your insurer and, if documents were taken, your consulate: within the deadline in your policy

• Check your account for payments you did not make and report them to your bank: in the days after the theft

• Claim any unauthorised payment from your bank. The bank normally refunds by the end of the next business day after you notify it: within 13 months of the debit

Documents you need

Papers to have ready

• A copy of your denuncia (police report), as issued by the police or confirmed after an online pre-denuncia. Operators usually ask for it before blocking the phone, and insurers usually require it. You do not need it to suspend a SIM or block cards.

• The IMEI number of the stolen phone (its serial number). Your operator asks for it when blocking the phone.

• A copy of your denuncia to show when you ask for a duplicate SIM.

Checklist

Do these in this order

• Lock or erase the phone with its remote lock-and-erase tool and sign out of your accounts.

• Ask your mobile operator to suspend the SIM. This is free and needs no denuncia.

• Give your operator the IMEI number and ask for the phone to be blocked.

• Ask your operator for a duplicate SIM and find out whether it charges a fee.

• File the denuncia at the police or online as a pre-denuncia, and ask for a copy.

• Send your operator and insurer a copy of the denuncia.

What to watch out for

What can go wrong

• The phone stays usable if the IMEI is not blocked: Suspending the SIM stops the line, but the handset itself can still be used or resold until the operator blocks its IMEI. Operators usually want a copy of the denuncia first, and insurers usually require it. File the denuncia the same day and send a copy to your operator with the IMEI.

• Late card reports can cost you money: Payments made before you notify the bank can fall on you, and you carry the full loss if the bank shows gross negligence. The card loss limit is set out in the first-24-hours article. Call the 24-hour line as soon as the SIM is suspended, and claim any unauthorised debit within 13 months.

• Fraud on your accounts after the theft: A thief with your phone can try to reach your email, banking and messaging apps. Change passwords, turn on two-factor authentication on a new device, and report any payment you did not make to your bank.

• A missed insurer deadline: Your insurer can refuse a claim if you report the theft after the deadline in your policy. Read your policy for the deadline and send the insurer your denuncia copy straight away.

Quick answers after a theft in Spain

Does blocking and replacing a SIM cost money?

Blocking a SIM after theft is free, and a replacement SIM is either free or costs a small fee depending on your operator and contract. Prepaid and contract customers are often treated differently. Some operators waive the fee if you show a denuncia, so ask before you pay.

Can I carry a copy of my passport or residence card instead of the original?

No, a simple photocopy is not formally equal to the original, although police often tolerate a certified copy or a photo of your passport. Residents should carry the residence card (TIE). If you cannot show documents, police can take you to a station to check your identity.

How likely is it that police will recover my stolen phone or wallet?

Recovery is low, because opportunistic thefts are rarely solved unless the thief is caught quickly. Cash is almost never recovered, but documents are sometimes handed in at stations. If something turns up, police contact you and return it after checking ownership, which is easier when the phone's IMEI (its serial number) is on your denuncia. Tell your insurer and operator, as a blocked phone may need unblocking.