Explainer: How to report a crime in Spain

If you have been the victim of a crime in Spain, whether you are a resident here or on a trip or holiday, you may be wondering what the next steps are for you. In most countries, you must report the crime before you leave the country if you want it to be investigated, and you will need to report the crime to make a claim on your travel or home insurance.

With this in mind, take a look at our explainer on how to report a crime in Spain.

Being the victim of a crime is something no one wants to think about, particularly when we are in a foreign country with another language to contend with. From property break-ins to stolen mobile phones, witnessing a crime or being a victim of one, there may well come a time when you need to report and file a police report during your time in Spain. That’s why it’s important to be aware of what steps you need to take if you do need to report a crime in Spain.

Understanding the types of crime report options available (denuncias)

A private crime report, known as a denuncia, is a statement that you make to law enforcement such as the local police. Most denuncias are filed by individuals, however, a denuncia can also be filed against companies or other legal entities.

The two types of denunica are:

• A criminal complaint or ‘denuncia penales’
• An administrative complaint or ‘denuncias administrativas’

You are most likely going to be dealing with a denuncia penales, which is for cases of non-violent or petty crime. Luckily, this is actually surprisingly simple to do, and you don’t need to be fluent in Spanish.

The sort of crimes you would file a denuncia for are, but are not limited to, the following:

• Burglary
• Theft from a vehicle
• Stolen vehicle
• Criminal damage
• Violent or non-violent crime
• Finding an item of lost property

How to file a denuncia

You should have now decided whether or not filing a denuncia is the right option for you and your circumstances. Unlike lots of other legal processes in Spain, you don’t need to consult a lawyer before filing a denuncia.

There are three ways you can file a denunica:

On the phone: You can make a police report in English by phoning the National Police helpline on 902 102 112 between 9am and 9pm, a service that was created specifically for tourists. The service provides assistance in seven languages. It’s important to note that this number is to report all crimes but not to be used as an emergency number where you need immediate attention. For these circumstances, you can call the emergency number 112 for ambulances. For police emergencies, you can use the Alert Cops app.

Online: This is probably the fastest way to file your report. However, there are a few steps you need to take following making a denuncia report online or via telephone. We have listed what you need to do next below. You can make a report online by clicking here.

In person: You can report a crime simply by going into any police station. If you don’t speak Spanish, you might need to take a translator with you. Certain crimes, such as violent or sexual crimes, have to be reported in person at a police station. Crimes that are reported in person will also take priority over those that are reported online or over the phone.

What Happens Next?

What you will need to do next all depends on how you submitted the denuncia. As mentioned above, if you choose to use the online form then you will be given a reference number and asked to select your nearest Comisaria police station and visit that station within 48 hours. It’s really important to note that if you do not visit the police station with your reference number and sign the denuncia report in person then your claim doesn’t officially exist. This is particularly important if you are travelling and have been the victim of a theft, as you will need proof of the theft before you can claim on your insurance.

This is also the case for burglaries of your property, you will need to file a denuncia and have proof before you can make an insurance claim.

If you are reporting a theft, you will need to make sure you bring all of the relevant documentation with you to the police station or Guardia Civil. This includes your identity documents and any receipts or proof of the value of the stolen item or items. You will have to prove that the items you say were stolen actually were stolen and that you are the owner. This is so that the police can rule out insurance fraud.

You will also need to thoroughly check the translation on the denuncia is correct so it’s a good idea to take a translator along with you.

If you made the denuncia in person at a police station, you won’t need to do anything else.

Once an investigation into the reported crime has been completed the details may be passed over to a public prosecutor who will decide whether to proceed with any legal case or not and, if so, in what manner.

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