If you believe that you have been a victim of a crime in Spain or believe you have witnessed a crime, you must inform it (make a “denuncia”), which is basically a formal statement made to the National Police.

You can do this at any National Police, Local Police or Civil Guard office. It is best to make this statement in person, but if your level of spoken Spanish is not fluent, then you should take someone with you to translate on your behalf. You must also carry your passport and NIE if you have.

There is the possibility to make a “complaint” by telephone if necessary, in English, and this can be done by calling 902-102-112. If you call that number you should have your NIE (or passport number) available, along with your address, for identification purposes.

It is likely that the first person who answers the phone does not speak or understand English, so, as a minimum, you should be able to request a transfer in Spanish to an English speaking operator.

The operator will then guide you through a series of questions to determine the nature of the crime and will take some basic questions to try to understand what has happened. Review the sequence of events in your mind beforehand and be as clear as you can. Once all the information has been removed, you should be given a reference number and have now made a report.

The operator will enter the details of your statement into the system and the will be sent to the nearest police station. You must confirm exactly where you are, as you will be asked to present yourself there with your documents and to quote the reference number that has been given to you, within 48 hours.

If you believe you have been the victim of a theft or a crime that will likely result in a claim with your insurance provider, you will be asked to provide a copy of this, a report of the crime, so it is always a good idea to take multiple copies from this.

Once your statement is filed, the police force in question is required to investigate to determine whether a crime has actually been committed and, if so, the nature of the crime, along with the identity of the person(s) who committed the crime. the crime and his fault. Once this investigation has been completed, the details can be passed to a prosecutor who will decide whether or not to proceed with a legal case and, if so, in what manner.

Disclaimer: The information on this page only serves as general information and we are not responsible for incorrect information, changes in regulations, etc.