Guide
Stolen bike and insurance: what is covered and what they ask for
This guide explains the situation in Spain.
If your bike is stolen, tell your insurer as soon as possible: Spanish law gives 7 days from when you find out, unless your policy gives more. A bike insurance policy covers theft on its own terms; home insurance, only as far as the policy says: by law, unless agreed otherwise, theft insurance does not cover items stolen outside the place described in the policy. Have the police report, the receipt or proof of purchase, the serial number and photos ready, and read your policy's cover, limits and excess.
By the destolen team · Reviewed on 27 October 2026.
Step by step
Tell the insurer within 7 days
Report the theft to your insurer as soon as you know. The Spanish Insurance Contract Act gives 7 days, unless the policy gives longer. If you report late, the insurer can claim from you the damage the delay causes it (article 16).
Report the theft to the police
File a police report and keep the copy: for a theft it is the first thing insurers usually ask for.
What to do if your bike is stolenCheck which insurance you have and what it covers
You may be covered by a bike insurance policy, your home insurance or another policy you hold. In the policy, check whether it covers theft away from home, whether it distinguishes theft with force or violence from theft without force, whether it covers the storage room or garage, whether it requires a type of lock, and what the compensation limit and the excess are.
Send the list of what was stolen within 5 days
The law also requires that, within 5 days of the notice, you send in writing the list of what was stolen and an estimate of the loss (article 38). Include the bike and any accessories taken (lock, lights, child seat, panniers) with their value.
Gather what they will ask for
Usually a copy of the police report, the receipt or proof of purchase, the serial number and photos of the bike; exactly what they ask for is in your policy. If you have no receipt or serial number, gather other evidence that the bike is yours.
No receipt or serial number: how to prove it is yoursKnow the payment deadlines
The insurer has to pay you once it finishes its checks and, in any case, within 40 days of receiving your claim it must pay at least the minimum it owes you (article 18). If it has not paid within 3 months of the theft without a justified reason, it owes late-payment interest (article 20).
If the bike turns up, tell them
If you get it back before the period set in the policy ends, you will have to keep it, unless the policy lets you abandon it to the insurer. If it turns up after that period and you have already been paid, you can keep the compensation and leave the bike to the insurer, or take it back by returning what you were paid (article 53).
Home insurance
By law, unless agreed otherwise, theft insurance does not cover items stolen outside the place described in the policy, nor thefts due to gross negligence (article 52 of the Spanish Insurance Contract Act). So check whether your home policy covers the bike away from home: if it does not say so, the legal rule is that it does not.
Also check whether it distinguishes theft with force or violence from theft without force, whether the storage room or garage count as part of the home and what limit it has for items such as a bike.
Bike insurance
It can also cover theft away from home, but each policy sets its own conditions, for example the type of lock, locking it to a fixed point, the age of the bike or how much is deducted for wear. Compare the conditions before you buy: destolen does not recommend any insurer.
If you disagree
If the insurer rejects the claim or does not pay, ask for its answer in writing and complain to its customer service department. Claims under a property insurance contract are time-barred after 2 years (article 23).
This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does my home insurance cover my bike if it is stolen in the street?
Only if your policy says so. By law, unless agreed otherwise, theft insurance does not cover items stolen outside the place described in the policy. Check the conditions or ask your insurer.
How long do I have to tell my insurer my bike was stolen?
7 days from when you find out, unless your policy gives more (article 16 of the Spanish Insurance Contract Act). Then 5 days to send the list of what was stolen in writing (article 38).
Can I claim on my insurance without a receipt?
It depends on the policy. The law puts on you the burden of proving the bike existed, but the content of the policy is a presumption in your favour when better evidence cannot reasonably be provided (article 38). Gather all the evidence you have.
Sources checked on 27 October 2026
- Insurance Contract Act 50/1980, articles 16, 18, 20, 23, 38, 52 and 53 (BOE, in Spanish)
- Policía Nacional: Virtual Complaints Office
- Generalitat de Catalunya: theft report (Mossos d'Esquadra, in Spanish)
- Spanish Ministry of the Interior (July 2026): online reports through the Guardia Civil e-office (in Spanish)
Have your bike's details ready
Register your bike for free with photos and serial number: if it is stolen, you will have everything at hand to report it and search for it. And before buying a used one, check its serial number.