Madrid’s pickpockets work the moments when your hands or your attention are busy: hauling a suitcase off Metro Line 8 from the airport, squeezing through the Rastro on a Sunday, waiting for the bells in Puerta del Sol. The Policía Nacional prints its advice for visitors in English and Spanish, and none of it is about avoiding a district. If something does go, the desk to head for is SATE, run by Madrid Destino with police officers at Calle de Leganitos, a short walk from Gran Vía, and staffed with interpreters every day.
SATE is the police office at the Centro station where Policía Nacional officers and interpreters assist foreign visitors who have been victims of a crime in Madrid.
What should you do if you get pickpocketed in Madrid? If you get pickpocketed in Madrid, call your bank to block your cards, then report the theft in person at SATE, Calle de Leganitos 19, open 8.30am to 10pm every day, or at any police station. The online police service does not list street theft and needs a signature at a station within 72 hours.
What to do in the first hour after a theft
- Call your bank and block every card. Keep the number saved somewhere other than your wallet.
- Call 112 or 091 only if it is an emergency or the thief is still in sight.
- Go to SATE or any Policía Nacional station and ask for a copy of the report.
- Contact your consulate with that report if your passport was taken.
- Check lost property in case your wallet is handed in.
Where to report it, how to get there and in which language
For a visitor who does not speak Spanish, SATE is the better door. It is, according to the Policía Nacional, a police office where tourists are looked after by officers and interpreters in their own language, and Madrid City Council adds that staff help cancel cards, trace relatives and get in touch with embassies and consulates.
SATE opens 8.30am to 10pm every day, according to Madrid City Council, and sits about 220 metres from Santo Domingo station (Line 2) and 230 metres from Plaza de España (Lines 2, 3 and 10). Both stations take a single Metro ticket, covered in Madrid Metro ticket prices.
Online reporting reads like a shortcut and rarely is one. Its help pages list lost documents and thefts from vehicles, homes and shops, not pickpocketing in the street or on public transport; any online report must be signed at the chosen station within 72 hours; and it is closed to cases involving violence or intimidation.
Where and when pickpockets work in Madrid
Treat the risk as a set of situations, not a map. Four of them appear in the tourist leaflet from the Policía Nacional: public transport (bag closed and in front, front pockets only), cash machines (someone may try to distract you), hotel check-in (keep your luggage in sight) and social media (do not post your plans).
- Arriving from Barajas. Suitcase, phone and map all in your hands is the moment to zip everything. The 24-hour Airport Express bus has a luggage area you can keep in view, and the fixed-fare airport taxi avoids a packed carriage altogether.
- Sunday at El Rastro. The flea market runs from 9am to 3pm on Sundays and public holidays. Carry one card and a little cash.
- Big nights in Sol. The New Year’s Eve countdown admits up to 15,000 people, and the Christmas lights walk runs along Gran Vía and Calle del Carmen to Sol.
- Late nights out. In the bar districts covered in Madrid nightlife areas and hours, the same rules apply as on a crowded train, and the Metro stops running at 1.30am, as explained in Madrid Metro closing time and night buses.
What is different from reporting a theft at home
- Emergency numbers. 112 is the pan-European emergency line; 091 reaches the Policía Nacional.
- An app for alerts. AlertCops, the police app, lets victims and witnesses send an alert to the Policía Nacional.
- The report is the key paper. Your consulate asks for it before issuing an emergency travel document, so ask for a copy and photograph it.
- Lost property is a city office. Items handed in by taxi drivers, EMT buses, Metro de Madrid, AENA, Renfe, Correos and the public all end up there, and it answers on 010 or at objetosperdidos@madrid.es.
| Office | Nearest Metro | Open | Go there for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SATE, Calle de Leganitos 19 | Santo Domingo (Line 2), about 220 m; Plaza de España (Lines 2, 3, 10), about 230 m | Every day, 8.30am to 10pm | Police report with an interpreter, card and consulate help |
| Lost property, Paseo del Molino 7 | Legazpi (Lines 3, 6), about 150 m | Working weekdays, 8.30am to 2pm; closed 24 and 31 December | Anything handed in after the theft |
Frequently asked questions about pickpockets in Madrid
Is Madrid safe for tourists?
The risk to plan for is pickpocketing in crowds, on packed Metro trains, at the Sunday Rastro market, around Puerta del Sol and at cash machines. The Policía Nacional’s tourist advice is to keep your bag closed and in front of you and to use your front pockets.
Where do tourists report a theft in Madrid?
At SATE, the Foreign Tourist Assistance Service at Calle de Leganitos 19, open every day from 8.30am to 10pm with Policía Nacional officers and interpreters, or at any Policía Nacional station.
Can I report a pickpocket online in Madrid?
Not reliably. The Policía Nacional’s online service lists cases such as lost documents, not street or transport theft, and every online report must be signed at a police station within 72 hours, so report a pickpocket in person.
What should I do if my passport is stolen in Madrid?
Report the theft at SATE or a police station, then take the report to your country’s consulate or embassy, which issues the travel document you need to fly home. If the passport turns up later, the recovery must be reported to the police.
A zipped bag prevents most thefts in Madrid; a call to the bank and a SATE report fix most of the rest.