If you lost something in Madrid, ring the place where it happened first, not the city. Lost at Barajas? Aena’s desks in T1 and T4 answer from 7:00 to 22:00. In a taxi, you have 48 hours to claim through the city’s TXMAD app. On the Metro, call the free 900 444 404; on a city bus, the EMT line 914 068 810 answers around the clock. After a few weeks, anything unclaimed moves to the city’s Oficina de Objetos Perdidos at Paseo del Molino 7, which keeps it for 2 years.
The Oficina de Objetos Perdidos run by Madrid City Council is the free municipal service that keeps unclaimed finds from anywhere in the city for two years. It took in 78,208 items in 2025 and returned 6,230, according to its 2026 service charter. Every office on this page is free to use.
Where is lost and found in Madrid? It depends on where you lost it. Aena keeps airport finds at T1 and T4, the Metro at Plaza de Castilla, EMT buses at Calle Cerro de la Plata 4 and taxis go through the TXMAD app. After a few weeks, everything goes to the city office at Paseo del Molino 7, next to Legazpi Metro.
Who do I call if I lost something in Madrid?
| Where you lost it | Who has it | How to reach them | How long they keep it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport terminal | Aena, T1 and T4 | +34 913 936 119 (T1-T3), +34 917 466 439 (T4) | 1 month |
| On the plane | Your airline’s baggage agent | Desk in the baggage hall | Set by the airline |
| Taxi | TXMAD app or city online form | Licence number or plate | Claim within 48 hours |
| Metro | Metro de Madrid, Plaza de Castilla | +34 900 444 404 | 48 hours at the station, then about 4 weeks |
| City bus (EMT) | EMT, Calle Cerro de la Plata 4 | +34 900 878 331, +34 914 068 810 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| AVE or long-distance train | Adif online lost-property request | Web form | 1 month |
| Cercanías local train | Renfe Cercanías Madrid | +34 915 066 969 | 15 days to 2 months |
| Street, park or shop | City lost property office | 010, or +34 914 800 010 | 2 years |
While an item sits with the operator, the city office does not have it yet, so calling Paseo del Molino on day two usually gets you nowhere.
What should I have ready before I call?
Every one of these desks searches a log, and the more precise your description, the faster they match it. Before you call, write down:
- What it is, with brand, colour and anything distinctive, such as a sticker, a case or the phone’s lock-screen photo.
- When, to the nearest half hour.
- Where: the Metro station, the bus line and, if you noticed it, the bus number; for a taxi, the licence number or plate from the receipt; for a flight, the flight number and seat.
- How to reach you in Spain or at home, including an email address.
If your Spanish is limited, email is the easier route: every office on this page lists an address or an online form.
How do I get back something lost at Madrid airport?
At Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Aena runs two found-items desks, in T1 and T4, open from 7:00 to 22:00. Call +34 913 936 119 for T1, T2 or T3 and +34 917 466 439 for T4, or email mad.objetosencontrados@aena.es. Items stay there for 1 month and then go to the city office.
Those desks only cover the airport itself: security, gates, shops, toilets and car parks. Something left on the plane is your airline’s responsibility, handled by its baggage agent, which has a desk in the baggage hall of each terminal. A suitcase that never came off the belt is delayed baggage, not lost property, and is reported at that same desk.
On the Metro platform at the airport, the station belongs to Metro de Madrid, not Aena, whatever ticket and airport supplement you paid.
What if I left something in a Madrid taxi?
Madrid taxi drivers do not keep what passengers leave behind: it goes to the city office. What you can do is file a claim through the city’s official TXMAD app or its online form, but only within 48 hours and only with the taxi’s licence number or plate, both printed inside the car and on the receipt. If there is no reply within 96 hours, the claim closes automatically.
So ask for the receipt on every ride, including the fixed airport fare. This route only exists for licensed Madrid taxis, which is one of the differences between taxis and ride-hailing apps worth knowing before you get in.
How do I find something lost on the Metro or a bus?
The Metro de Madrid holds a find at the station for 48 hours, then moves it to its customer centre at Plaza de Castilla, Paseo de la Castellana 195, for about 4 more weeks.
The centre is staffed from 7:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 22:00 at weekends and on holidays, and +34 900 444 404 is free. If you lost it on the last train, note the station and the time; when the Metro closes and which night buses run will get you home in the meantime.
On EMT city buses, including the airport express bus, finds go to the head office at Calle Cerro de la Plata 4, about 145 metres from Pacífico Metro on lines 1 and 6. The counter opens from 8:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 19:00 on Saturdays that are not holidays, and the phones answer 7 days a week. Items stay 3 to 4 weeks. A lost transport card is a separate case: the Metro sends cards to the regional transport consortium, not to the city.
What if I lost it on a train from Atocha or Chamartín?
On AVE, long-distance and regional trains, and in stations such as Puerta de Atocha and Chamartín, finds are handled by Adif through an online request: you describe the item, the date and the journey, and get an email with a collection code and the station if it matches. Collection is free with your ID. Adif switched to a new application on 5 November 2026, so an older request needs a new sign-up; the data moves over automatically.
Cercanías commuter trains are not part of that system. Call +34 915 066 969; Renfe keeps finds for between 15 days and 2 months. If you were on a Cercanías ticket by zone, the train time narrows the search.
Where is Madrid’s lost property office and when is it open?
The Oficina de Objetos Perdidos is at Paseo del Molino 7 in Arganzuela, about 110 metres from Legazpi Metro on lines 3 and 6. It opens on working days from 8:30 to 14:00 and is closed on 24 and 31 December. Phone 010, or +34 914 800 010 from outside the city, or email objetosperdidos@madrid.es; the council commits to answering email within 1 working day. You can walk in, but booking an appointment cuts the wait.
Finds are kept for 2 years. Cash is the exception: 2 months at the office and then a council account until the 2 years are up, refunded by bank transfer. Each month the council publishes a list of what came in during the previous month in its official bulletin.
Can I claim it after I have flown home?
You do not need to come back. Email objetosperdidos@madrid.es or use the council’s web form with the description, date, place and a photo or receipt if you have one. If the item is there, someone you authorise can collect it on your behalf, with a document proving the authorisation. You have 2 years from the day it reaches the office; after that, unclaimed items are reused by the council, donated, auctioned or recycled.
A lost passport is different. Report it at a National Police station, then contact your embassy or consulate, which issues the emergency travel document you need to fly. If it was stolen rather than lost, the guide to pickpockets in Madrid covers where it happens and how to report it. For getting around in the meantime, see Madrid public transport tickets.
FAQ about lost property in Madrid
Where is the lost and found office in Madrid?
The city’s Oficina de Objetos Perdidos is at Paseo del Molino 7, about 110 metres from Legazpi Metro on lines 3 and 6. It opens on working days from 8:30 to 14:00 and is closed on 24 and 31 December. The service is free, and items are kept for 2 years.
How do I find something I lost at Madrid airport?
Call Aena’s found-items office: +34 913 936 119 for T1, T2 and T3, or +34 917 466 439 for T4, or email mad.objetosencontrados@aena.es. Both desks open from 7:00 to 22:00 and hold items for 1 month. Anything left on board the plane belongs to your airline instead.
I left my phone in a Madrid taxi. What do I do?
Claim it within 48 hours through the city’s official TXMAD app or the council’s online form, quoting the taxi’s licence number or plate, which are on your receipt. Without those details, or after 48 hours, ask the city lost property office instead.
Can I get my lost item back after leaving Spain?
Yes. Email objetosperdidos@madrid.es with a description, the date and the place. If it turns up, a person you authorise can collect it for you. You have 2 years from the day it reaches the city office, so there is no need to change your flight.
Call the operator on day one and the city office after the first month.