Before you report a theft, check whether the city took your bike, because in Amsterdam that is the likelier explanation than you expect.
The municipality removes bikes that are obstructing, abandoned, or parked where they may not be, and they go to the Fietsdepot rather than to a scrapyard.
Step One: Check The Fietsdepot
Search verlorenofgevonden.nl, the national lost-and-found register, which is where removed bicycles are listed.
The Fietsdepot is at Bornhout 8, 1046 BE Amsterdam, in the Westelijk Havengebied, and the phone number is 020 334 4522.
It opens Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:30 and Saturday from 09:00 to 12:30, and after 11:00 on a Saturday the wait can reach an hour.
Collecting your own bike costs €26, and having it delivered costs €46.
If it was removed from a municipal bike parking rather than the street, the charge is €35.
Bring valid photo ID, the keys to the bike, and a debit or credit card, because you pay at the counter when you collect.
Move fast: a bike judged neglected is kept for two weeks, and one that was simply unused or badly parked is kept for four, after which it is reused or donated.
Bikes written off as wrecks never reach the depot at all - they go straight to the recycling point.
Step Two: Report The Theft
If it is not at the depot, report it at politie.nl, which takes bicycle theft online.
Residents log in with DigiD; without DigiD you report in person at a police station.
The frame number is the thing that matters and it is the thing nobody has.
It is stamped into the metal, usually under the bottom bracket where the pedal cranks meet, sometimes on the rear dropout or the head tube.
Also have the make, model, colour, the date and street where you last locked it, and the lock keys.
The report is what makes the bike findable if it turns up in a police check, and it is also what any insurer or subscription provider will ask for first.
Step Three: Look For It Yourself
Run the frame number through stopheling.nl, the national stolen-goods register, which also tells you whether a second-hand bike you are about to buy is stolen.
Watch Marktplaats and Facebook Marketplace for the make and colour in the days after the theft, because stolen bikes are usually sold locally and quickly.
If you find your bike for sale, do not arrange to meet the seller - give the listing and your report number to the police.
Buying it back from a street seller is both an offence and the reason the trade exists.
If It Was A Swapfiets
Report the theft to the police first, then to Swapfiets with the report number, because they will not process it without one.
A subscription covers a stolen bike up to an excess you pay yourself, and the amount depends on your plan, so check what yours says before you assume it is free.
The same applies to a bike hired from a rental shop: rental companies are billed by the depot per bike, and they pass that on.
Making The Next One Harder To Steal
Two locks, of two different types, on two different parts of the bike, and at least one of them attached to something fixed.
The frame lock that comes fitted to most Dutch bikes only stops the wheel turning, so on its own it means the bike gets carried away.
Photograph the whole bike and the frame number now, while you still have it, and keep both somewhere you can find them from your phone.
The municipality runs free bicycle engraving, which stamps the frame with a traceable code and makes resale harder.
Use a guarded fietsenstalling overnight where there is one, particularly around Centraal, Leidseplein and the Wallen.
An expensive bike locked on a busy street in the centre overnight will eventually go, whatever the lock.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report a stolen bike, and what do I need?
Online at politie.nl with DigiD, or in person at a police station without it.
Have the frame number, make, model, colour, and the date and place it was last locked.
Where do I find the frame number?
Stamped into the metal under the bottom bracket between the pedal cranks, or on the rear dropout or head tube.
Photograph it now rather than looking for it after the bike has gone.
How do I know if the city removed my bike?
Search verlorenofgevonden.nl, or call the Fietsdepot on 020 334 4522.
Removed bikes are held for two to four weeks depending on why they were taken.
What does it cost to get it back?
€26 to collect it yourself from Bornhout 8, €46 to have it delivered, and €35 if it was removed from a municipal bike parking.
You pay by card at the depot when you collect.
How do I check whether a second-hand bike is stolen?
Enter its frame number at stopheling.nl before you hand over any money.
A seller who will not let you see the frame number is telling you the answer.
What happens if my Swapfiets is stolen?
File a police report, then send Swapfiets the report number.
You pay an excess set by your subscription level, not the full replacement cost.
Is it worth insuring a bike here?
It is worth it for an electric bike or anything above a few hundred euros, and rarely worth it for a second-hand city bike.
Every policy will require the police report and most require the original lock keys.
