Report loss - view lost property

If you have lost something, it may take a few days before it is handed in. You can report the loss or view the lost property.

Description

Information on reporting lost property and viewing lost property:

  • If you have lost items in the city area, you can report your loss online to the lost property office. You will receive a response when the item is actually registered with us. We will check up to four months after your report whether the lost property has been handed in. If you do not hear from us, we have not been able to locate the item.
  • Please note that experience has shown that it often takes a few days before the item is actually handed in to us.
  • In the case of found items that can be personally assigned to someone (e.g. ID cards, passports, mobile phones with SIM cards), the owners are automatically informed by us in writing.
  • If it is an item that cannot be assigned to a specific person (e.g. umbrella, clothing, glasses), you can visit us in person with an appointment to view it.
  • You also need an appointment if you want to view a lost item of value (e.g. jewellery, camera, watch).
  • Keys can be viewed without an appointment on the ground floor, Implerstraße 11. To take the key with you, you must bring a duplicate key with you. Keys cannot be registered online.
  • If you have lost items in underground trains, buses or trams or at stops and platforms, please contact the lost property office of Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) at Elsenheimer Straße 61, 1st floor.
  • If you have lost items on S-Bahn trains, trains and in the station area, please contact the DB Lost Property Office Munich Central Station of Deutsche Bundesbahn in the main station ticket office.
  • To view bicycles, please follow the relevant instructions.

  • There is no online reporting for umbrellas, gloves, glasses and similar small items. To avoid confusion in the case of mass finds, please come to the lost property office in person.
  • An appointment is required for viewing.

Required documents

If you have found the lost item during the inspection, we can return it if you present the following documents:

  • Identity card or passport
  • Collection by a third party is possible with ID, written authorisation and a copy of the ID of the person granting the authorisation
  • Minors require written authorisation from a parent or legal guardian
  • Proof of ownership (e.g. duplicate key, purchase contract, certificate)
  • Reimbursement of costs

Questions & Answers

It usually takes three to five working days, sometimes even several weeks or months, for a lost property item to be handed in to the lost property office.

We regularly receive lost property from

  • 17 Munich police stations: Delivery daily (bicycles only on Thursdays)
  • municipal swimming pools (only valuables) and department stores: delivery about once a month
  • Taxis and others deliver on a case-by-case basis

The Munich lost property office records the SIM card number and forwards it to the card provider. The card provider notifies the customer of the lost property if the customer data record is still available. You must block your mobile phone card yourself.

The following information is required on collection and can be found on the original packaging or purchase receipt:

  • SIM card: Provider and number
  • Mobile phone: Make, model and IMEI device number (if the SIM card is no longer in the mobile phone or has been replaced)

Unfortunately, it is not possible to inspect found mobile phones.

Identity documents:

  • Foreign official documents (e.g. passports and driving licences) of persons not registered in Munich are sent to the embassies of the respective countries via the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne.
  • Bank cards and ID cards of non-Munich residents are sent directly to the respective financial institution or issuing authority.
  • Lost ID cards registered in Munich will be notified in writing. You should wait about four weeks before applying for a new ID card. If you have already applied for a new ID card, you must return the old one to the issuing authority immediately.
  • Spectacles: Bring the spectacle pass from your optician with you, this could make identification easier. Please also have the make, shape and material of the spectacle frame ready.
  • Keys: Please bring a comparison/second key for comparison. If ownership is in doubt, we will only hand over the key/key ring against payment of an additional deposit of 50 euros. The deposit will be refunded upon return of the key/key ring or proof of ownership.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to send digital data carriers (e.g. smartphones, laptops) abroad due to a general shipping ban on lithium-ion batteries. These are categorised as dangerous goods.

On request, we only ship lost property outside Munich and outside the Munich S-Bahn area. In addition, the costs must be reimbursed before dispatch; the standard conditions of Deutsche Post apply. Collection by a courier is possible if we have a written authorisation, our costs have been reimbursed and we do not incur any further costs as a result. Please do not send us any stamps, cash or cheques. Payment is only possible by cashless bank transfer.

If an item has been stolen, you must report it to the police immediately. Reporting the theft to the police is a mandatory prerequisite for returning a bicycle to the loser and for claiming insurance benefits. If the item turns out not to be stolen, you must withdraw the report. EC, credit and mobile phone cards should be blocked immediately.

If the finder claims it, you must pay a finder's fee.

Up to a value of 500 euros, the finder's fee is five per cent of the value. If the item is worth more than 500 euros, the finder's fee is 3 per cent.

Example calculation: Value of the item: 800 euros.

  • 5 per cent up to 500 euros = 25 euros
  • 3 per cent for the remaining 300 euros = 9 euros
  • totalling 34 euros finder's fee.

Different regulations apply to items found in business premises or means of transport belonging to public authorities and transport companies. Here, the finder receives only half of the statutory finder's fee for items worth at least 50 euros.

Lost property is usually kept for three months. Lost property subject to retention of title is kept for six months. Low-value lost property worth less than ten euros is kept for a maximum of four weeks.

Once the collection period has expired, the lost property becomes the property of the City of Munich, provided the finder has not asserted any rights. They are then auctioned off, destroyed or donated to social causes. Of course, data protection will be taken into account.

Landeshauptstadt München

Kreisverwaltungsreferat
Hauptabteilung III
Gewerbeangelegenheiten und Verbraucherschutz
Fundbüro

Internet

Postal address

Landeshauptstadt München
Kreisverwaltungsreferat
Hauptabteilung III
Gewerbeangelegenheiten und Verbraucherschutz
Fundbüro

Ruppertstraße 19
80466 München

Address

Implerstraße 11
81371 München

By appointment only.
Exception: key inspection:

Monday 7.30 a.m. - 12 noon
Tuesday 8.30 am - 12 noon and 2 pm - 6 pm
Wednesday closed
Thursday 8.30 a.m. - 3 p.m
Friday 7.30 a.m. - 12 noon

Related services

Hand in lost property

If you have found something that is worth more than ten euros, you must hand it in at a lost property office.

Pick up lost property

Have you been notified that you can collect a lost property item? Then you must make an appointment to collect it.

View and collect a lost bike

Has your bike gone missing and would you like to see if it has been handed in to the lost property office? Then you need to make an appointment to view it.

Auction of lost property

The lost property office organises public auctions of unclaimed lost property. The auctions are held in person or online.

Pick up your bike as a finder

Uncollected bicycles can be collected by the finder. You must arrange a collection date for this.