Getting a bike stolen is practically a Dutch initiation ritual, and with a quarter of the country on two wheels, the thieves are busy. If the bike that vanished is a Swapfiets (the popular blue-tyred subscription bike), the upside is that the steps are well defined. Do them in the right order and you are back on a bike quickly, with the cost kept down.
First: is it actually stolen?
Before anything, rule out the most common false alarm. As bike-theft guides note, bikes parked wrongly, near a station, or left too long are often removed by the gemeente, not stolen, and end up at a fietsdepot (bike depot). Search “fietsdepot [your city]” before assuming theft. If it is genuinely gone, move on to the steps below.
Step 1: report it in the Swapfiets app
Swapfiets handles theft through the app: tap I need help, then lost bike, and follow the steps. They will help you arrange a new bike, usually quickly, and guide you on the police report.
Step 2: file the police aangifte
An aangifte (formal police report) is required, and it is straightforward. As the police explain, you can file a stolen-bike report three ways:
- Online at politie.nl (fastest), logging in with DigiD.
- By phone on 0900-8844.
- In person at a police station by appointment.
You always need the bike’s framenummer (frame number), brand, and a description, Swapfiets can give you the frame number. The report is what lets Swapfiets process the theft and may help if the bike turns up in the national stolen-bicycles register.
Step 3: know the cost
This is where the plan and the locks matter. Swapfiets’ own guide to a stolen bike and its theft-coverage terms set out two tiers:
| Your plan | Pedal bike | E-bike |
|---|---|---|
| Basic coverage (default) | missing-bike surcharge up to 60 euros | up to 220 euros |
| Full Theft Coverage | 0 euros if the conditions below are met | 0 euros |
| Full Theft Coverage costs | from 3.90 euros a month | from 9.90 euros a month |
The conditions for paying nothing are exact: the bike was double locked (ring lock and the chain through a fixed object), you still have both keys to hand in, and on an e-bike the battery was removed when you parked. Miss one and the surcharge applies even with the cover. On a bike you use daily, the maths is simple: a year of Full Theft Coverage on a pedal bike costs less than one uncovered theft, and the double-lock habit is the real insurance either way.
What the online aangifte needs, and when it is allowed
The online report at politie.nl is the fast route, and it applies to the ordinary case: no violence was used, the bike was taken outdoors, and the theft happened within the past year. A theft from inside a home or a shed, or one involving threats, has to go by phone (0900-8844) or in person. Have ready: the framenummer (Swapfiets gives it to you in the app), the brand and colour (a Swapfiets is easy: the blue front tyre), the address and the time window, and any photo. You get a confirmation with a report number (aangiftenummer); Swapfiets may ask for it, and it is what an insurer wants if you ever claim on a contents policy for your own bike. If the bike turns up, the police contact you through the details on the report, and you can check the national stolen-bike register yourself with the frame number.
The Dutch you need
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Aangifte doen | To file a police report |
| Gestolen | Stolen |
| Framenummer | Frame number |
| Slot | Lock |
| Fietsdepot | Municipal bike depot |
| Vermist | Missing |
A clear line at the station or on the phone: “Mijn fiets is gestolen, ik wil aangifte doen” (my bike was stolen, I want to file a report).
Cancelling or pausing
If you are leaving the country rather than replacing the bike, you cancel the subscription in the app, but note the one-month notice period still applies. The same calm, practical admin Dutch applies here as for other official processes like exchanging a driving licence, and the everyday transport words sit alongside what conductors announce on the trains and the cycling rules in the changing fatbike laws.
The bottom line
A stolen Swapfiets is annoying, not a disaster: check the fietsdepot first, report it in the app, file the police aangifte online with your DigiD and the frame number, and pay the modest theft fee, smaller if you locked it. Learn aangifte, gestolen, framenummer, double-lock from now on, and you will be back on a blue-tyred bike within days.
Where it connects
Before it is stolen, buy it carefully and write the frame number down: surviving Marktplaats. If it is not stolen but impounded, the conversation is different: talking to the BOA about wrong parking, and for everything else that breaks, the repair words sit with the second-hand buying guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I file a police report (aangifte) for a stolen bike?
You can file online at politie.nl using DigiD (the fastest way), by phone on 0900-8844, or in person at a station by appointment. You need the bike’s frame number (framenummer), brand, and a description. The phrase is “ik wil aangifte doen van diefstal” (I want to report a theft).
How much does a stolen Swapfiets cost me?
Swapfiets charges a replacement fee that depends on the lock: roughly 40 euros if you used the supplied lock, more if you did not, and a much higher amount if the bike was left unlocked. Optional full theft coverage lowers this. Always double-lock, because the fee difference is significant.
What is a fietsdepot?
A fietsdepot is the municipal bike depot where the gemeente takes bikes that were parked incorrectly, left near stations, or abandoned too long. Many “stolen” bikes are actually here, so before filing a theft report, search “fietsdepot” with your city name to check whether your bike was simply removed rather than taken.
How much does Swapfiets charge if my bike is stolen?
With Full Theft Coverage, nothing, provided the bike was double locked, you still have both keys and, on an e-bike, the battery was removed when you parked. Without it, the missing-bike surcharge is up to 60 euros for a pedal bike and up to 220 euros for an e-bike. Full Theft Coverage costs from 3.90 euros a month for a pedal bike and 9.90 for an e-bike.
Do I need a police report for a stolen Swapfiets?
Yes. Report it in the app first, then file an aangifte, online at politie.nl with DigiD if the bike was taken outdoors without violence within the past year, otherwise by phone on 0900-8844 or at a station. You need the frame number, which Swapfiets provides. Keep the report number: Swapfiets can ask for it, and it is how the police reach you if the bike is found.
My Swapfiets is gone but was it really stolen?
Check first. A bike parked in the wrong place near a station or on a pavement is often removed by the gemeente rather than stolen, and ends up at the municipal fietsdepot. Search the nearby racks and streets, then look up ‘fietsdepot’ plus your city. Only when it is genuinely gone do you report it in the app and to the police.
