Lost & Found in Amsterdam
The Netherlands handles lost property online more than almost anywhere else. Schiphol runs its own lost and found.
Lost and found in Amsterdam: GVB, NS, the municipality and Schiphol
The Netherlands handles lost property online more than almost anywhere else. Items found on Amsterdam's GVB trams, buses, metro and ferries are registered and published on an online found-items portal within a day, the national rail operator NS and most other transport companies do the same, and municipalities share found items through a national database. Schiphol runs its own lost and found. This page explains how the Amsterdam system works and how a free DokiFinder report adds a search that also reaches individuals and venues.
Where to look first
Contact the venue: the hotel, the cafe, the museum, the club, the bike rental, the taxi company. Note the time and your route. Lock a lost phone remotely, block the cards from a lost wallet and note the number of a lost document. Then post a DokiFinder report so the search continues while you check the portals below.
GVB: trams, buses, metro and ferries
Found items on GVB vehicles are collected overnight, registered at the lost property desk the next morning and published on the operator's online found-items portal by the early afternoon of the following day. You search the portal, describe the item in enough detail to prove it is yours, and once ownership is confirmed you either book a time to collect it or have it shipped at your cost. Note the line, the direction, the stop and the time in your report.
NS trains, Schiphol and the national database
Items left on NS trains and in stations are handled by the rail operator's own lost property service, which also publishes finds online and ships items for a fee. Schiphol Airport runs a lost and found for items left in the terminals, at security and in the lounges; items left on board stay with the airline, and a missing checked bag is a baggage claim with the airline. Items handed in at Amsterdam police stations are forwarded to the municipality's found-items bureau, and Dutch municipalities share their finds through the national verloren of gevonden database, where you can search by place and category.
The police and your documents
Report a lost or stolen passport, ID card or driving licence to the police and to the issuing authority or your embassy; a replacement requires the report. Dutch law obliges a finder to report a find to the municipality or the police, and the municipality keeps unclaimed items for a period that depends on their value before they pass to the finder or the city.
How DokiFinder helps in Amsterdam
A lost report on DokiFinder is compared against found reports from individuals in Amsterdam and from organizations that run their lost property desks on the platform. Matching uses the category, the place and distance, the dates, the description, the colour and the photos, and you are notified when a likely match appears. You prove ownership, agree the handover in a secure chat and confirm it with a one-time code; any reward is held securely until then. Reporting is free and available in Dutch, English and eleven other languages.
Found something in Amsterdam?
Hand it in to staff on the service or at the venue, or report it to the municipality, or post a found report on DokiFinder with the place and time and keep the identifying details private. Review the proof a claimant sends, hand the item over in a public place or use the shipping option, and confirm with the code to receive any reward the owner has offered.
Frequently asked questions
I left something on a GVB tram or metro. Where is it?
On GVB's online found-items portal, usually by the afternoon of the day after it was found. Search the portal, prove ownership by describing the item, and collect it or have it shipped.
I left something on an NS train. Who has it?
NS's own lost property service, which publishes finds online and can ship items to you for a fee. Report the train, the time and a description.
Is there a national lost and found database in the Netherlands?
Yes. Municipalities share found items through the verloren of gevonden database, which you can search by place and category. Items handed in at police stations are forwarded to the municipality.
I lost something at Schiphol. Who has it?
Items left in the terminals, at security or in lounges go to Schiphol's lost and found. Items left on the aircraft stay with the airline. A missing checked bag is a baggage claim with the airline.
How do I report a lost item in Amsterdam on DokiFinder?
Post a free lost report with a photo or description, the place in Amsterdam where you last had it and the date. It is compared against found reports from individuals and organizations, and you are notified when a likely match appears.
Is there a reward for returning an item in Amsterdam?
Owners on DokiFinder can offer a reward, which is held securely and released to the finder once both sides confirm the handover. Dutch law also obliges finders to report finds and protects the honest finder.
About DokiFinder
DokiFinder is a lost-and-found recovery network for people and organizations. Owners report lost items for free; honest finders report what they found. AI-assisted matching compares the two, the owner's reward is held securely, finders are identity-verified, and the reward is released only after both sides confirm the handover. Available on the web in 13 languages. Reporting is free.