You have pulled the door shut and your keys are on the other
side of it. It is a horrible five seconds, and it feels much worse when you are doing it in a country whose emergency
numbers, tenancy rules and going rates you are still learning.
Take a breath. This is an ordinary, fixable problem, and it usually ends within the hour. Here is exactly what to
do, what it should cost, and how to make sure the person who turns up is honest.
In a genuine emergency, skip ahead. If you need someone on the way right now, use the emergency request or call 085 4000 911. The rest of this page is here for when you have a minute to read it.
First, Two Minutes of Calm Checks
A surprising number of lockouts solve themselves in the first few minutes. Before you call anyone, run through
this list.
- Try the other doors. Back doors, balcony doors and garden doors are forgotten far more often than
front doors. - Check whether it is actually locked. Dutch front doors often latch shut without being locked. If
the handle moves but the door does not open, it may just be stiff rather than locked. - Ask the people closest to you. A housemate, a neighbour who waters your plants, a partner at
work. In a shared building somebody may also be able to let you into the communal hallway, which is warmer than the
street. - If you rent, phone your landlord or letting agency. Plenty of them hold a spare key, and a few
have their own arrangement for exactly this.
Please do not climb. Every year people are hurt getting in through a window, and a broken window or forced door costs more than a locksmith does. Wait in a warm place and let somebody do it properly.
Who to Call
If the checks above have not worked, you need a locksmith. Three things worth knowing before you dial.
- If someone is in danger inside, a small child, a pet in distress, or a pan left on the hob, call
112. That is the Dutch emergency number and this is what it is for. - If you rent, try the landlord or the agency first. It costs one phone call and it is sometimes
free. - Otherwise, call a locksmith directly. Ask for the full total before they set off, in euros. Any
locksmith worth using can give you that on the phone.
Our own line is 085 4000 911, answered in English, and our engineers are usually with
you within thirty minutes. Our locations are dispatch bases for engineers on the road rather than shops, so there is
nothing for you to travel to.
What It Should Cost
This is where people get caught, so here is our own pricing in full. It stacks up from one base, which means you can
work out the total before anyone arrives.
| What | Step | Total and what it means |
|---|---|---|
| Start rate | €75 | Call-out, travel and VAT. Never a job on its own: it is the base that every daytime and evening total below builds on. |
| Opening your door | +€75 | €150 total, daytime. The start rate plus the opening itself. |
| New cylinder SKG★★ | +€75 | €150 total, daytime. Cylinder and fitting are inside that step. |
| New cylinder SKG★★★ | +€125 | €200 total, daytime. Cylinder and fitting are inside that step. |
| Evening or night | +€75 | One-off, added on top of the daytime total. Opening your door becomes €225 total. |
| Weekend, daytime | +€0 | No surcharge. A Saturday during the day costs the same as a Tuesday during the day. |
| Extra half hour | +€75 | Only if the job runs longer than the half hour already included, always agreed with you first. Added to the daytime or evening total. |
The whole list is on our prices page, and if you want to
understand why this model is the honest one, we broke it down in how much does a locksmith cost.
How to Spot a Scammer on the Phone
Lockouts are a scammer’s favourite moment, because you are stressed, outdoors and in a hurry. The pattern is always
the same: a headline price low enough to stop you shopping around, followed by an invoice several times larger once
the door is open.
- They will not give you a total on the phone, only a starting figure.
- No company name, no VAT number, no address on the paperwork.
- Cash only, or pressure to pay before you have seen an invoice.
- They reach for a drill immediately, then charge you for a new cylinder you did not need.
If it has already happened to you, we wrote up what to do next in scammed by a locksmith?
What Happens When the Locksmith Arrives
- They check you live there. Expect to be asked for ID or some proof of address. A locksmith who
does not ask is a locksmith who would open your neighbour’s door too. - They open without damage first. Most doors can be opened with technique rather than force, and
that is always the first attempt. - Drilling is a last resort. If the lock genuinely has to be drilled, you should hear that, and hear
the price for the replacement cylinder, before anything is touched. - You get an itemised invoice. Digital, listing the work and any parts fitted with their
certification. Keep it: it is what an insurer or a landlord will ask for.
If You Have Lost Your Keys, Not Just Locked Yourself Out
Different problem, and it needs one extra step. Being let back in does not make you safe again if the keys are
gone: somebody may be able to work out your address from them.
Have the cylinder replaced the same day. There are two reasons. The obvious one is that whoever has
your keys can open your front door. The second catches people out: if a burglary later happens with no signs of forced
entry and you cannot hand over every key, your insurer can decline the claim. More on that in
does home insurance cover a locksmith?
One thing we are always straight about: we do not cut keys. If you are safely indoors and just want a spare cut, a local shoemaker or key service will do it faster and cheaper than we could. If your lock is a certificate lock such as M&C or Nuki, original new keys can be reordered through the manufacturer: call or WhatsApp us with the certificate to hand and we place the order, then deliver or post them. The manufacturer sets the terms, so we cannot promise a price or a delivery time in advance.
Renting? One More Thing
If this happened in a rented home, it is worth knowing who pays for what and whether you are allowed to change the
cylinder yourself. Short answer: usually you are, as long as you keep it reversible. The full version is in
renting in the Netherlands: your locks, your keys and who pays, and if you are in a student room or a
shared house, student housing: locks, keys and your landlord covers the bits that are different.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if I am locked out?
Take two minutes before you call anyone. Check the back door and any ground-floor windows, ask a housemate or neighbour whether they hold a spare, and check whether the door is actually locked rather than jammed. Do not climb in through a window and do not force the door: injuries and damage cost far more than a locksmith.
Who do I call when I am locked out in the Netherlands?
A locksmith. If you rent, it is worth phoning your landlord or letting agency first, because they may hold a spare key or have their own arrangement. If someone is in danger inside, for example a child or a pot left on the hob, call 112 instead.
How much does it cost to be let back in?
It stacks up in two steps: the 75 euro start rate, plus 75 euro for the opening itself, so a 150 euro total during the day. In the evening or at night one further 75 euro is added on top, so 225 euro total. A weekend during the day adds nothing.
Will the locksmith damage my door?
Almost never. A good locksmith opens without damage wherever possible, and most doors can be opened that way. Drilling is a last resort, and it should be explained to you and priced before anything is touched.
What if I have lost my keys rather than locked myself out?
Have the cylinder replaced the same day. Somebody may be able to trace your address from the keys, and if a burglary later happens without damage and you cannot hand over every key, an insurer can refuse the claim.
Get Someone on the Way
English-speaking, fixed total quoted before we set off, usually with you within thirty minutes.
📞 Call 085 4000 911💬 WhatsApp us🚨 Emergency request
New to the Netherlands? Start at our locksmith service for expats,
where the same promise is set out in full.
