Locked out? Key & lock experts near you.
Locked out, lost keys or a broken lock? Key Experts connects English-speaking residents with certified local locksmiths — one call, day or night.
- Certified local locksmiths in 204 cities
- English-speaking hotline, around the clock
- Damage-free door opening where possible
Locked out and not sure what to do? Start here.
Our plain-English guides walk you through the first minutes of a lockout or a broken lock in Germany — what to check, what a locksmith may ask, and how to avoid paying for unnecessary damage.
Back inside in three steps
Call us
Reach our English-speaking hotline on 0151 61134271, 24 hours a day. Tell us where you are and what’s happened.
We connect you
We match your postal code with a certified locksmith who covers your city and can come out to you.
The locksmith comes
They open the door or fix the lock, explain the work and the cost on a written order form, and get you back inside.
Every lock and key problem, covered
From a three-in-the-morning lockout to a planned security upgrade, Key Experts connects you with the right specialist.
Lockouts & door opening
Locked out of your flat, house or office — opened, in most everyday cases without any damage.
Key cutting & replacement
Lost or snapped keys cut fresh on site; car and transponder keys arranged with the right specialist.
Lock changes & rekeying
New flat, lost keys or an ex with a spare? Get the cylinder changed or rekeyed so old keys stop working.
Burglary repair & upgrades
After a break-in the door is secured fast, then upgraded to certified, DIN-rated locks and cylinders.
Car & vehicle keys
Keys locked in the car or a jammed vehicle lock — help to get back in and replace lost car keys.
Safes & special locks
Jammed safes, uPVC multipoint doors and high-security cylinders, handled by an experienced pro.
Find a locksmith in your city
Certified local locksmiths in 204 cities across all 16 federal states. Pick your city, or call the hotline and we’ll connect you.
North Rhine-Westphalia 78
Baden-Württemberg 29
Bavaria 22
Lower Saxony 19
Hesse 12
Rhineland-Palatinate 11
Saxony 6
Schleswig-Holstein 6
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 5
Brandenburg 4
Berlin 1
Hamburg 1
Saarland 1
The stress-free way to find a locksmith as a foreigner
Standing outside your own front door in a country whose language you’re still learning is a horrible feeling — especially when websites are in German and every number rings out to a Mailbox. Key Experts exists to remove that barrier.
We’re a referral service: you speak to us in English, we understand the problem, and we pass it to a certified locksmith who serves your area. You’re never left decoding a German answering machine while you’re stuck on the doorstep. Because we work across 204 cities, there’s almost always someone near you — and because the hotline runs 24/7, the middle of the night is no different from the middle of the afternoon.
✓ Do
- ✓ Check every door and window before assuming you’re locked out
- ✓ Have ID ready — a locksmith must confirm you live there
- ✓ Ask for the price on a written order form before work starts
- ✓ Keep a spare key with a trusted neighbour or friend
✗ Don't
- ✗ Force the door or break a window — it costs far more to repair
- ✗ Yank a key that has snapped or jammed in the lock
- ✗ Give keys, codes or entry to anyone you can’t verify
- ✗ Drill your own lock — it’s a last resort for professionals
Plain-English locksmith guides for life in Germany
What “locksmith near me” really means when you’re new to Germany
The moment you realise you’re locked out is the moment you don’t want to be searching “locksmith near me” in a second language. Up come pages of German websites, unfamiliar company names, and phone numbers that ring out to a Mailbox you can’t understand — while you’re standing in the corridor in your socks.
Key Experts was built for exactly that moment. We’re an English-speaking referral service that connects residents all over Germany with certified local locksmiths and key specialists, so you can explain the problem in your own words and get someone on the way.
Why residents call us
- EN English-speaking hotline, no German needed
- 24/7 Real help day and night
- 204 Cities across all 16 federal states
- ✓ Certified local locksmith partners
The German door that locks behind you
If there’s one thing every newcomer learns the hard way, it’s the German apartment door — many have a self-locking latch (a Schnappschloss) that locks the instant it closes, keys still on the kitchen table.
Self-locking doors
Step out to the bins, the door clicks shut, and you’re locked out with no key. It’s the single most common call we get — and usually a quick, damage-free opening for a locksmith.
Lost or snapped keys
Lost your only key, or snapped one in the lock? A locksmith can extract it, cut a replacement, or change the cylinder so old keys no longer work.
Add the paperwork culture — written order forms, questions about who you are and whether you rent — and it’s easy to feel unsure about what’s normal. Our hotline talks you through it in English before anyone arrives.
Do things in the right order
The first few minutes matter. This is the sequence our guides walk you through, in plain English, so you don’t make an expensive mistake in a panic.
Try all doors and windows first — and see if a neighbour, caretaker (Hausmeister) or landlord holds a spare key.
A broken door or window costs far more than the opening. Resist yanking a stuck key or shouldering the door.
Ring our English-speaking hotline; the locksmith confirms the cost on a written order form before starting.
Local locksmiths, an English-speaking front door
Being “near you” is more than a slogan. A locksmith who works in your area knows the local building stock — the older apartment blocks with original cylinders, the modern flats with multipoint uPVC doors, the district’s common lock types. That local knowledge means a faster, cleaner job. Because Key Experts works with partners across all sixteen federal states and 204 cities, there’s almost always someone close by, whether you’re in a big city or a smaller town.
And because our line is staffed around the clock, three in the morning is treated no differently from three in the afternoon — which matters, because lockouts rarely happen at a convenient time.
Honest about cost
We never quote a fixed price online, because an honest figure depends on the job, the time and the type of lock — the locksmith explains the cost on a written order form before any work begins. What we promise is a calm, English-speaking point of contact, a certified professional matched to your postcode, and clear guidance every step of the way.
Common questions
I’m locked out right now — what should I do?
Stay calm and check every door and window first, in case one is open. Then call our English-speaking hotline: we connect you with a certified local locksmith who can open the door, usually without damage. Keep your ID handy, as a locksmith will ask you to prove you live there.
Do you speak English?
Yes — our customer hotline is English-speaking and available 24/7. You do not need any German to explain that you are locked out, that a key has snapped, or that a lock needs changing. This is why expats, students and travellers across Germany use us.
Can the door be opened without damaging it?
In most everyday lockouts — especially the classic German apartment door that has slammed shut behind you — a skilled locksmith can open it using non-destructive techniques. Drilling is a last resort, used mainly on high-security or damaged locks.
Can you cut or replace a lost key?
Yes. Depending on the key, a locksmith can cut a replacement on site or change the cylinder so old keys no longer work. For car keys and transponder keys, tell the hotline the make and model so we send the right specialist.
What will it cost?
The price depends on the job, the time of day and the type of lock, so we never quote a fixed figure online. The locksmith assesses the situation on site and explains the cost before starting, on a written order form.
Who actually carries out the work?
Key Experts operates this website and refers your request to SecuPart GmbH and its certified regional partners, who carry out the work. You always receive the partner details on the order form handed to you on site.