Car key replacement in Tenerife
Pick your situation
Which car key service do you need?
Four most common calls I get. Click into the one that matches your situation — or text me if none of them quite fits.
Planned
Spare / extra key
from €60 transponder
from €120 remote head / flip
from €200 smart key
You still have a working key and you want a backup before something goes wrong. Cheapest insurance you can buy on your car.
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Today's problem
Lost all keys (AKL)
from €200 transponder / remote-head
from €200 smart key
You've lost every key — spare included. I make a brand-new one from scratch at your car. No tow. Ownership verification required.
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Diagnose first
Fob programming
from €60 BYO fob
from €60 I supply
Existing fob stopped working, or you bought a replacement online and need it programmed. Try the 5-minute battery test before you book.
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Right now
Car lockout
from €56
Keys locked in the car, locked out at a parking lot, key stuck in the ignition. Call directly — fastest path. ID required on arrival.
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Just need a key cut or copied? See car key cutting (from €40). Dead remote? Most are a fob battery you can swap yourself for €3.11.
All four car key services, side by side
Same insurance. The same ownership check before I cut a key on every job.
| Service | Starting price | Best for | Time on-site | Dedicated page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spare / extra key | from €60 transponder from €200 smart key |
You have ≥ 1 working key, want a backup | 30–40 min | Spare keys → |
| Lost all keys (AKL) | from €200 | No working keys at all, ownership verifiable | 1–3 hr | Lost all keys → |
| Fob programming | from €60 BYO or supplied | Fob issue, BYO online fob, or supply + program | 10–15 min | Fob programming → |
| Car lockout | from €56 | Locked out — keys in car, lost, or ignition stuck | 5–10 min | Car lockout → |
No tow needed for any of these — I come to wherever the car is (why there’s no tow, explained). Prices shown are starting floors; the full breakdown including taxes, distance fees, and customer-supplied-parts policy is on the pricing page.
Why people call me
Why mobile beats a dealer trip — every time.
Same work. Better setup. Lower price.
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✓
Real Tenerife locksmith — not a call centre
You text me directly. I quote you directly. I show up. No dispatcher routing your job to whoever's available.
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✓
No tow, no week-long parts wait
Dealer route on a lost-keys job typically means tow + parts order + 3–10 day wait. I do the same work at your car, same day.
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✓
Pay after the work, not before
Key's cut, fob's programmed, the door opens — you see it work, then you pay me right there. Bizum, card, or cash. If it doesn't work, you don't pay.
Key takeaways
Car key replacement in Tenerife, explained.
- ✓Spare / basic transponder key — from €60
- ✓Remote head / flip key — from €120
- ✓Proximity smart key — from €200
- ✓Every key lost — from €200 · keys locked inside — from €56
- ✓Written quote by text first — pay after it works, at your car with no tow
Key styles, what I need to quote you & where I come to you — the full explainer
"Car key replacement" is really an umbrella for a few different jobs, and which one you need comes down to the type of key your vehicle uses and how many working copies you have left. There are more styles than most people expect:
- Transponder key
- A cut metal blade with a chip hidden in the head.
- Remote head key
- That same headed key with the lock, unlock, and panic buttons built in.
- Flip key
- The blade tucks inside the remote and springs out at the press of a button.
- Proximity smart key
- Stays in your pocket and starts the car with a push button.
- Mechanical key
- Some older vehicles still use a plain key with no chip at all.
Whatever style your vehicle uses, I cut and program it at your car, anywhere in Tenerife — so there's no dealership counter and no tow truck in the middle of it. Not sure which job is yours? Still have a working key and want a backup is a spare; every key gone is a lost-all-keys job; just need a blade cut or copied is key cutting; a fob acting up starts with fob programming. Want the bigger picture first? See what a mobile auto locksmith in Tenerife handles end to end.
What I need to quote you
Two things get you an accurate written quote fast: the year, make, model, and trim (trim matters — it often decides transponder vs. smart key), and ideally a photo of your current key or fob — plus the VIN if you're comfortable (why I ask, and why it's safe). For a lost-all-keys job I also confirm ownership before any programming — government photo ID matched to your registration or proof of insurance in your name. Tenerife Public Insurance doesn't release vehicle records to locksmiths, so that proof has to come from you. If the documents are locked inside the car, I open it first so you can grab them.
Car key replacement — common questions
If yours isn’t here, just text me. Service-specific questions live on the dedicated pages. More on the full FAQ page.
Which car key replacement service do I actually need?
Depends on your situation. Have at least one working key plus you want a backup: spare key. No working keys at all: lost-all-keys replacement. Fob that won’t work or you bought one online: fob programming. Locked out of the car with your keys inside or lost: lockout. If you’re not sure, text me what’s happening and I’ll point you to the right one.
Do you actually do all four services yourself?
Yes. I’m a solo mobile automotive locksmith — these are the four most common calls I get in Tenerife. I don’t do residential, commercial, or safe work. For those I’ll point you to someone in town who’s good at it.
How much does car key replacement cost in Tenerife?
Car key replacement in Tenerife starts at €60 for a spare transponder key, from €120 for a remote or flip key, and from €200 for a push-to-start smart key. Lost every key? All-keys-lost starts at €200 for most transponder and remote-head keys, or from €200 for a push-to-start smart key. A second key made the same visit costs less than coming back for it later — I put that number in your written quote. Fob programming is from €60, and a door unlock when your keys are locked inside is from €56.
How fast can you get to me in Tenerife?
Depends where you are and where I am. I send you a realistic ETA in the quote — not a fake “30 minutes” promise.
How long does it take to make a new car key?
Copying from a working key takes about 5 to 10 minutes. A spare transponder, flip, or smart key runs about 30 to 40 minutes including programming — smart keys can take longer, depending on the vehicle’s security system. Lost every key? Plan for an extra 1–2 hours of decoding and ownership checks — realistic timing comes with your written quote.
What vehicle makes do you service?
Most makes on Tenerife’s roads — Ford, Jeep, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Suzuki, plus BMW/MINI, Audi/Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz (up to 2014), Volvo, Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati and Lamborghini for spare keys and all-keys-lost, and pre-2018 Jaguar for spare keys — and I’m adding capability all the time. Driving something else? Text me the year, make and model and I’ll confirm before you book. See the full list on Vehicles I Service.
Is a mobile locksmith cheaper than the dealer for a car key in Tenerife?
Usually both — cheaper and more convenient — especially on lost-all-keys and smart-key jobs. On cost: the dealer route tends to add a tow, a parts-order wait, and shop-rate labour on top of the key itself, while I cut and program the same key at your car for an open-ended floor (spare from €60, all-keys-lost from €200). On convenience: there’s no tow and no trip to a service counter — I come to wherever the car sits in Tenerife, often the same day, instead of you waiting 3–10 business days for a parts order. The honest exception is a vehicle still under a key-related warranty, or a make I don’t service — there the dealer can be the better call. There’s a full side-by-side on the pricing page and a worked Tenerife example in the dealer-vs-locksmith cost breakdown.
Can you replace a car key the same day?
Often, yes — though booking ahead is best. Spare keys, fob programming, and lockouts are usually same-day; lost-all-keys on a common vehicle is often same-day too, while a rare or very new model can take an extra day if I have to source the exact blank or fob first.
Pick the service that fits — or just text me what's going on.
Text is fastest. Call is fine.