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Lost and Found at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Left a phone, passport or bag behind at Paris Charles de Gaulle? Do one thing first: file the online lost-property report. At CDG that step is mandatory, and if your item turns up, staff contact you with instructions to collect it. You cannot simply walk up to a desk and ask, so the sooner your report is in the system, the better your odds.
Key takeaways
- Filing the online report is required. There is no walk-in service without it.
- Do not go to the Lost Property Office unless you have been contacted first. You will not be received.
- Items are held for 15 days. After that they go to the Paris Police Prefecture.
- Anything lost on the plane, in a lounge or on a boarding bus is the airline's responsibility, so contact the carrier.
- If your item is found, you can pick it up at CDG or have it delivered to an address you choose.
How to report a lost item at Charles de Gaulle
The airport runs a single online system for anything lost inside a terminal, a car park, a security checkpoint or a baggage-claim area. Reporting is free, and it is the only way in. The steps below run from first report to collection.
- Fill in the online lost-item form as soon as you notice something is missing. Use the official Paris Aéroport lost-property page for CDG: parisaeroport.fr lost property at Paris-CDG. It links straight to the report form.
- Create a separate report for each item. One for the phone, one for the coat, and so on. Lumping them together slows things down.
- Give as much detail as you can. The date and time you lost it, the exact spot (terminal, gate, security lane, car park level), your flight number, a clear description, and a photo if you have one. Detail is what lets their team match your report to a found item.
- Submit and wait to be contacted. Your report goes into the lost-property database, which staff check every day. If there is a match, they reach out with a reference and tell you how to collect the item.
- Choose how to get it back. Once your item is identified, you either pick it up at the Lost Property Office at CDG or ask for delivery to an address of your choice.
Do not travel out to the office on spec. The team only receives people who have already been contacted about a specific item. Turning up without that first will get you turned away.
The CDG lost property office and how long items are kept
The online system behind the report is operated for Paris Aéroport through the France Objets Trouvés platform. Posting your declaration there is free of charge. You can see the CDG portal directly at parisaeroport-cdg.franceobjetstrouves.fr.
Found items are kept at the airport for 15 days. Within that window, if your report matches something handed in, you get an email with the next steps. If you opt for home delivery rather than collecting in person, a shipping and handling cost can apply, and that is set by the party returning the item, not by the airport.
After 15 days, unclaimed items leave the airport and are transferred to the Lost Property Service of the Paris Police Prefecture. At that point you stop dealing with the airport and follow the Prefecture's own online procedure instead. This is why speed matters: a report filed on day two has a real chance, while one filed on day twenty often does not.
One exception: clothing accessories such as belts, hats, scarves, gloves and vests are donated to charity and are not held for the usual period, so those cannot be reclaimed.
Where you lost it changes who you contact
CDG draws a firm line between what the airport handles and what your airline handles. Sending your request to the wrong one is the most common way people lose days.
- Terminal, car park, security check or baggage-claim area: this is the airport. Use the online lost-property form above.
- On board the aircraft, in an airline lounge, or on a boarding or disembarkation bus: this is your airline. The airport Lost & Found does not deal with these at all, so contact the carrier directly.
- Checked bag that never came out on the belt: that counts as mishandled baggage and goes through a different process. Report it to your airline's baggage desk before you leave the airport, and keep the reference.
- Something left in a shop, café or restaurant: ask that outlet first. Staff there often keep small items behind the counter.
When in doubt, think about who last had control of the space where you lost the item. That tells you who to call.
How to improve your chances and how long it takes
There is no promised timeline, and not everything is recovered, but a few habits tilt the odds in your favour.
- Report the moment you realise. Every hour matters against that 15-day clock.
- Be specific. "Black bag" helps no one. Brand, colour, contents, any distinguishing marks, plus a photo, make a match far more likely.
- Add your flight number and the precise location. A gate or a security lane narrows the search dramatically.
- Watch your inbox, including spam. Contact from the service is automatic, and a missed email can mean a missed item.
The database is reviewed daily, so genuine matches often surface within a few days rather than weeks. Just do not leave your report until the last minute.
When the airline loses your checked bag
Leaving something behind and having the airline mishandle your luggage are two different problems. If your checked bag was delayed, lost or damaged by the airline, you are not in lost-property territory at all. You may be owed money.
Under the Montreal Convention, airlines are liable for delayed, lost and damaged checked baggage, and on flights covered by EU rules you can also claim back reasonable costs while your bag is missing. A bag is generally treated as lost once it has not turned up for an extended period after your flight. If that is your situation, AirAdvisor can check your baggage claim and pursue it on a no-win, no-fee basis, so it costs nothing to find out where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just go to the CDG lost and found desk? No. You have to file the online report first. The office only receives people who have already been contacted about a matched item, so an unannounced visit will not get you seen.
How long does CDG keep lost items? Fifteen days. After that they are sent to the Paris Police Prefecture, and you continue the search through the Prefecture's own online form rather than the airport.
Is there a fee to report a lost item? Filing the online declaration is free. If your item is found and you ask for it to be delivered to you instead of collecting it in person, a shipping and handling charge can apply.
I left something on the plane. Who do I contact? Your airline handles this. Anything lost on board, in a lounge, or on a boarding or disembarkation bus is the carrier's responsibility, so reach out to them directly.
What if I have already left France? You can still file the report online from anywhere, and if your item is found you can request delivery to your address rather than travelling back to collect it.
What happens after the 15 days are up? The item moves to the Paris Police Prefecture's lost-property service. Follow the procedure on the official Prefecture website to continue your search from there.
What to do now
If you have lost something at Charles de Gaulle, open the online report and fill it in before you do anything else. Be specific, add a photo, note your flight number and the exact spot, and then keep an eye on your email. That single step is what puts your item back within reach, and it takes only a few minutes.
Author:
Joanna Teljeur
Job/Position: Senior Editor & Content Lead
Joanna Teljeur is a senior editor and writer with 15+ years of experience in editorial leadership, journalism, and content development, specialising in consumer rights, aviation law, and public-interest reporting. Her work focuses on transforming complex regulatory and legal topics into clear, accurate, and accessible content for international audiences.
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