Best Tarkov Keys For All Maps – EFT Keys Guide For Maximum Loot - Games Finder (2024)

Last Updated on January 19, 2024 by Samuel Franklin

Knowing the best Tarkov keys for each map and bringing these into your raids can vastly increase your profit and can even help you extract safely. With hundreds available though it can be difficult to determine the high priority keys for each map that should be within your secure container. In this best keys guide I’ll cover the important options for all maps based on my thousands of Escape From Tarkov raids with a quick reference list of keys to purchase and specific detailed information of these best keys.

Quickly access each section with the links below:
– Best Shoreline Keys
– Best Reserve Keys
– Best Customs Keys
– Best Lighthouse Keys
– Best Interchange Keys
– Best Streets Keys
– Best Labs Keys
– Best Woods Keys
– Best Factory Keys

Given the regular reset mechanic of Tarkov the cost and value of these keys does fluctuate over time and players will need to assess for themselves if the potential loot behind the locked door offsets the current market price of that key. To help offset the initial cost of keys players can play in a squad which is particularly useful for high demand quest keys that unlock a location players are required to visit. Regardless of the keys you bring players should always store these in their secure container and I recommend bringing a Documents Case in the majority of situations as this can hold high value items such as money, coins, folders with intelligence and even other keys that you find.

Tarkov Best Shoreline Keys

There are a number of best Shoreline keys that are focused on acquiring high value loot as there are no available map shortcuts here with many overlapping with quest keys. While the best keys for Shoreline in EFT are focused heavily on the resort there are still a small number of overlooked options on this map.

An important note when it comes to the best resort keys in particular is that many rooms are connected through balconies which means you may only need one of the possible key options to access multiple rooms. While there are dozens of additional resort options on top of those featured here I strongly recommend players focus on a smaller focused setup of resort keys. This serves two purposes by keeping space in your Documents Case for rare items in case you die and allows you to practice a smaller number of rooms, be confident in the PvP that takes place around them and potentially encounter less fights as you cut your overall time in resort down significantly. For players that want to go in fully stacked in top tier gear and play to clear the resort of players instead you’ll want to bring essentially every key that has valuable items. The leaner key approach in Shoreline also allows a keytool to be used as an alternative key storage for those with a smaller secure container based on their Tarkov game edition.

I have excluded West Wing 203/205 and West Wing 218/221/222 from my recommendations as a significant portion of their value is tied to the potential Red Keycard spawn which even with thousands of attempts is unlikely to spawn.

Key With Tape (East Wing Room 110)

This was added in the Sanitar patch update and quickly skyrocketed to the best resort key for Shoreline given it has multiple LEDX spawn chances within the bathroom, a computer and a healthy amount of other medical spawns that make it a consistent money maker although it is highly rushed so you’ll need a close spawn to resort if you want to claim this for yourself.

East Wing Room 222 or 226 Key

The connected rooms of 222 and 226 are another LEDX staple for Shoreline money runners with multiple spawns in 226. Supporting this high value LEDX item are various weapon spawns, boxes and loose spawns that have a high concentration that quickly add up to significant Roubles.

Key To HEP Station Storage

Stepping away from the resort this is one of the best Shoreline keys for those that don’t regularly visit the resort and prefer to hit the other notable locations of Shoreline for loot or quests. What makes this so powerful is the fact that it’s rarely looted by other players and has a folder with intelligence spawn amongst a large range of valuable weapon attachments that are loose or within the boxes. It can even be obtained for free from Jaeger’s quest Nostalgia which is a reasonably early to mid game quest reward.

East Wing Room 310 Key

Known as the gold room this east wing key is another highly rushed location for its high value loot items like Bitcoins and golden neck chains with a consolation prize of two duffle bags for unlucky PMCs.

West Wing Room 301 or 304 Key

A connected room on the west side of the resort these two rooms offer immense value to players with LEDX spawns, graphics cards, computers and various loot items that make this one of the best west wing keys available.

West Wing Room 216 Key

Another powerful west wing option to have in your secure container with a single but reasonably consistent LEDX spawn alongside a potential M4A1 spawn, valuable loose loot and various grenade/weapon boxes that provide sufficient backup value if there is no LEDX.

Cottage Back Entrance Key & Cottage Safe Key

Offering players an alternative to the otherwise resort heavy best Shoreline keys these two can significantly improve the value of the cottage area by taking the total safes from 2 to 4. With the back entrance key being linked to a quest it’s cost stays high unfortunately but players can recoup some of the cost by using it regularly in Shoreline raids.

Tarkov Best Reserve Keys

Another large map for locked doors means there are many best Reserve keys for players to consider which are spread throughout the map. Like Shoreline above you’ll want to carefully consider how many you bring into your raids due to how common folders with intelligence spawn on Reserve which are perfect for your Documents Case and then can used in your hideout Scav Case if you die during raid. The best Reserve keys can also be an expensive investment due to their popularity so players who don’t play the map regularly will want to be picky with the keys they opt to purchase.

Marked Keys (RB-BK and RB-VO)

Like Customs the best Reserve keys focus heavily on the marked rooms with Reserve having 3 available that all have the potential for high value loot. For experienced players I’d recommend using RB-BK and RB-VO as these are accepted by the community as having better overall loot compared to RB-PKPM.

RB-AM

A nice supporting key to the popular “drop down room” as it is located in the same Black Bishop building that has many close PMC spawns. This serves as a reliable option to obtain your Old Firesteel for the Collector quest along with FP-100 filters, folders with intelligence, multiple toolboxes and loose military spawns that make it a reliable money maker although you need to be alert when in this area.

RB-RLSSA (RLSA)

An often overlooked room due to it being added later into Tarkov development (approximately June 2020) and well after the Reserve map had already been established. This makes it a consistent option and when paired with some of the other best Reserve keys that are used at the dome (Queen building). The value of this unlocked door comes from a folder with intelligence and the regular spawns of military technology.

RB-KPRL

Another key for Reserve that has you exploring the dome area this one has safes, folders with intelligence and weapon boxes which when combined with the safe and computer in the guard room next to it (no key required) makes for a quickly profitable area when you spawn in this location.

RB-PSP1, RB-PSP2, RB-PS81, RB-PS81

Combined into a single recommendation due to their similar loot pools behind these locked gates and their shared location. These are accessed underneath the Hermetic Door extract and are regularly contested by players due to the wealth of supply crates (technical, medical and ration) and quest requirements here.

RB-TB

While not as powerful in comparison to the other best Reserve keys this can be a strong addition to your standard setup if you are a regular visitor of RB-BK as they are located near each other. Behind this lock you’ll find consistent AK-74 spawns with top tier ammo and attachments along with loose weapon parts that can add up to moderate value. Howeverm I’d skip this room if you acquire high tier loot from RB-BK and need to get out of the danger zone as soon as possible.

RB-ST

Often an expensive key and one I wouldn’t invest in unless you are a Reserve regular for your money runs as it will take some time to turn a profit. This is made harder by the fact that your profit comes from bulky items like the phased array element and tank batteries that require appropriate rigs or specific extracts to take out of raid.

RB-SMP

A utility pick the RB-SMP key is used in the medical building of Reserve and can provide an opportunity to top up your medical items when needed. With medical items such as Propital and Augmentin also having reasonable value it can be a small money maker on the side but shouldn’t be a priority location.

Tarkov Best Customs Keys

The best Customs keys (and the best dorms keys for Customs) offer loot opportunities as well as easier map navigation and the always popular Marked Room that is highly contested by PMCs at the start of the raid. With these EFT best keys for Customs you’ll be able to dominate the central dorms location and ensure you leave with a full backpack of items and a healthy dose of money from safes in your secure container.

Marked Key (Dorm Room 314)

It will come as no surprise that the Marked Key is one of the best Customs dorms keys that you can have on your PMC so that you can capitalise on any spawn near the dorm location. Like many of the marked locations in the world of Tarkov you can find high value items and weapons the majority of the time that make a backpack critical to maximising value.

Dorm Room 110, 114 and 105

These three best dorm keys have similarities as they are located in closed proximity on the second story dorm and offer reliable money making through safes, computers, medcases and medium value loose loot spawns. With some of these required for quests players are likely to already have them available and they provide a safer option than the three story dorm keys overall. Players wanting to optimise even further can consider including the Dorm Room 104 key which offers jackets and a toolbox although is less of a money maker overall and may add additional risk to your raids.

Dorm Room 204 and 214

Like the two story dorms the third story has a number of safes that can provide reliable value in their own right or help you acquire the Roubles required to take the car extract behind dorms if you didn’t bring any into raid. Given their second floor location these are also rarely looted and gives you ample escape paths if you are pushed from outside or inside the dorms itself.

Factory Key

While not unlocking significant loot for the player on Customs the Factory Key is one of the best Customs keys given it unlocks a shortcut to navigate the map faster near the new gas station that is also generally safer. With the Customs expansion the Factory Key can also be used to access the ZB-013 extract providing an option for players to extract from the raid earlier or avoid the common extracts to give you a greater chance of survival.

Gas Station Storage Key & Cabinet Key

Offering another reliable safe location the gas station storage key requires players to go into the new gas station and can be a top up option to the other safe keys already included here or as part of a safe farming loot run. The cabinet key is included with this one as it is right next to the storage location and offers a medical bag and medcase that can provide some reliable medical items if you’ve encountered significant PvP or simply want to check for high value medical items while in the area.

Tarkov Best Lighthouse Keys

This Escape From Tarkov map has a small number of keys available for PMCs to utilise although these are hardly needed given the abundance of loot and size of the map means you’ll never have trouble filling up your backpack. For this reason I generally don’t recommend you spend the Roubles on keys for Lighthouse as a priority but if you are a regular of the map and want them to slightly boost your potential gains then you’ll want to focus on the keys noted below.

Merin Car Trunk Key

The most valuable of Lighthouse keys this regular looking car located in a carpark near the shoreline hides the potential for high value loose loot spawns that make it a staple key for your lighthouse adventures. Spawning the likes of Bitcoins, military loot and other valuables this unsuspecting car is a fantastic way to consistently acquire high value loot although obtaining the key in the first place can be problematic.

USEC first and second safe key

Safes offer reliable valuable and a chance at some of the best loot in Escape From Tarkov which makes these a reasonable addition to your loot focused raids and why there are so many other safe keys on this page already. Located close together these keys provide a viable option for those that regularly visit the large blue chatel in the middle of the map and want a chance at rare spawns. Given this is generally a contested location the keys may allow you to acquire loot here after it has already been picked clean by other players.

Rogue USEC stash key and workshop key

The final two recommended keys for Lighthouse are deep within the Rogue territory and are not for the casual PMC. With a chance to spawn a tank battery along with various high value weapon mods both of these can result in additional loot if you clear the Rogue camp or arrive after it has been cleared.

Tarkov Best Interchange Keys

While Interchange has a smaller number of keys in comparison to the maps already covered they are all useful additions for experienced Interchange players and if you can afford them I’d recommend bringing all of the best Interchange keys every raid. Interchange does have some other factors to consider though such as the power mechanic of the map that means the best keys for Interchange will also depend on whether you run solo or with squads often.

Ultra Medical Storage Key

A reliable source of LEDX Skin Transilluminator and other high end medical items such as Defibrillators and Ophthalmoscopes this is a highly contested room which is also surrounded by the tech stores that are equally contested. Requiring the power to be on means this is hard to use as a solo player unless the power is randomly turned on by another player and you are already in the area. If you are primarily a solo player or rarely play on Interchange I’d skip this key entirely given it’s cost and difficultly of obtaining the value from it without a squad member to turn the power on for you and the PvP skills needed to extract from this location.

KIBA Store Key & KIBA Grate Key

A highly profitable location on Interchange that requires multiple keys to unlock with an alarm attached that alert the map. This means KIBA is another difficult option for the solo player but does deliver hundreds of thousands of Roubles per run if successful due to the high concentration of weapons, attachments and even armours that spawn here.

Object #21WS Keycard

An often overlooked access card for Interchange that is ideal for the solo Interchange player due to its location being in a low traffic area. Spawning on bosses only and the limited uses keeps this a relatively expensive purchase but does pay for itself overtime with weapon attachments, armours and weapon boxes.

Pharmacy Key

A consistent money maker that also serves as a reliable method to acquire additional medical items to survive a raid this is a solid supplement to your Interchange keys. While it isn’t a location you’ll visit every time having this cheap key available after a heavy PvP raid or to fill up your bag towards extraction will pay dividends.

Tarkov Best Streets Keys

With an abundance of loot already available on this map the best Streets keys are generally not a priority although if you acquire keys without found in raid status you can bring them along to enhance your potential raid income. Streets of Tarkov also has a large number of quest keys that players will need to acquire for progression and can be used after the applicable quest is completed to regain some of the purchase price. The recommended keys below are the affordable and consistent rooms that can help improve the average value of loot you acquire for a raid and don’t require significant PvP or luck to cover their initial purchase expense.

Tarbank Cash Register Department Key

Providing players access to bank cash registers and safes this is a simple key to the bank on Streets of Tarkov that has effective Rouble return. The benefit of this key is that once looted players can place the Roubles in their secure container which guarantees you obtain the value from this key regardless of what happens afterwards.

Concordia Apartment 63 Room Key

One of several apartment keys on the map this unlocks a living room with an array of loose loot including valuables, electronics and medical supplies that is efficient on backpack space. Looting this apartment building or one of the many others that this map has available also keeps players away from the open streets that can be dangerous.

Beluga Restaurant Director Key

The Beluga key can be used during the Beyond the Red Meat: Part 1 quest to improve your chances of finding the necessary information but is also a high return key given the variety of loot located in this room. Whether you acquire this to help with the quest or for the potential loot you’ll find a PC block, jacket, dual drawers, duffle bag and various loose loot in the office behind this door.

Tarkov Best Labs Keys

Labs is a whole different experience when it comes to Tarkov maps and the keys/access cards are no exception with these keys costing a significant sum of Roubles to acquire although you will make your money back if you a regular Labs player. If you run Labs sparingly though I’d recommend not acquiring these best keys for Labs in Tarkov as they are rarely worth the investment unless you regularly raid on this map and extract successfully.

Lab. Red Keycard

The ultimate Escape From Tarkov item the extremely rare and expensive Red Keycard is an item that only a small portion of the player base will ever own. While I would only recommend purchasing this if you run the Labs map almost exclusively players that find a keycard during Shoreline raids but unfortunately die and are left without a found in raid one to sell could also use it effectively to make money. For those that find themselves running with this Red Keycard you’ll want to pair it with the affordable arsenal storage room that gives you access to additional loot.

Lab. Key. Manager Office

An affordable Labs key that is a popular option for those farming items for their Kappa Secure Container. This item unlocks two doors on either side of the manager office and has multiple rare loot spawns, folder with intelligence, safe and computer block. In practice though players generally only check the loose loot and intelligence spawn given how exposed this area is.

Tarkov Best Woods Keys

Woods is simple in comparison to other maps when it comes to the best keys for Woods in EFT due to an extremely small number of keys available.

Shturman Key (KSH)

While expensive this key has been demonstrated by the community as a profitable key if you survive your raids after looting the stash. Given it’s proximity to Shturman and the centre of the lumberyard though it can be hard to use reliably which is the main drawback of the key. However, it can be something worth bringing along for the competent player to use during the later stages of a raid when there is less risk or if you’ve acquired one from killing Shturman and weren’t able to extract with it and see an opportunity.

ZB-014

Offering a slightly earlier extract on the outskirts side of the Woods map this can improve safety when extracting although this extraction is not always available. In addition to serving as an extract you’ll find moderately valuable loose loot behind the locked grate with 60 round magazines (linked to the ice cream cones quest) and the occasional fuel and other loose loot.

Tarkov Best Factory Keys

Those looking for the best keys for Factory don’t need to purchase many keys with only a single option that provides significant value to your Factory raids as it vastly improves your chance of survival on the small PvP orientated map and can be particularly useful for Factory related quests.

Factory Exit Key

Being useful on both Customs and Factory the Factory Exit Key is vital on all your Factory raids to unlock two additional extracts which means you can avoid extract campers or simply run away from a fight that is going poorly. I would never enter Factory without this in my inventory and recommend all players do the same given its low cost and generally high availability from Scavs or jackets that means you’ll likely find your own anyway.