Security Guard Services in Denmark

How to Become an Approved Security Guard in Denmark

In Denmark, anyone who runs a security company or a monitoring center must have authorization from the police. All employees of a security company must be approved by the police before their employment begins, and security guards must have completed a recognized basic security guard course.

Authority: The police (Politiet). Applications are processed by the Police Administrative Center (Politiets Administrative Center), and ID cards are issued by the Danish National Police (Rigspolitiet). Rules: Security Services Act (Lov om vagtvirksomhed) (consolidated act, Lovtidende A 2016 No. 112) and Executive Order on Security Services (Bekendtgørelse om vagtvirksomhed) No. 1408 of 4 December 2017, in force from 1 January 2018. politi.dk/drift-af-virksomhed/vagtvirksomhed

Requirements

• Employees must be at least 18 years old to be approved (the executive order allows office staff to be approved below this age).
• Approval may be refused if the person has been convicted of certain offenses or has shown conduct that gives reason to believe the person will not perform the work properly.
• Security guards must have completed the basic course for security staff (grundlæggende vagt) or the security component of a specific vocational program, or have equivalent qualifications recognized under EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
• Approval must be in place before employment begins.
• Approved employees must have a personal ID card issued by the Danish National Police, wear it visibly while working and show it on request. The Act sets a fee of DKK 300 for the card.
• Outside the company’s own premises (except premises open to the public), employees must wear a uniform clearly marked with the word VAGT (guard) that cannot be confused with a police uniform.

Application Steps

1. Complete the basic course for security staff (grundlæggende vagt) or an equivalent recognized qualification.
2. Obtain a job offer from an authorized security company.
3. The company applies to the police for approval of the new employee before employment begins.
4. After approval, the employee receives a personal ID card issued by the Danish National Police, which is worn visibly at work.
5. When employment ends, the company returns the card to the police director who granted the approval within 8 days, stating the date of departure.

Agency Licensing

Authorization from the police is required to run a security company or a monitoring center. The applicant must be at least 25 years old, live in Denmark (with certain exceptions) and meet requirements for good conduct and finances. The Act sets overdue debt to public authorities of around DKK 50,000 as the threshold at which authorization may be refused. A company can be authorized when its directors and board members meet the personal requirements, and changes in management or the board must be reported to the police within 14 days. The authorization applies to one or more police districts or to the whole country. The police website lists fees of DKK 5,000 for a new authorization, DKK 5,000 for renewal and DKK 3,000 for a change to the company’s name, business address or authorized tasks.

A company authorization is granted for a maximum of 5 years. The police website lists a fee of DKK 5,000 for renewal.

Sources

• Security companies (Vagtvirksomhed), Politi.dk
• Security Services Act (Lov om vagtvirksomhed), consolidated act, Lovtidende A 2016 No. 112, Retsinformation
• Executive Order on Security Services (Bekendtgørelse om vagtvirksomhed) No. 1408 of 4 December 2017, Retsinformation

Requirements change. Confirm current rules with the official authority before applying. This summary is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed November 2026.