Security Guard Services in Slovakia

How to Become a Licensed Security Guard in Slovakia

Private security in Slovakia is governed by Act No. 473/2005 Coll. on Private Security (zákon č. 473/2005 Z. z. o súkromnej bezpečnosti). Physical guarding may be performed by a person aged at least 18 who has no criminal record, is reliable, is medically fit and holds a certificate of professional competence issued by the Ministry of Interior after passing an exam.

Competent authorities and legal framework: Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky), for exams and certificates of professional competence; regional directorate of the Police Force (krajské riaditeľstvo Policajného zboru), for guarding service licenses. Law: Act No. 473/2005 Coll. on the Provision of Services in the Field of Private Security and on Amendments to Certain Acts (Private Security Act), implemented by Decree of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic No. 634/2005 Coll. minv.sk

Requirements

• Minimum age of 18 to perform physical guarding or investigation (§ 48(1))
• Full legal capacity (§ 48(1))
• Clean criminal record: no final conviction for an intentional crime or for any other crime with an unconditional prison sentence of more than 12 months. This is proven with a special extract from the criminal record. Persons who lived abroad continuously for more than six months in the last ten years also submit an equivalent foreign document with an official translation, or a sworn declaration if that country does not issue one (§ 13)
• Reliability: for example, no proven excessive use of alcohol or drugs and none of the listed administrative offenses in the last two years (§ 14)
• Medical fitness, both physical and mental, proven by a medical report that includes a psychological examination. The report may not be older than three months at hiring, and the employer must obtain a new one every two years (§ 15 and § 46a)
• Certificate of professional competence of type S, P or CIT, issued by the Ministry of Interior after passing a written test exam in Slovak (§ 19 and § 20). Type S covers physical guarding and investigation
• Preparation for the type S exam is provided by a provider accredited by the Ministry of Interior. It covers 78 teaching hours in 10 subjects, including 20 hours of private security law, 20 hours of intervention tactics, 8 hours of first aid and 5 hours of fire training (Decree No. 634/2005 Coll., § 4(1))
• Guards protecting sites of special importance need at least two years of security experience, and the operator must provide them with at least four hours of tactical training per month (§ 53)

Application Steps

1. Complete the type S exam preparation with a provider accredited by the Ministry of Interior (§ 19(6) and § 80)
2. The accredited provider registers the candidate for the exam within three months of the end of the preparation. The exam is a written test. It may be retaken twice, and each resit must be booked within three months of the previous attempt (§ 19(2) and (6))
3. After a successful exam, the Ministry of Interior issues the certificate of professional competence if the candidate meets the clean record and reliability conditions (§ 20)
4. Before starting work, submit the criminal record documents and the medical report, each no older than three months, to the licensed operator that is the employer (§ 45 and § 46a)
5. Carry the certificate at all times on duty and present it on request to inspection authorities or the police (§ 20(3))

Agency Licensing

A separate license is required for each type of security service. Licenses for guarding services, detective services and training and consulting activities are granted by the regional directorate of the Police Force. The license for cross-border transport of cash is granted by the Ministry of Interior. Licenses are generally issued for ten years and are not transferable. A natural person holding a license must be a citizen of an EEA state or Switzerland, be at least 21 years old, have full legal capacity and meet the conditions of clean record, reliability, medical fitness and professional competence. For a legal entity, the members of the statutory body must meet these conditions, and every person with a stake of 15 percent or more must meet the clean record and reliability conditions. The application is filed in person, and the license is issued within 30 days after the decision becomes final (§ 9, 11, 12, 26 and 27).

The decision granting the license may specify the number and type of firearms used in physical guarding (§ 28(g)). Operators must describe every use of a firearm by or against their employees in the annual activity report they submit to the ministry by January 31 (§ 39 and § 40). Possession of firearms itself is governed by separate firearms legislation, which was not reviewed in this summary.

Certificates of professional competence are valid for ten years. After expiry, the holder must complete the preparation and the exam again (§ 20a(3)). Medical reports are renewed every two years, and employees submit current criminal record documents every two years (§ 45 and § 46a). Licenses are generally issued for ten years.

Sources

• Act No. 473/2005 Coll. on Private Security, consolidated version in force from 12 June 2026 (Slov-Lex)
• Decree No. 634/2005 Coll. implementing the Private Security Act, text in force from 1 January 2024 (Slov-Lex)
• Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic

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