Security Guard Services in Bulgaria

How to Become a Licensed Security Guard in Bulgaria

Private security activity in Bulgaria is governed by the Private Security Activity Act (Zakon za chastnata ohranitelna deynost), in force since 31 March 2018. Security companies need a license from the Director of the General Directorate National Police of the Ministry of Interior, while security guards do not hold a separate state license but must meet the legal requirements, which the employer checks before signing the employment contract.

Competent authority: General Directorate National Police, Ministry of Interior (GDNP, MVR) mvr.bg

Requirements

• An adult with full legal capacity, employed under an employment contract with a licensed provider (Art. 50(1) and (3))
• A Bulgarian citizen or a citizen of another EU member state, an EEA state or Switzerland (Art. 50(3))
• Not convicted of and not charged with an intentional publicly prosecutable offense; a criminal record certificate and a certificate from the prosecutor’s office are required (Art. 50(3) and (5))
• Not suffering from a mental illness, certified by a document issued after examination by a psychiatrist (Art. 50(3) and (5))
• Physically and clinically healthy, certified by a medical certificate (Art. 50(3) and (5)); a limited exception applies to observation posts (Art. 7)
• For full-time work in the main types of activity: at least secondary education and the professional qualification “Security Guard” from an institution in the vocational education and training system (Art. 50(3))
• For guarding agricultural property under a main or supplementary contract, operational guards must have at least basic education and a completed course at such an institution, and managers at least secondary education (Art. 50(4))
• Documents must be issued no earlier than 6 months before the contract is signed; citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland submit equivalent documents with an official translation into Bulgarian (Art. 50(6) and (7))

Application Steps

1. Obtain the professional qualification “Security Guard” or, where Art. 50(4) applies, the required course at an institution in the vocational education and training system
2. Gather proof of citizenship, an education diploma, a criminal record certificate, a certificate from the prosecutor’s office, a psychiatrist’s certificate and a medical certificate
3. Apply to a licensed security company, which checks the documents before signing the employment contract (Art. 50(5))
4. The employer notifies the licensing authority and the regional directorate of the Ministry of Interior within 7 days of registering the contract with the National Revenue Agency (Art. 51)
5. Receive an identification card, insignia and uniform from the employer and attend the mandatory daily and periodic briefings (Art. 52)

Agency Licensing

Sole traders and legal entities submit an application to the Director of the General Directorate National Police directly, through the regional directorate of the Ministry of Interior where they are registered, or electronically (Arts. 40 and 41). Conditions include registration, no unpaid tax and social security liabilities, and an approved design of identification card, insignia and uniform (Art. 41). The license may be valid for the whole country or for one province (Art. 4) and states the permitted types of activity (Art. 44). The authority decides within one month (Art. 43). A state fee is charged under a tariff adopted by the Council of Ministers, and the rights under the license cannot be transferred (Art. 44).

Security for the transport of valuables is provided by guards armed with firearms, specially equipped vehicles and communication equipment (Art. 33). Issuing a firearm to a member of security staff who does not hold the required permit to carry and use it is grounds for revoking the license (Art. 49). The head of the company must supervise the storage and issue of service firearms (Art. 52). Security staff may use firearms only as a last resort, under the conditions of necessary defense and extreme necessity under the Criminal Code (Art. 62).

The company license is issued with no expiry date (Art. 44(1)). It may be revoked for listed violations, for example hiring staff who do not meet the requirements of Art. 50 without correcting the violation within 30 days of a mandatory instruction (Art. 49). A lost or destroyed license must be reported within 7 days, and a duplicate is issued within 14 days (Art. 45).

Sources

• Private Security Activity Act, as published by the Ministry of Interior
• General Directorate National Police, Ministry of Interior

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