Security Guard Services in Poland

How to Become a Licensed Security Guard in Poland

In Poland, the protection of persons and property is governed by the Act of 22 August 1997 on the Protection of Persons and Property. Security companies need a license (koncesja) from the Minister of the Interior and Administration, and people who perform more responsible security tasks must be entered on the list of qualified physical security employees kept by the Police.

Supervisory authority: Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Department of Permits and Licenses (Departament Zezwoleń i Koncesji) (licenses for businesses); Provincial Police Commander / Chief Commander of the Police (list of qualified physical security employees). Legal basis: Act of 22 August 1997 on the Protection of Persons and Property (ustawa o ochronie osób i mienia), consolidated text Journal of Laws (Dz. U.) 2025, item 532, as amended. gov.pl

Requirements

• Entry on the list of qualified physical security employees (Art. 26(3)) requires citizenship of Poland, another EU state, Switzerland or an EEA (EFTA) state
• At least 21 years of age
• Completion of at least lower secondary school (gimnazjum) or eight-year primary school
• Full legal capacity
• No final conviction for an intentional offense and no pending criminal proceedings for such an offense
• A positive opinion from the district Police commander with jurisdiction over the place of residence (or an equivalent authority in another EU or EEA state or in Switzerland), issued at least every 3 years
• Physical and mental fitness confirmed by current medical and psychological certificates, renewed every 3 years or sooner
• Theoretical and practical preparation in shooting, self-defense, intervention techniques and the relevant legal provisions, confirmed by a recognized diploma, certificate or qualification course
• Security employees who do not need to be entered on the list (Art. 31) must be of legal age and must not have a final conviction for an intentional offense

Application Steps

1. Complete the required training in shooting, self-defense, intervention techniques and security law, or hold recognized equivalent qualifications
2. Obtain medical and psychological certificates of physical and mental fitness
3. Submit a written application to the provincial Police commander with jurisdiction over the place of residence, attaching proof of education, declarations of full legal capacity, of no criminal record and of no pending proceedings, the training completion certificate and the medical and psychological certificates
4. The provincial Police commander makes the entry on the list kept by the Chief Commander of the Police and issues a certificate of entry; stamp duty is charged
5. Report any change in the registered data to the provincial Police commander within 14 days

Agency Licensing

Business activity in personal and property protection services requires a license from the Minister of the Interior and Administration (Department of Permits and Licenses), who first obtains the opinion of the provincial Police commander. A business owner who is a natural person must be entered on the list of qualified employees; in other cases, at least one partner, management board member, commercial proxy (prokurent) or appointed manager must be on the list, and the other representatives must not have been convicted of an intentional offense or an intentional fiscal offense. Compulsory civil liability insurance applies. The stamp duty for granting a new license is PLN 616, the procedure takes about 2 months, and the period of validity is set in the license itself.

Only employees entered on the list of qualified physical security employees may serve in specialized armed security formations or use firearms while performing their duties; use of firearms also requires authorization to possess a weapon under the Weapons and Ammunition Act (ustawa o broni i amunicji). The circumstances in which security employees may use means of direct coercion and firearms are defined by reference to the Act of 24 May 2013 on Means of Direct Coercion and Firearms.

Qualified physical security employees must complete a refresher course every 5 years (lasting no more than 50 hours, under the regulation) and submit the certificate to the provincial Police commander. The Police opinion is issued at least every 3 years, and medical and psychological examinations are repeated every 3 years. An employee is removed from the list upon a final conviction or the opening of criminal proceedings for an intentional offense, or upon ceasing to meet the requirements.

Sources

• MSWiA: Obtain a license to conduct business in personal and property protection services
• ELI: Act of 22 August 1997 on the Protection of Persons and Property
• ELI: Consolidated text, Journal of Laws (Dz. U.) 2025, item 532
• Consolidated text of the Act (PDF)
• MSWiA license application form

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