Security Guard Services in Portugal

How to Become a Licensed Security Guard in Portugal

In Portugal, private security is regulated by Law No. 34/2013. Security guards need a professional card issued by the National Directorate of the Public Security Police (PSP), valid for five years and renewable.

Regulator: Polícia de Segurança Pública (Public Security Police, PSP), National Directorate. Applicable law: Law No. 34/2013 of 16 May (regime governing the conduct of private security activity), as amended by Law No. 46/2019 of 8 July. psp.pt

Requirements for Security Guards

• Citizenship of Portugal, of an EU or EEA member state or, on a reciprocal basis, of a state whose official language is Portuguese (Art. 22(1)(a) and (2))
• Completed compulsory schooling (Art. 22(1)(b) and (2))
• Full legal capacity (Art. 22(1)(c) and (2))
• No final conviction for the intentional crimes specified in the law or for any other intentional crime punishable by imprisonment of more than 3 years, without prejudice to judicial rehabilitation (Art. 22(1)(d) and (2))
• Not performing, and not having performed in the previous three years, duties inspecting or overseeing private security activity (Art. 22(1)(f) and (2))
• Not having been dismissed or expelled, by final decision, from the Armed Forces, the intelligence services or the security forces and services (Art. 22(1)(g) and (2))
• Minimum physical, mental and psychological fitness: a medical assessment by an occupational physician and a psychological assessment by a body recognized by the Order of Psychologists (Ordem dos Psicólogos), with a pass in both (Art. 22(7)(a) and Art. 23)
• A pass in the training courses provided for in Art. 25, or in equivalent courses delivered and recognized in another EU or EEA member state (Art. 22(7)(b)); training includes initial qualification, refresher and supplementary training, with theoretical and practical components, and the content and length of the courses are set by ministerial order (portaria) (Art. 25)

How to Obtain the Professional Card

1. Complete the initial qualification training course approved under Art. 25 of Law No. 34/2013, at a certified venue and with registered trainers
2. Pass the medical and psychological assessments (Art. 23)
3. Obtain the professional card from the National Directorate of the PSP, issued to security guards who meet the requirements of Art. 22 (Art. 27)
4. Work only while employed by an employer: security personnel without a link to any employer may not use or display the card (Art. 27(4))

Agency Licensing

Providing private security services requires a license (alvará) granted by the member of the Government responsible for internal administration (Art. 4). Private security companies must be legal persons under private law whose corporate purpose is exclusively the provision of private security services (Art. 4(3)). There are four types of license, A to D, depending on the services provided (Art. 14). Entities that organize self-protection services need a permit (licença), also of types A to D (Art. 15).

Security personnel are subject to the general weapons regime and may use, among others, class E weapons (Art. 32(1)). On duty, carrying a weapon is permitted only with written authorization from the employer and from the client contracting the service, which may be revoked at any time. The employer’s authorization is annual, expressly renewable and issued individually, and states the type of weapon and its technical characteristics. It must be reported to the National Directorate of the PSP as soon as possible, within 24 hours at the latest (Art. 32(2) to (4)).

The professional card is valid for five years and renewable for equal periods. Renewal requires attending a refresher course, or an equivalent course delivered and recognized in another EU member state, and a new check of the requirements and incompatibilities in Art. 22 (Art. 27(1) and (3)).

Sources

• Law No. 34/2013 of 16 May, consolidated text (Lisbon Regional Prosecutor General’s Office)

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