Security Guard Services in Réunion

How to Become a Licensed Security Guard in Réunion

As an overseas department and region, Réunion falls under the national private security regime set out in Book VI of the Internal Security Code, administered by the Conseil national des activités privées de sécurité (National Council for Private Security Activities, CNAPS) through its Indian Ocean office (Antenne Océan Indien), based at the prefecture of Réunion in Saint-Denis. Officers must hold a CNAPS professional card for each activity, and companies must hold an operating authorization, with a manager who holds a valid approval.

Regulator: Conseil national des activités privées de sécurité (CNAPS), Indian Ocean office (Antenne Océan Indien), which covers Réunion (974) and Mayotte (976). Law: Internal Security Code (Code de la sécurité intérieure), Book VI (private security activities). cnaps.interieur.gouv.fr

Requirements

• A professional card issued by CNAPS is required to work for a private security company or an in-house security service. Sole operators and managers who work in the field also need one.
• Before training, a prior authorization (training at an outside body) or a provisional authorization (training provided by the hiring company) is required. Each is valid for 6 months and does not allow the holder to work as an officer.
• Holders of a valid professional card can generally begin training without these authorizations.
• Demonstrate professional aptitude: a recognized certification (CQP or a qualification listed in the RNCP) or an accepted equivalence for certain police officers, gendarmes, municipal police officers and military personnel.
• Administrative investigation: CNAPS checks police and judicial files (TAJ, FPR and bulletin no. 2 of the criminal record) to confirm the absence of conduct incompatible with the activity.
• Foreign nationals, including European Union nationals, provide the equivalent of a criminal record extract (bulletin no. 3) from their country of birth, dated less than 3 months earlier, with a sworn translation into French.
• Beneficiaries of international protection (refugees or subsidiary protection) are not blocked by the lack of this document if they provide proof of their status.
• CNAPS describes the path to the card for French and European nationals and for people who have lived in France for more than 5 years.
• Non-European nationals who cannot show French at level B1 or higher can take a language test at an approved examination center.
• Only a national identity card or a passport is accepted as proof of identity. No medical certificate is required.

Application Steps

1. Obtain a pre-registration certificate from a CNAPS-authorized training body (required for the prior authorization).
2. Apply to CNAPS for a prior authorization, or for a provisional authorization if the employer provides the training. Each is valid for 6 months.
3. Complete the training and obtain the certification required for the activity.
4. Apply for the professional card on the CNAPS online portal (Dracar Ultimate), or by mail to the competent regional office with the paper form and supporting documents. A separate application is required for each activity.
5. CNAPS carries out the administrative investigation. Applications from people unknown to the police or gendarmerie are generally processed in less than 10 days. No response within 2 months of registration counts as a refusal.
6. The card is issued in digital form. The employer checks it and gives the officer a physical company badge.
7. A refusal can be challenged within 2 months, through an appeal to the director of CNAPS or before the administrative court.

Agency Licensing

Before starting their activity, sole operators and company managers must obtain from CNAPS an operating authorization for each activity, filed online from the company area of Dracar Ultimate. It is issued with no time limit. The application must be linked to a manager who holds a valid manager’s approval (agrément dirigeant, “private security company”), otherwise it is not processed. The documents required include the articles of association, proof of the establishment’s address, a valid professional insurance certificate, a declaration of financial interests and a list of the names of the founders, directors, managers and employees. Close protection of persons and private investigation each cannot be combined with any other private security activity, and surveillance and guarding activities cannot be combined with services unrelated to private security.

Armed activities require a specific authorization and card. CNAPS distinguishes armed security (category D weapons), enhanced armed security (categories B and D), enhanced armed security of sensitive sites (categories B, D and A1) and armed close protection of persons. Weapons-related applications are handled by the CNAPS West regional office (délégation Ouest).

The professional card is valid for 5 years throughout French territory and must be renewed at least 3 months before it expires. Renewal is done activity by activity, and adding an activity requires a new card application.

Sources

• CNAPS, Indian Ocean office (covers 974 Réunion and 976 Mayotte)
• CNAPS, Working as a private security officer
• CNAPS, Training for careers in private security
• CNAPS FAQ, Card applications and filing
• CNAPS FAQ, Becoming a private security officer
• CNAPS, Approval for a private security company
• CNAPS: official website
• Prefecture of Réunion, Sub-prefectures

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