How to become a security guard in Greece: licence and requirements

To work as a security guard in Greece you need a personal work licence, category A or B, under Law 2518/1997. To get it you must be at least 18, have none of the convictions the law excludes, be in sound mental health, and hold a vocational training title relevant to the job — for example certification through ΕΟΠΠΕΠ. The licence is valid for five years and is renewable. Once you have it, or while you prepare it, you can apply to OVIT.

Updated: 14 October 20265 min readSources: 5

What licence do I need to work as a security guard in Greece?

A security staff work licence, category A or B. It is personal, valid for five years and renewable.

Law 2518/1997 requires the security staff of private security companies to hold a work licence of category A or B (article 3 §1). The licence is personal: it belongs to you, not the company, and goes with you if you change employer. It is valid for five years and renewable (article 3 §6).

The licence is a condition of the job, not a formality: every month the company reports each employee’s licence number to the police (article 4).

What are the requirements for a security licence in Greece?

You must be at least 18, have none of the convictions listed in the law, have no mental illness or drug use, and hold a relevant training title.

Article 3 §4 of Law 2518/1997 refers to the conditions of article 2 §1, as amended by Law 5187/2025:

Age: at least 18.
Criminal record: no final conviction for the offences listed in the law, and no final prison sentence of more than six months for an article 8 offence or for any intentional crime.
Health: no mental illness and no drug use. The Hellenic Police page asks for a psychiatrist’s certificate no older than three months.
Training: a vocational training title relevant to the duties (see the next section).
For armed staff: completed military service as well.

The full list of offences is in article 2 §1 of the law. If you are unsure about your own case, ask before you start training.

Which diploma or certificate do I need for a category A security licence?

One of three: a «Στέλεχος Υπηρεσιών Ασφαλείας» diploma, a level-1 «Προσωπικό Ιδιωτικής Ασφαλείας» certificate or its ΕΟΠΠΕΠ equivalent, or a graduation certificate from a military, police, coast guard, fire service or prison-guard school.

Joint Ministerial Decision 4892/1/76-γ/2010, as last amended (31586/2025, ΦΕΚ Β΄ 6794/17.12.2025), accepts one of the following titles for category A:

(α) a post-secondary diploma in «Στέλεχος Υπηρεσιών Ασφαλείας» (security services officer);
(β) a level-1 certificate in «Προσωπικό Ιδιωτικής Ασφαλείας» (private security staff), or its equivalent obtained through ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification with ΚΕ.ΜΕ.Α.;
(γ) a graduation certificate from a military, police, coast guard, fire service or prison-guard school.

This guide does not cover the category B requirements, because we have not verified them; check the official source before you start.

How do I get security certification from ΕΟΠΠΕΠ?

You complete a 105-hour training programme and sit the certification exams that ΕΟΠΠΕΠ runs with ΚΕ.ΜΕ.Α. You must be 18 or over and have secondary education or professional experience.

According to the ΕΟΠΠΕΠ announcement for the first exam period of 2026, to take the exams you need:

to be at least 18;
secondary education or professional experience;
a completed 105-hour training programme.

Dates, documents and how to apply are announced by ΕΟΠΠΕΠ for each exam period — always read the current notice.

What does a security guard do on a shift?

They cover a post for set hours: watch the site, patrol, check who comes and goes, record what happens and hand over to the next shift.

Shifts: guarding often runs around the clock, so a rota can include mornings, afternoons, nights and weekends.
Patrols: routes through set checkpoints on the site, at regular intervals.
Access control: receiving visitors, suppliers and vehicles according to the post orders.
Reports: a shift report and a record of every incident with times and actions.
Handover: briefing the next guard on anything still open.

At OVIT, patrols, incidents and reports are logged in the Guardly platform, which gives the guard, the operations team and the client one live picture.

How do I apply for a security job at OVIT?

Through the Careers page. Say whether you already hold a work licence and which category, or how far along you are.

OVIT works with local teams and hires through its Careers page. It helps to mention in your application:

whether you hold a work licence, its category (A or B) and when it expires;
which training title or certification you have;
which area you can work in and which shifts suit you.

At a glance

To work as a security guard you need a personal work licence, category A or B (Law 2518/1997, art. 3).
The licence is valid for five years, renewable, and goes with you if you change employer.
Requirements: 18+, no excluded convictions, sound mental health (psychiatrist’s certificate under three months old) and a training title.
For category A, one route is ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification with ΚΕ.ΜΕ.Α., after a 105-hour programme.
At OVIT you apply through the Careers page.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a security licence valid in Greece?

The security staff work licence is valid for five years and renewable (Law 2518/1997, art. 3 §6).

What is the minimum age to become a security guard in Greece?

18. The same limit applies to the ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification exams.

How many hours of training does ΕΟΠΠΕΠ certification require?

To sit the private security staff certification exams you must have completed a 105-hour training programme.

Sources

Every legal or pay point in this guide was checked against the official sources below.

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