Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| Spain | |
|---|---|
| Status | Licence required |
| Regulator | Ministerio del Interior – Policía Nacional, Unidad Central de Seguridad Privada |
| Who holds the licence | Individuals and agencies |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Training | University degree (grado) in private investigation, or the Ministry of the Interior–recognised private investigation course (art. 29.1.c) |
| Bond or insurance | Despacho: civil liability insurance or other financial guarantee plus a surety (aval or seguro de caución) for administrative liabilities, amounts set by regulation (art. 24.2 e-f) |
| Fees | Habilitación of a detective, registration of a despacho or detective company, or a branch: EUR 64.16 each (tasa modelo 790, código 015, tarifa octava) |
| Processing time | Legal maximum 3 months to decide (silence means refusal); TIP issued within 20 working days once checks are complete |
| Renewal | Professional ID card (TIP) valid 10 years from issue, then renewed or exchanged; the habilitación itself and the despacho declaration have indefinite validity while requirements are met |
| Reciprocity | Habilitations or qualifications obtained in other EU/EEA states can be recognised (art. 28.5). |
| Recording calls | One-party consent |
| Firearms | Private investigation is not among the security services that may be armed under art. 40 Ley 5/2014, and detectives cannot combine their role with other security personnel functions (art. 37.3). |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.