Private investigator licensing in Slovenia
Yes. Private investigators need a licence in Slovenia.
Slovenian detectives are licensed individually by the Detective Chamber of Slovenia under the Detective Activity Act (ZDD-2), which replaced ZDD-1 from December 2024. Applicants need at least a first-cycle degree, must complete the Chamber's training and pass the detective exam, and must clear a security check before being entered on the register; membership of the Chamber is compulsory and the licence has no expiry date. Detectives and detective companies must hold liability insurance of at least EUR 42,000 per claim, and audio recording is allowed only with the written consent of the person recorded.
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None
Yes
Insurance required
How to get licensed
- 1
Hold at least a first-cycle (bachelor's) degree or a recognised foreign equivalent
- 2
Complete the Chamber's professional training for detective candidates
- 3
Pass the detective exam
- 4
Apply to the Detective Chamber for the licence and detective ID card, with proof of the exam, payment of costs and the administrative fee, and a photo
- 5
Pass the security check, take out liability insurance and join the Chamber before starting work
Licensed somewhere else?
See whether you can take a case in Slovenia.
How to qualify
- Who holds the licence
- Individuals and agencies
- Experience
- None required; applicants must not have worked for the police, as an authorised official or in defence intelligence in the two years before applying
- Training
- Professional training for detective candidates (run by the Detective Chamber) before the detective exam; minimum first-cycle (bachelor's) degree
- Bond or insurance
- Detectives and detective companies: liability insurance of at least EUR 42,000 per claim and EUR 84,000 per insurance year (ZDD-2 art. 8)
- Citizenship
- Citizen of Slovenia, another EU/EEA state or Switzerland
- Renewal
- Licence has no fixed term: it ends only if the detective gives it up or dies, or the Chamber withdraws it (ZDD-2 art. 22); periodic training every 4 years
- Continuing education
- Periodic training (obdobno usposabljanje) every 4 years, run by the Chamber at least once a year (ZDD-2 art. 32)
- Reciprocity
- EU qualifications recognised under the general system; cross-border or occasional work needs prior permission from the competent authority
Rules in the field
Recording conversations
All-party consent
Everyone in the conversation must agree before you record it.
GPS trackers
ZDD-2 art. 39 lists the technical means a detective may use (cameras, audio recorders with written consent, forensic and testing kit, counter-surveillance, field radios); tracking devices are not among them, and covert investigative measures reserved to police are banned (art. 40). Observation is capped at four months per mandate (art. 38).
Sources
Reference information, not legal advice. Confirm with the regulator before taking on work. Out of date? Tell us.
Questions about PI licensing in Slovenia
Do you need a licence to be a private investigator in Slovenia?+
Yes. Private investigators need a licence in Slovenia. Slovenian detectives are licensed individually by the Detective Chamber of Slovenia under the Detective Activity Act (ZDD-2), which replaced ZDD-1 from December 2024. Applicants need at least a first-cycle degree, must complete the Chamber's training and pass the detective exam, and must clear a security check before being entered on the register; membership of the Chamber is compulsory and the licence has no expiry date. Detectives and detective companies must hold liability insurance of at least EUR 42,000 per claim, and audio recording is allowed only with the written consent of the person recorded.
Who licenses private investigators in Slovenia?+
Detektivska zbornica Republike Slovenije (Detective Chamber of Slovenia), under Zakon o detektivski dejavnosti (ZDD-2), Uradni list RS 95/2024, in force 8 December 2024.
How much experience do you need to be a PI in Slovenia?+
None required; applicants must not have worked for the police, as an authorised official or in defence intelligence in the two years before applying
Is there an exam for a private investigator licence in Slovenia?+
Yes, applicants must pass an exam.
Do private investigators in Slovenia need a bond or insurance?+
Detectives and detective companies: liability insurance of at least EUR 42,000 per claim and EUR 84,000 per insurance year (ZDD-2 art. 8)
How often does a Slovenia PI licence need renewing?+
Licence has no fixed term: it ends only if the detective gives it up or dies, or the Chamber withdraws it (ZDD-2 art. 22); periodic training every 4 years
How do you get a private investigator licence in Slovenia?+
1. Hold at least a first-cycle (bachelor's) degree or a recognised foreign equivalent 2. Complete the Chamber's professional training for detective candidates 3. Pass the detective exam 4. Apply to the Detective Chamber for the licence and detective ID card, with proof of the exam, payment of costs and the administrative fee, and a photo 5. Pass the security check, take out liability insurance and join the Chamber before starting work
Can an investigator licensed elsewhere work a case in Slovenia?+
A detective entitled to practise in another EU/EEA state may work in Slovenia temporarily or occasionally after filing a written declaration with the Detective Chamber; if the profession is unregulated at home, one year's practice in the last ten years is needed (ZDD-2 art. 45).
Does Slovenia accept PI licences from elsewhere?+
EU qualifications recognised under the general system; cross-border or occasional work needs prior permission from the competent authority
Can a private investigator record phone calls in Slovenia?+
Slovenia requires everyone's consent: all parties must agree before a conversation is recorded.
Associations for investigators in Slovenia
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