Security Services in Germany

Germany is the largest economy in the European Union and a major corporate travel destination. Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, and Hamburg concentrate most international business and event activity. The CP market in Germany is smaller than France or the UK but consistent, driven by corporate visitors, diplomatic activity, and a specific HNWI sector.

FCDO assesses the terrorism threat in Germany as ‘very likely’. This is the highest category in the FCDO threat scale and puts Germany in the same assessed tier as France and Belgium. The threat comes from Islamist extremist networks and, separately, from far-right actors. The 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack and the 2020 Frankfurt knife attack demonstrate the range of threat actors and methodologies.

The Bewachungsverordnung framework

Germany’s security regulation has been tightened progressively. The 2021 requirement for mandatory Sachkundeprüfung for all close protection operatives raised the floor for operator quality. Before 2021, a significant portion of the market operated without any standardised training requirement.

The practical effect is that the German regulated market is more professional than it was five years ago. It is still not equivalent to the SIA CP licence standard or to professional military or police CP qualification. Operators who rely solely on the IHK examination as their CP credential require supplementary assessment.

Unarmed operations as the standard

Germany’s unarmed default is different from most P1 and P2 countries in the network. Principals arriving from regions where armed CP is standard require briefing on this constraint. The absence of armed private CP does not mean the threat environment justifies no protection. It means the protective methodology adapts: advance work, route planning, and surveillance detection become more important when no armed deterrent is available.

Berlin and the diplomatic environment

Berlin hosts a concentrated diplomatic community, significant UHNWI visitors, and a large international corporate travel flow. The city’s political environment includes active far-right protest and counter-protest activity, which creates periodic disruption. Areas around the Reichstag, Alexanderplatz, and Potsdamer Platz have hosted significant protest events. Security planning for political or high-profile visits must include protest calendar monitoring.

Source: FCDO Travel Advice: Germany (2024). BKA Annual Report on Terrorism (2023). IHK Berlin: Sachkundeprüfung Bewachungsgewerbe.

Our vetted operators provide close protection and executive protection and security driver services across Germany. For a detailed local assessment, see our Berlin city briefing.