Security Guard Tests 2026: Admitted, Excluded and Deadlines

Key data

Anyone aspiring to work as a security guard, explosives guard or private escort in Spain now faces a critical step: checking their status on the official list published in the BOE on May 4, 2026. The Resolution of April 23, 2026 from the State Secretariat for Security activates administrative deadlines that do not allow for delay.

For private security companies, this publication is also relevant: it directly affects the availability of qualified personnel to fill positions in the three categories called.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution publishes the official list of candidates admitted and excluded from the selection tests called for three professional figures in the private security sector in Spain:

• Security guard
• Explosives guard (specialty within the security guard category)
• Private escort

Passing these tests is the essential requirement to obtain the professional qualification that allows you to legally perform these functions. Without that qualification, it is not possible to work in any private security company in these categories.

Publication in the BOE has two direct and immediate effects:

• Grants official status to the lists of admitted and excluded candidates.
• Activates administrative deadlines for excluded candidates to remedy defects in their documentation or file claims against the resolution.

Excluded candidates must review the reason for their exclusion and act within the enabled deadline. Once that deadline expires without action, the exclusion becomes final and the candidate will not be able to participate in the tests of this call.

Economic and operational impact

For candidates, the impact is direct: failing to obtain professional qualification means not being able to access jobs in the private security sector in the categories called. This affects both new candidates and those seeking to regularize or expand their qualification.

For private security companies, the call and its results have concrete operational consequences:

• The number of candidates who pass the tests will determine the availability of qualified personnel in the labor market of the sector.
• Companies that need to fill vacancies in these categories must take into account the deadlines of the call to plan their selection and hiring processes.
• Hiring personnel without current professional qualification constitutes a breach of private security regulations, with the administrative responsibilities that entails.

For excluded candidates who do not remedy within the deadline, the cost is the loss of the opportunity to participate in this call, which may mean waiting for a future call to obtain the qualification.

Who does it affect?

• Candidates admitted to the selection tests for security guard, explosives guard and private escort: must prepare for the tests and follow the established calendar.
• Excluded candidates: must review the reason for exclusion and act within the remediation or claim deadline before it expires.
• Private security companies that need to incorporate personnel in these categories: must consider the impact of this call on their staffing planning.
• HR departments in the private security sector that manage qualifications and accreditations of their personnel.
• Advisors and managers who accompany candidates in professional qualification processes in private security.

Practical example

A candidate for security guard submits their application to participate in the selection tests. When the resolution is published in the BOE on May 4, 2026, they check that they appear on the list of excluded candidates due to a defect in the documentation provided.

Thanks to the official publication, they have the administrative deadline enabled to remedy that defect and submit the correct documentation to the State Secretariat for Security. If they act within that deadline, they can move to the admitted list and participate in the tests. If they do not act, they are permanently excluded from this call and must wait for a new one to be able to obtain the professional qualification that allows them to legally work as a security guard.

For a private security company that plans to hire guards in the coming months, monitoring this call allows them to anticipate when new qualified professionals will be available in the market.

What should companies do now?

1. If you are an admitted candidate: confirm your status on the official list published in the BOE (reference BOE-A-2026-9678) and prepare for the tests according to the calendar established by the State Secretariat for Security.
2. If you are an excluded candidate: review the reason for exclusion in the resolution published on May 4, 2026, gather the necessary documentation to remedy the defect and submit it within the enabled administrative deadline. Do not wait until the last moment.
3. If you are a private security company: update your staffing planning taking into account the deadlines of this call. Remember that hiring personnel without current professional qualification constitutes a regulatory breach.
4. If you manage personnel qualifications: verify that all active employees in the categories of security guard, explosives guard and private escort have current and valid professional qualification.
5. Keep track of deadlines: publication in the BOE activates specific administrative deadlines. Any action outside the deadline will have no effect. Set up alerts or periodic reviews to not miss key dates.