§34a GewO Certification.
for foreign skilled workers

The "34a Schein" is the colloquial name for the IHK certificate of competence under § 34a GewO, also known as the "security licence". It is the legal requirement for qualified work in the security industry, for example city patrol, store detective or door supervision at discotheques. IHQ Akademie prepares you for this examination in 13 weeks (528 teaching units), 100 % online, free of charge with an education voucher from the Federal Employment Agency.

The preparation yes, the exam no: at IHQ Akademie you prepare for 13 weeks live online (528 teaching units, Monday to Friday) from anywhere in Germany; you take the IHK Sachkundeprüfung itself in person at an IHK – 120 minutes written with 82 questions and about 15 minutes oral. IHQ Akademie does not offer the 40-hour Unterrichtung under § 34a GewO; the course prepares you for the Sachkundeprüfung.

The entire online preparation course, including the IHK exam fee, is free for you if you have an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) from the Agentur für Arbeit (since 2025 the Bildungsgutschein is issued exclusively by the Agentur für Arbeit, including for Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld) recipients). We are AZAV-certified (Reg.-No. EPZ-25-15-T); with the Bildungsgutschein, the Agentur für Arbeit covers 100% of the costs, valid nationwide.

The IHK exam fee varies by IHK and is usually around 150–250 € (IHK Berlin: 200 €, as at October 2026); without funding, a preparation course costs anything from under 100 € to four figures, depending on the format. At IHQ Akademie, the IHK exam fee for the first attempt is already included in the course, and with a Bildungsgutschein from the Agentur für Arbeit the entire course is free of charge for you – 0 € own contribution. You will find a detailed breakdown of all cost items in our guide to the costs of the 34a certificate.

With a Bildungsgutschein: 0 € — the course and the IHK exam fee (first attempt) are covered. Without funding, the Sachkundeprüfung 34a costs around 150–250 € in exam fees depending on the IHK, plus the course costs. The details are in the answer above.

The course lasts 13 weeks with 528 lesson units of 45 minutes each. Classes are held live online, synchronous with instructors, not self-study. You can join from anywhere in Germany.

No, the course runs full-time: 13 weeks, Monday to Friday live online with instructors (528 teaching units of 45 minutes).

The Sachkundeprüfung course of IHQ Akademie: 13 weeks, 528 teaching units, live online with instructors — no self-study. The course prepares you specifically for the IHK Sachkundeprüfung under § 34a GewO, with integrated vocational German from language level A2.

Yes, the course is 100% online and you join live from home, from anywhere in Germany. You only need a laptop, camera, headset and stable internet, loan devices are possible.

Yes, but only live online: IHQ Akademie is based in Berlin-Friedrichshain (Scharnweberstraße 23); in-person initial consultations take place at Markgrafendamm 24/Haus 16. The course itself runs only live online – people living in Berlin also join from home. You take the exam at the IHK Berlin, for example (200 €, as at October 2026; included in the course for the first attempt).

You take the exam in person at a Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), not online – in principle at any IHK that offers it, not only where you live (some IHKs currently only accept people from their own district). We help you register and prepare you specifically for all 7 subject areas (written + oral).

The exam consists of a written part (120 minutes, 82 multiple-choice questions, max. 120 points, passed from 60 points) and an oral part (about 15 minutes) – both in person at an IHK, and each must be passed separately. Seven subject areas are examined: law of public safety and order including trade law, data protection law, the Civil Code (BGB), criminal law and criminal procedure including the handling of weapons, accident prevention, dealing with people, and the basics of security technology. We practise all areas with mock exams and support you in registering at your IHK.

The 34a certificate is not a classic vocational training (Ausbildung) but the IHK Sachkundeprüfung under § 34a GewO – the fastest recognised route to working as a security officer. If you want to get the 34a certificate, you do not need a 3-year training: after 13 weeks of preparation and a passed IHK exam, you may take on duties in the security service that require the Sachkunde. Later you can build on it, for example with the Geprüfte Schutz- und Sicherheitskraft (IHK).

Neither: the Sachkundeprüfung 34a is an IHK exam, not a vocational training. The preparation for it is further training (Weiterbildung) — at IHQ Akademie as a 13-week course that can be funded with a Bildungsgutschein. A multi-year vocational training is not necessary to work in the security industry.

There are 1–2-week crash courses on the market – but they require very good German and a lot of self-study. IHQ Akademie deliberately prepares you over 13 weeks (528 teaching units): with integrated vocational German from language level A2, all 7 subject areas and monthly one-to-one coaching. The course is AZAV-certified and free of charge with a Bildungsgutschein from the Agentur für Arbeit – including the IHK exam fee for the first attempt.

The next 34a course starts on Monday, 15.02.2027 (13 weeks full-time, 528 teaching units, 12 places). Registration is open now – it is best to sort out the Bildungsgutschein in good time before the course starts. Classes take place live online, full-time, and you can join from anywhere in Germany. Simply book a non-binding consultation – we will clarify funding and the start date together.

You need German language skills at level A2 or higher. We integrate 132 lesson units of professional German into the course and raise your level to B1+ in parallel. No professional prior knowledge required.

We will not quote a general pass rate until we have reliable cohort data. What we do for your exam success: 528 teaching units of live instruction covering all 7 subject areas, integrated exam practice, monthly one-to-one coaching sessions, and the IHK examination fee for your first attempt is already included in the course.

The lessons are held in German (since the IHK exam is in German). Consultation and coaching are held in German too – we speak slowly and clearly and take our time. So that you can keep up linguistically, 132 lesson units of vocational German are built into the course – for participants throughout Germany.

You receive the Bildungsgutschein after a counselling interview at the Agentur für Arbeit; Jobcenter customers go to their Jobcenter first (it determines the need for further training). Mention measure number 962/485/26 of IHQ Akademie; we will give you an offer to take with you. The voucher does not name a provider and is valid for a maximum of 3 months – so sort it out in good time before the course starts. We advise you free of charge beforehand, online by video or in person in Berlin.

Yes: since 1 January 2025, the Agentur für Arbeit has also issued the Bildungsgutschein for Jobcenter customers receiving Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld). Go to your Jobcenter first – it determines the need for further training. With an approved voucher, the course and the IHK exam fee (first attempt) at IHQ Akademie are free of charge for you.

If you fail, you can retake the IHK exam. We offer repeat participants targeted follow-up with individual coaching, your success is our goal.

Yes, the passed IHK §34a GewO exam is recognized nationwide and does not expire. With the certificate you can work in the private security industry anywhere in Germany, from Hamburg to Munich, from Cologne to Berlin.

Yes, the § 34a certificate is ideal for career changers and offers a quick entry into the security industry. After passing the IHK exam, you can work as a security officer in security services, as a doorman, bouncer, in event security or facility protection, the Sachkunde certificate under § 34a GewO is valid throughout Germany, and no prior knowledge is required.

Not for the IHK competence exam (Sachkundeprüfung) itself. If you later work as a security guard, your employer registers you in the guard register (Bewacherregister), and the competent authority checks your reliability – it obtains the information from the Federal Central Criminal Register (Bundeszentralregister) itself. Relevant entries can rule out such work, and you must be of legal age. Employers and – for funding with a Bildungsgutschein – the Agentur für Arbeit may additionally require a police clearance certificate (Führungszeugnis). Only self-employed persons need their own permit under § 34a GewO. We advise you on all requirements during the course.

For participation in the preparation course, language level A2 is sufficient as entry requirement. For the IHK competence exam itself, however, some IHKs specify B1 as the minimum level, as the exam contains legal terminology (BGB, StGB, GewO, BDSG). Solution for our multilingual participants: Our course integrates 132 UE of specialized German using the CLIL method, you improve your German to B1+ in parallel while learning the security content.

Unterrichtung according to § 34a GewO (40 UE mandatory training, IHK attendance certificate without exam) qualifies for simple security activities: stationary plant security, reception/doorman, simple object protection. Sachkundeprüfung §34a (comprehensive IHK exam, written + oral) is required for more demanding activities: city patrols, anti-shoplifting protection, door supervision at discotheques, leading the security of access-controlled large events and of asylum and communal accommodation – and for self-employed persons and managers of security companies. Our course prepares for the complete Sachkundeprüfung.

In Berlin and Brandenburg, a generally binding collective agreement has applied since 1 January 2026 to security companies based there (Federal Gazette, BAnz AT 02.07.2026 B8 and B9). The minimum in object protection is 15.15 € gross per hour. With the Sachkundeprüfung it is 15.55 € – but only if the client or the law expressly requires the Sachkunde, for example for city patrols or store detectives. Night, Sunday and public holiday supplements come on top. Cash and valuables transport and aviation security at airports, among others, are not covered by this agreement. From 1 January 2027: 15.70 € and 16.15 € respectively. For comparison, the statutory minimum wage: 13.90 € per hour in 2026, 14.60 € from 1 January 2027 (Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance). Other federal states have their own collective agreements. As at: October 2026.