What Does Close Protection Cost Per Day?
A qualified close protection officer costs from around €850 per day in European cities on a standard 12-hour shift, and €750 to over €1,500 across continental Europe depending on the assignment. In the UK, domestic cover runs £200 to £600 a day and international or high-risk work £700 to £1,500. The number of officers and the hours covered multiply that figure.
Day rates by market
| Market and assignment | Rate per officer per day | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| European cities, standard | from €850 | 12-hour availability |
| Continental Europe, range | €750–1,500+ | By risk and location |
| UK, standard domestic | £200–500 | Regional assignments |
| UK, central London | £400–600 | Standard cover |
| UK, international or high-risk | £700–1,500 | Travel, elevated threat |
Sources and units. Rate bands as published by Priority First, Algoz Group, VIS Protection and Lima Protection, consulted 1 September 2026. Currencies as the sources publish them. These are officer day rates from the market, not EchelonX tariffs; a quote for your situation depends on the assessment below.
What actually sets the rate?
Four things, and the published sources agree on all of them.
- Risk level. A known, specific threat requires a more experienced officer and more preparation than general precaution. That is the difference between the bottom and top of every band above.
- Location. Capital cities cost more than regions; some countries cost more than others; anywhere requiring a firearms-trained officer costs more again.
- Number of officers. The rate is per officer. Cover that needs two people is twice the number, before any other factor. How that is decided is in one officer or a team.
- Shift length. The standard day is 12 hours. Round-the-clock cover is not one officer for 24 hours — it is two shifts, and priced as such.
A worked week
Take a single officer in a European city at €850 a day for a five-day business trip, 12 hours a day. That is €4,250 for the officer. Add travel, accommodation if they stay near you, and any vehicle — typically billed at cost or as a day supplement — and a realistic figure is €5,500 to €7,000 for the week.
Make it round-the-clock and the officer figure doubles to €8,500 before extras. Make it a two-person detail on 24-hour cover and you are at four officer-days per calendar day. This is why the honest first question is not "what does an officer cost" but "what does my situation actually need" — which is the subject of do you need close protection.
What is inside the day rate, and what is not
| Item | Inside the day rate |
|---|---|
| The officer's time, 12 hours | Yes |
| Basic threat and route planning | Usually |
| Officer's travel to and from the assignment | Sometimes — ask |
| Officer's accommodation on multi-day work | No |
| Secure vehicle and driver | No |
| Advance reconnaissance of venues | No — often a separate day |
| Overtime beyond 12 hours | No |
Licensing, and why it affects price
Legitimate close protection is a licensed activity in most European countries — the SIA regime in the UK, the Wpbr permit system in the Netherlands, and equivalents elsewhere. A licensed, insured officer costs more than an unlicensed one, and the difference is the entire product: the ability to operate lawfully, to be insured, and to have been vetted and trained to a standard. A rate well below the bands above usually means one of those is missing. The distinction between a trained officer and someone who is simply large is set out in close protection vs bodyguard.
Common questions
Is close protection cheaper by the week?
Modestly, on longer assignments, since planning and travel are spread over more days. It is not a large discount; the officer's time is the cost, and that does not fall with volume.
Do I pay for the officer's meals and hotel?
On multi-day assignments away from their base, yes — accommodation close to you is part of the job, and it is billed at cost or as a per diem. Confirm which before the assignment starts.
Can I hire close protection for a single evening?
Yes. A single event is priced as a day, sometimes with a minimum number of hours, and often with a short advance visit to the venue. It is one of the most common assignments.
Why do some quotes come in at half the rate?
Because something is missing: a licence, insurance, training, or the officer is being subcontracted at a fraction of what you are paying. Ask to see the licence and the insurance certificate. A reputable provider will show both without being asked twice.
A figure for your situation
Tell us where, when, for how long, and what has prompted the question. You get an honest assessment of what the situation needs — sometimes that is a single officer for one evening, sometimes it is nothing at all — and a figure with the extras shown. Describe the situation and we will come back with that, not a rate card.