Close protection (bodyguard) training in the UK is the SIA licence-linked route to work as a Close Protection Operative. IBA UK delivers that training in Birmingham as a 14–18 day intensive programme listed at £2,000.
This guide covers duration, entry requirements, what you study, and how it differs from door supervisor or CCTV courses. It uses only prices and durations already published on this website. The SIA licence application fee is separate and is paid to the SIA — check GOV.UK for the current amount.
Who this course is for
It is not a short add-on to a weekend door course. You must be 18 or over.
The Level 3 close protection course is for people who want to protect principals, executives and VIPs in the UK and on overseas assignments.
IBA UK cannot issue the SIA licence; you apply to the SIA after you pass. Read how to get an SIA licence for that second step.
If you want pub-door shifts this month
The [door supervisor course](/door-supervisor/) is the matching product. If you want CPO work, budget time and the £2,000 training fee accordingly. Fitness, driving, appearance and the ability to work long days in a team are hiring filters after the licence — the course does not replace them.
How long is the course?
This is not an evening course you fit around night shifts. Plan the block as full-time training.
That length exists because close protection is an operational planning job as much as a physical one. You cover threat and risk assessment, foot and vehicle drills, venue procedures, surveillance awareness, conflict management and physical intervention for CPOs, plus professional conduct under pressure.
Learners travelling into Birmingham should arrange accommodation for the run of dates, not a daily round-trip that eats the evenings you need to revise. Do not assume a 14-day minimum if your allocated cohort is scheduled longer — confirm dates on the close protection course page.
Red flag
If a provider offers “close protection in a few days” without practical drills, treat it with caution. Compare providers using [how to choose SIA training in Birmingham](/guides/how-to-choose-sia-training-birmingham/).
What you will learn
CP is a team skill: comms, formations and vehicle work only make sense when they are drilled, not only described.
Training is delivered by IBA instructors at the only authorised IBA accredited centre in the UK and Northern Ireland. That IBA pathway is why many learners specifically search for IBA bodyguard training rather than a generic classroom award.
- Roles, responsibilities and legislation for close protection operatives
- Threat assessment, risk management and operational planning
- Foot drills, formations and venue security
- Route planning, reconnaissance and journey management
- Surveillance awareness and search procedures
- Conflict management and physical intervention for CPOs
- Communication, teamwork and conduct under pressure
Expect to be assessed on knowledge and on practical performance. You will also be expected to behave like someone a principal’s office could deploy — on time, in standard, able to take instruction. That is part of professional conduct, not an optional extra.
Cost: £2,000 plus the SIA fee
£2,000 is the IBA UK training fee. It is not a job placement fee and it is not the SIA badge.
Payment on the course page goes through the booking form and SumUp where a payment URL is live. The SIA close protection licence fee is extra and is paid to the SIA when you apply. Check the current SIA amount on GOV.UK.
Budget for accommodation if you are travelling into Birmingham for the full block, plus travel to Praetorian House, 20 Paper Mill End, B44 8NH. Optional IBAHQ-style modules after the core award are separate — see IBAHQ and ask via contact rather than assuming they are inside the £2,000.
The duration is the product
If you cannot take two to three weeks off, do not pay and hope to “catch up later”.
Door supervisor vs close protection
One does not replace the other. Employers who want a CPO will ask for the CP licence, not only DS.
If your goal is pub and club work this year, start with door supervisor. If your goal is CPO work, book close protection. Some operatives hold both over a career.
CCTV is a third pathway. A control-room licence does not make you a close protection operative. See SIA CCTV operator licence if that is the vacancy you actually have.
Completion of close protection at IBA UK is also the stated route toward IBA membership. Membership is after the CP pathway — read the membership page rather than treating it as a substitute for the SIA licence.
After the course
The qualification is necessary; it is not the whole hiring decision. Processing is the SIA’s timeline, not IBA UK’s.
IBAHQ-style specialist modules (protective driving, IED awareness, DART) sit alongside the core SIA CP award. They are for people who need those extras after the main course, not a way to skip the 14–18 day programme.
Work after licensing is assignment-based. Some CPOs mix corporate days with overseas tasks; some stay on static residential plots. The course prepares you to apply. It does not allocate a principal.
The training centre is Praetorian House, 20 Paper Mill End, Birmingham B44 8NH. Call 0121 377 8116 or book SIA close protection training. If you are still deciding between front-line SIA awards, start with how to get an SIA licence in Birmingham and only move to CP when the role and the 14–18 day commitment are real.
Ready to book with IBA UK?
Checklist done? Jump straight to the course, the centre, or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
How long is SIA close protection training at IBA UK?
The programme is an intensive 14–18 day licence-linked course combining classroom theory with practical foot, vehicle and venue drills.
How much does the close protection course cost?
The course is listed at £2,000 on this website. The SIA close protection licence application fee is paid separately to the SIA after you pass.
Do I need a door supervisor licence first?
Close protection is a separate SIA licence. You must be 18 or over. A door supervisor licence is useful experience but is not a substitute for the CP qualification.