Home›Guide›Security clearance

Security clearance for defence IT jobs

Anyone working on security-sensitive IT projects in the defence and security sector rarely avoids one topic: security clearance (in German: Sicherheitsüberprüfung, SÜ). It checks whether a person may be granted access to classified information. This guide gives an overview - and shows why there is no single European rule, but national systems in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Is there a central European requirement?

No. There is no central EU authority that vets individuals. The check is always carried out by the competent national authority under national law. The EU and NATO only provide a harmonisation framework: EU Council Decision2013/488/EUgoverns the protection of EU Classified Information (EUCI); NATO has its own rule set. Equivalence tables map national classification levels to EU/NATO levels, so a national clearance can be recognised for EUCI up to a certain level. The actual vetting of the person, however, always remains a matter for the respective member state.

Germany: Security Clearance Act (SÜG)

In Germany, the Security Clearance Act (Sicherheitsüberprüfungsgesetz, SÜG) defines three levels, depending on the classification to which access is to be granted:

• Ü1 - simple clearance: access to classified material from VS-VERTRAULICH (confidential).
• Ü2 - extended clearance: access to GEHEIM (secret).
• Ü3 - extended clearance with investigations: access to STRENG GEHEIM (top secret).

For the public sector, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) are central actors; classified-information protection in industry (e.g. at defence contractors) is handled separately. At higher levels, adult members of the household (e.g. spouse/partner) are included in the check.

Austria: SPG and Information Security Act

In Austria, security clearance is based on the Security Police Act (SPG, §§ 55 ff); the handling of classified information is governed by the Information Security Act (InfoSiG). Classification levels range from EINGESCHRÄNKT (restricted) through VERTRAULICH andGEHEIM to STRENG GEHEIM. Checks in the state-protection area are carried out by the Directorate State Security and Intelligence Service (DSN). There is no fixed Ü1/Ü2/Ü3 scheme as in Germany - the scope depends on the sensitivity of the role and the access level.

Switzerland: Personnel Security Screening (PSP)

Switzerland is not an EU member and uses the Personnel Security Screening (Personensicherheitsprüfung, PSP) under the Information Security Act (ISG). Three levels are common:

• Basic screening - access to information classified as VERTRAULICH (confidential).
• Extended PSP - access to GEHEIM (secret).
• Extended PSP with interview - for particularly sensitive functions.

The federal Specialist Unit for Personnel Security Screening is responsible. Screening is carried out with the consent of the person concerned, usually before and during security-relevant employment.

DACH at a glance

What does this mean for applicants and employers?

For applicants: an existing security clearance is a real plus - it shortens onboarding. However, the clearance is always requested by the employer for a specific role; you cannot obtain it yourself "in advance".

For employers: plan for the screening duration early - depending on level and country it can take weeks to months. For freelancers and external IT experts, it pays to clarify the clearance requirement already during the needs analysis.

Note: This overview is for general information and is not legal advice. Names, levels and responsibilities can change - the applicable laws and the information provided by the competent authorities are decisive.

→ Browse open IT jobs  · → For employers