As in many other countries, the profession of private detective is not recognised in Switzerland. There is therefore no possibility to complete a state professional training to become a private detective and therefore no title “eidg. dipl. private detective” exists. Although some so-called “detective schools” suggest it in their advertisements, it is hard to find full-time employment with a private detective agency in Switzerland, as detective agencies in this country are usually small businesses that are hardly able to fill the capacity of an employee and therefore have no corresponding need. Likewise, the promised earning opportunities are usually unrealistic.

Some Swiss training centres have often been criticised in the press, often with a glaring discrepancy between the high training costs and the corresponding return on investment. For this reason, our association only recommends the ZAD – Zentralstelle für die Ausbildung im Detektivgewerbe (Central Office for Training in the Detective Trade) described below.

The ZAD, in cooperation with the professional associations for detectives, including the FSPD, and recognised specialist detective agencies, practices training measures in the detective trade and assists in the selection and training of talented young people.
Education and meaningful information are at the forefront of these measures in order to rule out bad investments on the part of the applicant and to start a successful training in cooperation with the recognised specialist detective agencies or companies in the retail sector.

At present, two training variants are available:

Combined distance and direct teaching programme
in connection with a two-year internship and final examination as certified private detective

Department store dective
This is a training programme over a period of 6 months
(4 seminar blocks of 2 1/2 days each) with final exams
according to § 13, paragraph 2 of the ZAD examination regulations according to the
vocational training plan for detectives).
The variety of basic teaching subjects offered by the ZAD together with practical training in recognised detective agencies guarantee a solid education.
For further information, please contact the:

ZAD – Central Office for Detective Training
P.O. Box 87 01 63
D-13161 Berlin

Homepage: www.z-a-d.de
email: info@z-a-d.de