List of gendarmeries
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term maréchaussée may also be used but is now uncommon.
Although pioneered in France, the concept of a gendarmerie was adopted by several other European nations during the Napoleonic Wars. It remains an integral part of the military establishment in most Francophone states and territories. A somewhat related phenomenon has been the formation of paramilitary units which fall under the authority of civilian police agencies. Since these are not strictly military forces, however, they are not considered gendarmeries. 20 gendarmeries and 1 observer are part of the International Association of Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status as of 2024. 7 EU states are part of the Gendarmerie Force, with 1 partner and 1 observer.
List of active gendarmeries
| Country or territory | Image | English name | Native-language name | Notes | |
| Algeria | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Formed in 1962 following Algerian independence and attached to the Ministry of Defence | ||
| Argentina | Argentine National Gendarmerie | Gendarmería Nacional Argentina | Formed in 1938, and a member of FIEP | ||
| Azerbaijan | Internal Troops of Azerbaijan | Azərbaycan Respublikası Daxili Qoşunları | |||
| Belarus | Internal Troops | Унутраныя войскі Внутренние войска | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Gendarmerie of Republika Srpska | Жандармерија Републике Српске | Bosnia and Herzegovina has two major entity-level ministries of interior, so only Republika Srpska has gendarmerie type unit formed in September 2019. | ||
| Brazil | Military Police | Polícia Militar | Brazilian states have their own gendarmeries. Member of FIEP | ||
| Bulgaria | Gendarmerie (Bulgaria) | Жандармерия | |||
| Burkina Faso | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Established in 1960 following independence as part of the army, and operates within the Defence Ministry | ||
| Bhutan | Royal Bhutan Police | རྒྱལ་གཞུང་འབྲུག་གི་འགག་སྡེ | |||
| Cambodia | Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia | កងរាជអាវុធហត្ថ | First formed in 1954 and operated until the Khmer Rouge dictatorship in 1975. Reformed in 1993 with assistance from France. | ||
| Cameroon | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Formed in 1960, and operates under the Defence Ministry as one of the two primary law enforcement organisations, alongside the Cameroonian National Police | ||
| Central African Republic | Gendarmerie | ||||
| Chad | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Created following independence from France in 1960 | ||
| Chile | Carabineros of Chile | Carabineros de Chile | Formed in 1903 as part of the army. In 1927 it was merged with the civilian Fiscal Police and Rural Police to create the Carabineros de Chile. Member of FIEP | ||
| China | People's Armed Police | 中国人民武装警察部队 | Formed in 1982, the PAP perform military-civilian police duties. The PAP is a component of the Paramilitary forces of China. | ||
| Comoros | Gendarmerie | Formed in 1978 | |||
| Republic of the Congo | Initially formed in 1960 following independence before being dissolved and split between the Army and Police in 1970. Restored in 1991 and shares policing duties with the National Police. Controlled by the Defense Ministry | ||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Gendarmerie | In 1958 the French Gendarmerie began to supervise the first elements of the Ivorian Republican Guard, before becoming the National Gendarmerie following independence in 1960 | |||
| Djibouti | Djiboutian National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale Djiboutienne | The first French Gendarmes arrived in 1919, following independence in 1977 the Djiboutian Gendarmerie was created and is primarily under the Ministry of Defense. Member of FIEP | ||
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic National Police | Policía Nacional Dominicana | |||
| France | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Established in 1791 and member of FIEP and the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Gabon | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Formed in 1960 following independence with Gabonization occurring in 1964. A branch of the Defense Ministry | ||
| Guinea | Gendarmerie | Formed following independence in 1958 and shares policing duties with the National Police | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | National Guard | Guarda Nacional | Created in 2010 through the merger of several former security agencies. Modeled on the Portuguese National Republican Guard and other similar organizations. | ||
| Hungary | Law Enforcement and Public Safety Service | Rendészeti Biztonsági Szolgálat | |||
| Iraqi Kurdistan | Zeravani | Zêrevanî | Established in 1997 and has been described as a gendarmerie. Under the operational control of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Interior, but are part of the Peshmerga armed forces of Iraqi Kurdistan. | ||
| Italy | Corps of Carabineers | Arma dei Carabinieri | The Carabinieri is a component of the Italian Armed Forces. Formed in 1814 and a part of the Defence Ministry but coordinated by the Interior Ministry. Member of FIEP and the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Jordan | General Directorate of Gendarmerie | قوات الدرك الأردني | Established in 2008 and member of FIEP | ||
| Kazakhstan | National Guard of Kazakhstan | Ұлттық ұланы, Ūlttyq ūlany | Established in 2014 on the basis of Kazakhstan Interior Troops | ||
| Kuwait | Kuwait National Guard | الحرس الوطني الكويتي | Member of FIEP | ||
| Lithuania | Public Safety Service | Viešojo saugumo tarnyba | Created following independence in 1991 as the Internal Service Unit and reorganised in 2002. | ||
| Madagascar | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Formed following independence in 1960 and reports to the National Defence Ministry | ||
| Mali | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Established in 1960 and shares policing duties with the National Police. Administratively controlled by the Ministry of Defence, with operational control shared between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection. | ||
| Mauritania | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Established in 1960 and part of the Defence Ministry | ||
| Mexico | National Guard | Guardia Nacional | The National Guard was created in 2019 by merging the Federal Police. | ||
| Moldova | Carabinier Troops | Trupele de Carabinieri | Created in 1991 under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. FIEP observer | ||
| Monaco | Prince's Company of Carabiniers | Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince | The Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers provide an armed support service. | ||
| Mongolia | National Police Agency | Цагдаагийн Ерөнхий Газар | |||
| Mongolia | Internal Troops of Mongolia | Монгол Улсын Дотоод цэргүүд | Disestablished in 2013, reestablished in 2017 | ||
| Morocco | Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Royale | Formed in 1957 and with law enforcement primarily in rural areas. Member of FIEP | ||
| Netherlands | Royal Marechaussee | Koninklijke Marechaussee | Established in 1814, and part of the Ministry of Defence although non-military operations are performed under the Ministry of Justice and Security and Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Member of FIEP and the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Niger | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale Nigérienne | Established in 1960 and part of the Defence Ministry | ||
| Palestine | Palestinian National Security Forces | قوات الأمن الوطني الفلسطيني | Member of FIEP | ||
| Pakistan | Pakistan Levies | ||||
| Pakistan | Federal Constabulary | جمیعتِ سپاہیانِ سرحدی | |||
| Poland | Military Gendarmerie | Żandarmeria Wojskowa | Created in 1812 and directed by the Ministry of Defence. Member of the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Portugal | National Republican Guard | Guarda Nacional Republicana | Precursor units date back to 1801, with the National Republican Guard created in 1911. In peacetime it responds to the Ministry of Internal Administration, and in wartime the Ministry of National Defence. Member of FIEP and the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Romania | Romanian Gendarmerie | Jandarmeria Română | Formed in 1850 and under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Member of FIEP and the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Qatar | Internal Security Force | لخويا | Established in 2003 as part of the Interior Ministry. Member of FIEP | ||
| Russia | National Guard of Russia | Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии РФ | The first Russian gendarmerie units were created in 1817 with the current National Guard established in 2016 containing SOBR, OMON, and the Internal Troops and reporting directly to the President. | ||
| San Marino | Corps of Gendarmerie of San Marino | Gendarmeria | Established in 1824 and member of FIEP | ||
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabian National Guard | الحَرَس الوَطنيّ | |||
| Senegal | Senegalese Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Established in 1962 The Gendarmerie and civilian National Police are the two main law enforcement bodies. It is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Armed Forces. Member of FIEP | ||
| Serbia | Gendarmery | Жандармерија | Originally formed in 1860, it was disbanded in 1945 and re-established in 2001. | ||
| Spain | Civil Guard | Guardia Civil | Formed in 1844 with control for functions shared between the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of the Interior and one of the two national Policing bodies. Member of FIEP and the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Taiwan | Military Police | 中華民國憲兵 | may be mobilized by prosecutors to investigate civilian crimes | ||
| Tajikistan | Internal Troops | Қӯшунҳои дохилӣ | |||
| Togo | National Gendarmerie | Gendarmerie Nationale | Created in 1962 and is part of the Ministry of Defense, although may report to the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection for law enforcement. | ||
| Tunisia | National Guard | Garde Nationale | Member of FIEP | ||
| Turkey | Gendarmerie General Command | Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı | Subordinate to the Turkish Ministry of Interior since 2016. Member of FIEP and observer of the European Gendarmerie Force | ||
| Turkmenistan | Internal Troops | Türkmenistanyň içeri işler edaralarynyň işgärlerine | |||
| Turkmenistan | Turkmen National Guard | Türkmenistanyň Milli Garawul | |||
| Ukraine | National Guard | Національна гвардія України | Created 1991 from the Internal Troops of Ukrainian SSR, reverted to old name between 2000 and 2014. Member of FIEP | ||
| United States | United States Coast Guard | The United States Coast Guard is the maritime security, search and rescue, law enforcement, and military service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. | |||
| Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan National Guard | Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi Milliy gvardiyasi | |||
| Vatican City | Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City | Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano | General responsibility for security and public order which encompasses all regular police duties, including border control, crime prevention and investigation, and enforcement of financial and commercial regulations. | ||
| Vietnam | Mobile Police Command | Bộ Tư lệnh Cảnh sát Cơ động | |||
| Europe | European Gendarmerie Force | Formed by seven members of the European Union: France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. The European Gendarmerie Force was created as an intervention force at the service of the EU, the NATO, the UN, the OSCE, or other "ad hoc" alliances. It is characterized by its robustness, and quick deployability, and it specializes in the management of crisis areas. Lithuania is currently a Partner Member, and Turkey has Observer status. |