The new law forces men between 17 and 45 years old to ask for permission to travel to the Army for 3 months

The approved regulations require that men between the ages of 17 and 45 obtain permission from the Armed forces if they intend to leave the country for a period of more than three months. The rule applies even in peacetime.

The measure has caused outrage: the new regulations have reactivated a provision that was previously only provided for “Defense State“. What seems reasonable in a situation of war becomes a reality of everyday life.

The problem is in Paragraph 3 of the Military Service Law. It establishes that men who belong to the reserve or who have not yet been discharged from military service require a permit from the Bundeswehr Career Center to leave the country for more than three months.

The obligation affects all men of German nationality and main residence in that country. It applies to those who have turned 17 and have not reached the age limit of 45. In case of mobilization, the period is extended to 60.

This means that students who have planned to pass a semester abroadworkers who are assigned to international branches or long-term travelers must inform military authorities before their departure.

It is difficult to estimate the number of people affected by the new rule. Official sources estimate that there are around 45,000 German students applying to participate in the program. Erasmus every year. On the other hand, specialized reports speak of more than 400,000 workers Germans stationed for prolonged periods outside their country.

Beyond the numbers related to the temporary displacementa population of almost 4 million Germans with permanent residence abroad is estimated. Not everyone would fall within the limits of the rule, but it is evident that the volume of those affected by it is considerable and the threat of administrative collapse is great.

A spokesperson for the Bundeswehrlas Federal Armed Forcesdeclared to the media that the measure is necessary to know the number of Germans who are outside the country in case of conflict. He clarified that it did not mean that a mobilization would occur in the short term.

“Under the new law, military service is voluntary. This suggests that permits will be granted generalized form“, he explained. “In the same way that men are obliged to request it, military centers must grant it,” he assured.

The greatest fear is administrative collapse. The military representative recognized the “profound” impact of the new regulations and admitted that the Ministry of Defense is working to determine exceptions to the already published rule.

It is not clear what the consequences will be for those who do not follow the rule. The spokesperson explained that this was a provision that was implemented during the Cold warbut without particular relevance. “In fact, there are no penalties foreseen for non-compliance,” he assured.

Military service in Germany

Germany abandoned compulsory military service in 2011, during the mandate of Angela Merkel. When Friedrich Merz He acceded to the chancellery in May 2025, declared that his new Government would put “all financial means at stake” so that the army became, in conventional terms, “the strongest in Europe.”

The Military Service Modernization Law It was published with the intention of expanding the Army’s capacity. Germany has 182,000 active military personnel and 50,000 reservists. Chancellor Merz’s goal is to increase to 260,000 active troops and 200,000 reserve members by 2035.

The previous debate focused on the position of the SPD socialists, who proposed a alternative service and the ‘hybrid’ model of Merz’s CDU, with voluntary participation. The latter imposed some regulations in the drafting of the law that pointed to a possible future of mandatory recruitment.

From 2026, all 18-year-olds must fill out a questionnaire which aims to evaluate your motivation and physical capabilities to join the Armed Forces. The survey will be voluntary for women.

The new rules caused youth demonstrations at the beginning of last March. Thousands of students high school students protested in several German cities against the militaristic turn and the new service framework under the motto “Your wars, without us.”