Berlin – Update April 4, 2026: The Frankfurter Rundschau's report on the new conscription regulations has caused a major stir in Germany. Numerous other media outlets are now also reporting on the previously little-known change in the law, which requires men under 45 to notify the German Armed Forces in advance of any stays abroad exceeding three months. The topic is also being hotly debated on social media.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense has now told the German Press Agency (dpa) that they are aiming for a streamlined process for granting travel permits: "However, we will clarify through administrative regulations that the permit is considered granted as long as military service is voluntary."

These administrative regulations have not yet been issued. Therefore, the current rule, at least theoretically, still applies that "permission must be obtained from the responsible career center of the Bundeswehr" if one wishes to leave Germany for more than three months. The ministry spokesperson emphasized, however, that "since military service is based solely on voluntary participation under current law, such permits must generally be granted."

Initial report from April 3, 2026: Since Vladimir Putin launched his illegal war of aggression against Ukraine approximately four years ago, it has become clear that the era of supposed peace in Europe is over. Suddenly, security concerns have resurfaced, concerns that had not been seen since the end of the Cold War. Consequently, the suspension of conscription under Defense Minister zu Guttenberg has once again come under scrutiny.

At the beginning of the year, the Military Service Modernization Act came into force, marking a turning point in German defense policy. Military registration is being reintroduced, and young men will be subject to mandatory medical examinations. The German government's stated goal is to increase the Bundeswehr's troop strength from its current level of approximately 184,000 soldiers to between 255,000 and 270,000 by 2035.

New Conscription Rule Takes Effect Before Medical Examination

While medical examination is supposed to become mandatory again for all men born in 2008 or later, in practice this regulation will only take effect at a later date. However, another change has already come into force – and without anyone really noticing. The consequences of this amendment to the Conscription Act (WPflG) are enormous for men of numerous age groups.

Specifically, this concerns Section 3 of the Military Service Act. This section regulates the content and duration of compulsory military service in Germany. Paragraph 1 states: “Compulsory military service is fulfilled by military service or […] civilian service.” This regulation has been in place for approximately 70 years and applies to all men of conscription age, between 18 and 45 years old. Paragraph 2 is far less well-known:

“Male persons must obtain permission from the responsible career center of the German Armed Forces after reaching the age of 17 if they intend to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for more than three months […]. The same applies if they intend to remain outside the Federal Republic of Germany beyond an approved period or extend a stay outside the Federal Republic of Germany that does not require permission beyond three months.”

Crisis rule suddenly applies always – men need permission to leave the country

This far-reaching infringement on self-determination only applied in two extreme cases before January 1, 2026. Paragraph 2 of the Compulsory Military Service Act (WPflG) simply stated that Paragraph 3 applied "in a state of tension or defense." According to the Basic Law, a state of tension refers to a situation of heightened external threat to the Federal Republic, as determined by the Bundestag or NATO – i.e., the situation when an attack by another country is highly probable. A state of defense, on the other hand, is a situation, determined by the Bundestag – with the approval of the Bundesrat – that the federal territory is under attack by armed force. Both cases thus refer to absolute exceptional situations.

However, with the revision of the Compulsory Military Service Act on January 1, 2026, Paragraph 2 was amended. It now additionally states: "Outside of a state of tension or defense, Sections 3 […] apply." This simply means that the regulation of Paragraph 3 now applies in principle at all times.

This means that all men over 17 and under 45 who wish to leave Germany for more than three months must obtain permission from the German Armed Forces. It doesn't matter whether you're planning a semester abroad, a job overseas, or a backpacking trip around the world: A mandatory visit to the German Armed Forces' career center is required beforehand.

The Ministry of Defense has so far been unable to provide satisfactory answers to questions.

Paragraph 3 states: “The permit is to be granted for the period during which the male person is not subject to conscription.” A rejection of the application to leave the country is therefore not even provided for. However, submitting the application is still mandatory.

How exactly this is to be implemented in practice is unclear, especially since most men under 45 are likely unaware of the existence of this regulation. We therefore asked the Federal Ministry of Defense how this new conscription rule will be implemented in practice.

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed to IPPEN.MEDIA that "the authorization requirement stipulated in Section 3, Paragraph 2 of the Conscription Act (WPflG) generally applies even outside of times of tension or national defense." "The background and guiding principle of this regulation is to ensure a reliable and informative military register for emergencies. […] In case of emergency, we need to know who might be staying abroad for an extended period," the spokesperson explained.

The Ministry of Defense has also recognized that the consequences of this regulation are "profound." Therefore, it intends to "currently develop more specific regulations for granting exceptions to the authorization requirement," "also to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy." However, the ministry spokesperson asks for “understanding that we cannot anticipate the ongoing review and development process. A final outline of the process to be integrated is therefore not yet possible.”

The ministry also confirmed that "corresponding permits [for departure] must generally be granted." However, the question of what consequences arise if such a permit is not obtained before departure remained unanswered.

For millions of men, therefore, considerable uncertainty remains regarding the specific consequences of the revised sections 2 and 3 of the Conscription Act. (cel)

(Translated by Google, mistakes are my own).