In light of the security policy situation in Europe, which has deteriorated significantly as a result of Russia’s war of aggression, the Bundeswehr is focusing even more resolutely on national and collective defence. It is putting in place the necessary structures to this end, including to ensure NATO planning regarding the defence of the Alliance. The new military service is a key element of this development.

The new military service is intended primarily to increase the number of reserves while also benefiting active troops, particularly in the area of junior ranks. In view of the security policy situation in Europe, the Bundeswehr is to comprise a total of 460,000 soldiers, including reservists, for national and collective defence by 2035.

Answers to FAQs:

How does the Military Service Modernisation Act change the rules regarding compulsory military service, which were last amended in 2011?

Key innovations include the introduction of a modern conscription registration and monitoring system. Conscription registration will be carried out via an online questionnaire sent to all 18-year-old German citizens living in Germany. Men are obliged to complete this questionnaire. However, women and people with another gender identity are under no obligation to do so. As part of the conscription monitoring system, the data will be updated on a regular basis following a period of military service.

An important part of conscription registration is the pre-induction examination, which is an assessment to determine suitability for military service and potential deployment. It is envisaged that the pre-induction examination will be completed within one day and that the results will be available immediately.

In a first phase, those who have expressed their willingness to perform voluntary military service and who appear suitable following evaluation of the questionnaires will be given a pre-induction examination. Comprehensive pre-induction examinations are scheduled to take place across Germany at 24 examination centres as of mid-2027.

Compulsory military service applies to men from the age of 18 and continues to be enshrined in the Basic Law (Article 12a). The suspension of mandatory basic military service in peacetime, which has been in effect since 1 July 2011, will also remain unchanged. However, this suspension will be lifted not only upon the declaration of a state of tension or defence, as was previously the case. It can also be lifted by new legislation if the security situation requires this and it is not possible to recruit sufficient personnel.

Further information (in German): New Bundeswehr military service: process, duration, conditions

I would like to perform voluntary military service. What conditions apply?

Voluntary military service offers citizens the opportunity to assume civic responsibility in the military sphere and to gain their own personal impression of the Bundeswehr without committing to a service period of one year or longer as part of a temporary enlistment.

Voluntary military service is for a minimum term of enlistment of six months and can be extended by up to five months.

The basic prerequisites are that you hold German citizenship, are at least 17 years old, have completed compulsory full-time education and are fit for service in the armed forces.

Further information and FAQs about military service (in German) can be found at www.bundeswehrkarriere.de and www.bundeswehr.de.

I hold one or more citizenships in addition to being German – do I have to perform military service in my other home country, and does the new military service affect me?

You must request information regarding whether the suspension of mandatory basic military service in Germany gives rise to conscription in countries with ongoing compulsory military service, as well as concerning recognition of the Federal Voluntary Service as a substitute for military service, from the competent military authorities of the respective country.

The new military service applies to all persons with German citizenship, irrespective of any additional citizenship that they may hold.

I am a German citizen and live permanently abroad – will I receive a questionnaire?

Conscription registration is suspended for the duration of a permanent stay abroad, meaning that no questionnaires are sent to German citizens living permanently abroad. It is therefore not obligatory for them to respond to a questionnaire. Upon returning to Germany, persons liable to perform military service will be re-registered and may then receive a questionnaire.

I want to perform military service in the army of another country. What do I need to bear in mind?

German citizens who voluntarily enlist with the armed forces or a comparable armed organisation of a foreign state whose citizenship they possess, without previously obtaining the consent of the Federal Ministry of Defence or a body designated by it, automatically lose their German citizenship in accordance with section 28 of the Nationality Act. The Federal Ministry of Defence has delegated the decision on applications for consent pursuant to section 28 of the Nationality Act to the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Personnel Management in Cologne.

Since 6 July 2011, consent is deemed to have been granted automatically to Germans who also hold the citizenship of

• a member state of the European Union (EU),

• a member state of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA),

• a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or

• a state on the list stipulated in section 41 (1) of the Ordinance Governing Residence

and who perform military service in one of these states (directive by the Federal Ministry of Defence of 21 June 2011; Federal Gazette No. 98 of 5 July 2011, p. 2379).

Information in individual cases is provided by, in addition to the competent German mission abroad, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Personnel Management and, regarding the Federal Voluntary Service, the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions.

What impact does the suspension of mandatory basic military service have on non-military national service? What is the Federal Voluntary Service?

With the suspension of mandatory basic military service, there is no requirement to perform alternative non-military service. Consequently, non-military national service was likewise effectively suspended.

At the same time, a Federal Voluntary Service was introduced, which aims to get as many people as possible involved in civic engagement and promoting the common good – in addition to the voluntary ecological service year and voluntary social year programmes. The Federal Voluntary Service is open to people of all ages who have completed compulsory full-time education. Open also to foreigners (see below) and with a standard duration of one year, it can be performed in social institutions as well as in other areas such as environmental protection, sports and culture in Germany.

Further information (in German) can be found at https://freiwillig-ja.de/

Is it possible to perform Federal Voluntary Service abroad?

The Federal Voluntary Service can only be performed in Germany. Other formats are available abroad, however. Information on opportunities to perform voluntary service abroad can be found (in German) at https://www.bundes-freiwilligendienst.de/ausland/.

Can foreigners perform Federal Voluntary Service?

Foreigners can also perform Federal Voluntary Service, provided they have a residence permit that entitles them to take up gainful employment. Volunteers from abroad can also be issued with a residence permit specifically for the purpose of performing Federal Voluntary Service in accordance with section 19c of the Residence Act and section 14 of the Ordinance on the Employment of Foreigners.