German men aged between 17 and 45 now require approval from the Bundeswehr for extended stays abroad, according to the new Military Service Act.
The German Ministry of Defence has announced that all men between the ages of 17 and 45 now require approval from the Bundeswehr for extended stays abroad, specifically those lasting longer than three months. This rule forms part of the Military Service Modernisation Act, which came into force on 1 January 2026.
The law aims to ensure the Bundeswehr’s future readiness in terms of personnel and organisation. In addition to requiring Bundestag approval for travel, the plans include, among other things, a more attractive form of voluntary military service, broader registration of young people, and new legal instruments enabling faster action when necessary.
In particular, this concerns Section 3 of the Conscription Act, which regulates the scope and duration of compulsory military service in Germany. Paragraph 1 states: “Compulsory military service is fulfilled by military service or […] by civilian service.” The newly worded paragraph 2 now reads: “Male persons who have reached the age of 17 must obtain approval from the competent Bundeswehr careers centre if they intend to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for longer than three months […].”
As long as military service remains voluntary, the approval is regarded as granted, said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence. However, the necessary regulations have not yet come into force.
In theory, therefore, it still formally applies that “approval from the competent Bundeswehr careers centre must be obtained” before travelling abroad for more than three months. The spokesman said, however: “Since, under current law, military service is based exclusively on voluntary service, such approvals are in principle to be granted.”
The Military Service Modernisation Act came into force at the beginning of this year. In future, young people will once again have to register systematically and be called up for assessment. In this way, the federal government aims to increase the size of the Bundeswehr from the current figure of around 184,000 to between 255,000 and 270,000 personnel by 2035.
The impact of the changes to the law is therefore significant. From now on, young people who, for example, wish to spend a semester abroad or take leave must first obtain approval from the Bundeswehr’s career centre. It remains unclear what consequences people face if they do not receive approval prior to a long-term stay abroad.
