The German government has denied media reports claiming that men aged 17 to 45 have supposedly been restricted from leaving the country for extended periods without notifying the authorities under the new military service law.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said no additional permission is required to travel abroad, and that military service remains voluntary.
“At present, nothing is changing for men: regardless of whether someone is 17 or 45—or somewhere in between—everyone, of course, has the right to travel, and no permission is currently required. There is no need to report extended stays abroad,” Pistorius stressed.