As of January 1, 2026, a little-noticed yet highly consequential change to Germany’s military service legislation came into force. Under amendments to the Military Service Act, adopted as part of a sweeping Military Service Modernization Act, all men aged 17 to 45 are now required to obtain permission from a Bundeswehr career center if they plan to leave the country for more than three months. The restriction applies to any form of extended stay abroad—whether for study, work, or long-term travel. This was reported by Berliner Zeitung.
Before the amendments took effect, a comparable requirement applied only under a formally declared state of military threat or defense. It now extends permanently into peacetime. The change came into force with virtually no public debate—most of the citizens affected by it remain entirely unaware of its existence.
A spokesman for Germany’s Ministry of Defense confirmed to the newspaper that the permission requirement applies even outside a state of military threat. The purpose of the measure, he said, is to maintain “reliable and up-to-date military records,” so that, if necessary, the authorities have information about citizens’ extended stays abroad. The ministry itself, however, described the implications of the new rule as “profound.”
The amendment forms part of a broader overhaul of the country’s defense policy. The government aims to expand the Bundeswehr from its current strength of about 184,000 to 255,000—270,000 service personnel by 2035. As part of the same reform, all young people born in 2008 or later are being sent a questionnaire asking about their willingness to perform military service: for men, completion is mandatory; for women, voluntary, since Germany’s Basic Law provides for conscription exclusively for men. A large-scale medical screening is to be introduced in stages, beginning with those who indicated in the questionnaire that they would be willing to serve.
The principle of voluntariness formally remains in place: no one can be forcibly conscripted into military service. Even so, the practical mechanism for enforcing the new permission requirement remains unclear—including the question of what consequences may await those who fail to comply.