Under the new regulations, men between the ages of 18 and 46 must obtain approval from the relevant Bundeswehr military center if they wish to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for more than three months.
The newspaper “Frankfurter rundschau” announced that the new rules will apply regardless of whether the person planned to study abroad for a semester, work in a foreign country or backpack around the world.
An unnamed Bundeswehr spokesman confirmed the new regulations, telling the DPA news agency that in the event of war, the military must know how many men are living abroad long-term.
Germany’s goal is to increase the number of active soldiers from around 180,000 currently to 260,000 by 2035.
A new law on military service came into effect in Germany at the beginning of 2026 with the aim of increasing the strength of the armed forces amid threats to European security.
The law was controversial and many people even took to the streets to protest against the potential reintroduction of mandatory military service, after conscription was suspended in 2011 for men, DW recalls.
(Vijesti.ba)
