The measure entered into force already on January 1, 2026, based on an amendment to the law on military service, while the public largely did not even register it, the Berliner Zeitung wrote.
The aforementioned provision was in the law before, but with the fact that it only applied to two extreme situations: a military attack on the Federal Republic or an increased external threat. In both cases, the existence of such a state must be confirmed by both chambers of the German parliament – the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.
Starting this year, however, the measures also apply during peacetime. “It doesn’t matter whether you have a semester abroad planned, want to work abroad or are planning a backpacking trip around the world. A visit to the Bundeswehr career center is mandatory before all of this,” explained the Frankfurter Rundschau.
The relevant paragraph of the law stipulates that the applicant must obtain a permit and also that there is no reason for refusal. In any case, however, the person in question must submit the application in the army career center. The same obligation exists even if someone originally planned a shorter stay abroad and wants to extend it beyond three months.
The Frankfurter Rundschau linked the measure to the war in Ukraine when it prefaced its report with the sentence that since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an aggressive war against the neighboring country four years ago, it is “clear that the period of supposed peace in Europe is over.”
“Suddenly, security concerns that have not been seen since the end of the Cold War are re-emerging,” the letter said. Based on German media reports, the Russian news agency TASS also noticed the change.
The Frankfurter Rundschau further notes that it is not entirely clear how the measure will be applied in practice, especially since most men under 45 are probably unaware of its existence.
The goal is a reliable registry
The spokeswoman of the Ministry of Defense said that the reason for the measure is the existence of a reliable register of persons subject to military service. “In case of a serious situation, we need to know who is staying abroad for a long time,” she said.
But the question remains unanswered, what are the consequences for those men who do not ask for permission to stay outside Germany for a longer period of time, either consciously or unconsciously.
In Germany, compulsory military service was abolished in 2011, so recruitment to the Bundeswehr is still voluntary. However, conscription did not cease to apply. Young men must therefore register and fill out a questionnaire in which they answer questions about physical fitness and readiness to join the armed forces.
The federal government is currently striving to increase the number of members of the Bundeswehr from the current 184,000 to 270,000 by 2035.
