According to recent changes to the law, German men aged 17 to 45 must obtain military clearance if they wish to leave the country for more than three months.
A spokesperson for the country’s Defense Ministry confirmed that they expected approval to be granted as long as service in the German military is voluntary.
It comes as the nation moves toward increasing its military footprint, with new incentives to join and talks around recruitment.
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The law was changed to allow voluntary – for now – military service to resume in late 2025.
However, late last week, German publication Frankfurter Rundschau noticed another change to Germany’s Wehrpflichtgesetz (WPFLG) – its Cold War-era military service law.
This change, when translated into English, means that “if men wish to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for more than three months, they must obtain permission from the competent career center of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) after reaching the age of 17”.
Previously, it applied only in times of “stress” or “defense” cases.
However, the WPflG was changed to make it universally applicable, with the maximum age affected being 45 years.
Conscription in Germany was halted in 2011, but the war in Ukraine and subsequent global unrest have sparked discussion over whether it should be changed from a voluntary status to mandatory.
The German Defense Ministry confirmed that the system existed during the Cold War and “has no practical relevance; in particular, it is not subject to punishment”.
Instead, they say the system is for use in “emergency situations” because the military “must know who may be overseas for extended periods”.
The relaxations are being given to prevent “unnecessary bureaucracy”, he said.
The UK government has rejected suggestions it could move towards recruitment, although it has introduced measures to encourage people to join the armed forces.
Germany is trying to increase the number of troops in the Bundeswehr from 180,000 to 260,000, while reserves are set to reach 200,000.
According to a House of Lords report published last year, the British Royal Air Force, Navy and Army, combined, number less than 150,000, including full-time reserves.
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Of these, 82,000 were in the army, 33,000 in the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, and 32,000 in the Royal Air Force.
Like most of NATO, the UK has committed to increasing its defense budget in the coming years, although there are still questions about what this will look like as a defense investment plan has not yet been published.
