FILE PHOTO: Soldiers of the German army Bundeswehr Guard Battalion stand in position as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presents the Chancellor's Ribbon of Honour at the Federal Defence Ministry in Berlin, Germany, 23 March 2026;
Credit: Reuters/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo
BERLIN (Reuters) - On Tuesday 7 April 2026, young men will continue to be able to travel abroad without prior permission despite Germany's new military service law, the defence ministry said, adding that it would issue a blanket exemption this week to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
The law includes a provision requiring men aged seventeen to 45 to obtain Bundeswehr permission for stays abroad of more than three months, but the ministry said the rule was designed only for a "state of tension" and would apply only if military service became compulsory rather than voluntary, as it is now.
The law came into force in January, but the requirement had gone mostly unnoticed until Friday 3 April 2026, when it raised concerns.
The law was passed to boost Bundeswehr numbers and meet NATO targets amid the growing view within Germany that it has relied too long on the United States, and as tensions with Russia spur calls for stronger defence capabilities across Europe.
All eighteen-year-old men are now screened and asked by letter whether they wish to serve voluntarily. Women also receive such a letter, but unlike men, they are not required to respond.
