Germany has quietly brought into force a rule requiring male citizens aged between 17 and 45 to obtain prior approval from the relevant Bundeswehr career centre if they plan to leave the country for more than three months.
The provision has applied since 1 January 2026 under the new Wehrdienst-Modernisierungsgesetz, or Wehrdienst Modernisation Act, which updated the country’s military service framework. Under the revised Wehrpflichtgesetz, the obligation now applies in peacetime, whereas comparable provisions had previously been linked mainly to a state of tension or defence.
The measure is part of Berlin’s broader effort to rebuild military manpower without formally restoring compulsory military service in its former form. The Bundeswehr states that the new system remains voluntary in terms of enlistment, but it introduces mandatory registration and medical screening for young men from the 2008 birth cohort onward. According to the federal government, the aim is to strengthen both the active force and the reserve in light of NATO capability targets and the security situation in Europe. The government has said the Bundeswehr is expected to grow to 260,000 active personnel by 2035, with a further 200,000 reservists available.
The Defence Ministry has said the travel approval requirement is intended to support military registration and monitoring. A ministry spokesman told German media that, under the wording of the law, men from the age of 17 must seek advance approval for stays abroad lasting more than three months, and that this obligation ends at 45. The ministry argued that the Bundeswehr must know who may be abroad for an extended period in case of an emergency, describing the rule as a legal basis for the practical implementation of mandatory elements of the new service model, including compulsory medical examinations.
At the same time, officials have sought to calm concern over the practical effect of the measure. The Bundeswehr told ZDF that administrative guidance will clarify that approval is generally to be treated as granted so long as military service remains voluntary. It also said the rule had existed in earlier decades without practical significance and was not backed by sanctions, while further exemptions are being prepared to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy. The result is a legal change that appears significant on paper, but which the ministry is trying to soften in practice as Germany retools its defence system for a more demanding security environment.
