German men aged between 17 and 45 could have to get military approval if they want to leave the country for more than three months, according to recent changes to the law.
A spokesperson for the country’s defence ministry has since confirmed they expect approval to be given as long as service in the German forces is voluntary.
It comes as the nation moves towards increasing its military footprint, with new incentives to join up and conversations around conscription.
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A change to the law to reintroduce voluntary – for now – military service was made at the end of 2025.
However, late last week, German publication Frankfurter Rundschau noticed another change to Germany’s Wehrpflichtgesetz (WPflG) – its Cold War era military service legislation.
This change, when translated into English, means that “male persons must obtain permission from the competent career centre of the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) after reaching the age of 17 if they wish to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for more than three months”.
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Previously, this would have only applied in times of “tension” or “defence” cases.
However, the WPflG was changed for it to apply universally, with a maximum affected age of 45.
Conscription in Germany was paused in 2011, but the war in Ukraine and subsequent global unrest have sparked discussions about whether it should be returned to mandatory from voluntary status.
The German defence ministry confirmed that the system was in place during the Cold War and “had no practical relevance; in particular, it is not subject to penalties”.
Instead, they state the system is intended for use in “an emergency” as the military “must know who may be staying abroad for an extended period”.
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Exemptions are in the works to prevent “unnecessary bureaucracy”, they added.
The UK government has rejected suggestions it could move towards conscription, although it has introduced measures to try to encourage people to join the armed forces.
Germany is trying to increase the number of troops it has in the Bundeswehr from 180,000 to 260,000, with reserves set to reach 200,000.
If the British Royal Air Force, Navy and Army are combined, they number just under 150,000, according to a House of Lords report published last year, including full-time reserves.
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Of these, 82,000 were in the Army, 33,000 were in the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, and 32,000 were in the Royal Air Force.
Like much of NATO, the UK has committed to increasing its defence budget in the coming years, although there are still questions about what this will look like as the Defence Investment Plan is yet to be published.
