A clause in Germany’s new Military Service Act that took effect on January 1 appeared to require men aged 17 to 45 to notify the Bundeswehr before trips abroad lasting more than three months. The provision went largely unnoticed and was not publicly explained by the Defense Ministry. When the Frankfurter Rundschau reported it, confusion and criticism followed: how to obtain approval, and what penalties might apply for non-compliance?
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spent several days clarifying the rule. He told the dpa news agency that “everyone is allowed to travel, whether they are 17, 45, or anywhere in between, and permission is not currently required,” and said an administrative regulation would be issued to remove doubt. Pistorius said the approval requirement had been designed to prepare for emergencies but would be suspended while military service remains voluntary to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
The parliamentary opposition sharply criticized both the provision and the way it was introduced. Green Party parliamentary leader Britta Haßelmann called the regulation ill-conceived and warned it could undermine public support for the reform, while The Left’s Desiree Becker described the episode as incompetent and politically tone-deaf. The far-right AfD mocked what it called “chaos over men’s foreign travel.”
Legal expert Frank Bräutigam said reinstating mandatory authorization for travel while conscription is not in force would be a major encroachment on fundamental rights, and described the ministry’s retreat as a legal necessity rather than a mere concession.
The contested rule is part of a broader reform that marks Germany’s partial return to military service and the systematic collection of data on men of military age. Germany had conscription, with a civilian alternative, until 2011 and then stopped collecting those records. Under the new Military Service Act, all young men born in 2008 or later must appear for a Bundeswehr medical examination, and the Defense Ministry will retain the resulting data. The notification requirement for extended foreign stays was included in that framework. Because conscription under the Basic Law applies only to men, the data collection applies to them; women remain eligible to enlist voluntarily.
The reform is intended to boost recruitment. New recruits receive higher pay, and those who commit to at least 12 months can get help with costs such as obtaining a driver’s license. All 18-year-old men must complete a questionnaire indicating whether they are interested in service. By mid-March more than 13,000 people were serving either voluntarily or as “short-term conscripts” (up to 23 months), a roughly 15% increase from the previous year. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has ordered an assessment by 2027 to determine whether volunteer numbers are sufficient; if they are not, mandatory service could be reconsidered.
Meanwhile, applications for conscientious objection have risen and reached their highest level since conscription was suspended in 2011. This article was translated from German.