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”.
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…
