The ministry clarified that the clause, affecting men up to age 45, is part of legislation that came into effect in January.
A little-noticed clause in Germany’s updated military service policy has sparked controversy after it emerged that men aged up to 45 must obtain permission from the armed forces before undertaking any extended stay abroad, even during peacetime.
The legislation, effective from 1 January, is designed to strengthen the military and requires all 18-year-old men to complete a questionnaire assessing their suitability for service, though it does not reinstate mandatory conscription.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius noted during the bill’s passage in the Bundestag last December that if the “modernised” approach fails to attract sufficient recruits, parliament would need to consider reintroducing compulsory service.
The clause, largely overlooked until a media report this week, stipulates that men aged 17 to 45 must seek authorisation to leave Germany for more than three months.
This provision could affect millions of German citizens planning gap years, study abroad programs, new jobs, or sabbaticals.
The revelation has provoked intense media debate and public concern, following earlier street protests by school students subject to the law’s new requirements.
The defence ministry confirmed the regulation, first reported by the Frankfurter Rundschau.
A ministry spokesperson said the new legislation is intended to create a framework for conscription if needed, making it important to track the whereabouts of potential conscripts in case of urgent military requirements.
“Under the law, males aged 17 and over must obtain prior approval from the relevant Bundeswehr career centre for any stay abroad longer than three months,” the spokesperson said, noting that this obligation ends at age 45.
The policy requires authorisation for extended stays abroad even in peacetime, reviving a rule from decades ago. However, the ministry emphasised that it has little practical impact for the affected men.
“This regulation was already in place during the Cold War and had no real relevance; notably, it carries no sanctions,” the spokesperson added.
The ministry did not provide figures on how many requests for permission had been submitted so far this year.
Officials indicated that approvals for stays abroad would be routine as long as conscription is not in effect and Germany is not facing a security emergency.
“We will clarify through administrative rules that authorisation is considered granted as long as military service remains voluntary,” the spokesperson said, adding, “Since current law makes military service purely voluntary, these permissions should, in principle, be granted.”
The spokesperson also noted that there will be broad flexibility for exceptions to the authorisation requirement, partly to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
It remains unclear what procedure men must follow to obtain permission under the eased regulations or how long the process might take.
The policy aims to recruit enough volunteers to expand Germany’s military to 460,000 personnel by 2035, including 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. Currently, the country has 182,000 active soldiers and just under 50,000 reservists.
Compulsory military service was suspended in 2011 under former Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Current German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seeking to build Europe’s strongest conventional army amid rising security concerns following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and uncertainties over U.S. commitments to European security under former President Donald Trump.
Last year, Germany exempted most defence spending from the constitutional “debt brake” and allocated over €500 billion (£436 billion) for defence between 2025 and 2029.
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