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The new military service law is set to take effect in January 2026.
December 06, 2025, 06:59 PM
Thousands of students and youths in Germany took to the streets to protest the country’s reintroduction of military service on Dec. 5.
According to Deutsche Welle (DW), the new military service law will be implemented from January 2026.
The voluntary conscription was reintroduced after a halt in 2011 to increase Germany’s Bundeswehr (armed forces) personnel and fulfil NATO targets amid rising tensions with Russia, according to Reuters.
Voluntary “for now”
The military conscription, which will come into effect in January 2026, currently remains voluntary.
However, all men aged 18 and above will receive a questionnaire asking if they are willing to serve in the Bundeswehr, as well as information on their physical fitness and educational background.
For women, completing the questionnaire is optional, as the Constitution does not require them to serve.
While the process starts in 2026, the Bundeswehr will not have the capacity to accept recruits until mid-2027.
The Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany, will enhance the process from mid-2027, requiring men born in 2008 or later to attend a scheduled fitness test to determine their eligibility for conscription in the event of a conflict.
According to the BBC, the defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said these examinations were necessary so that, in the event of an attack, Germany would not waste time determining who was operationally capable and who wasn’t.
Students and youths across cities in Germany, such as Berlin and Munich, went on strike after the law was passed on Dec. 5.
An organiser said that they do not wish to be “locked up in barracks for half a year, trained in drill and obedience, and taught to kill”.
She added that the youths “feel neglected as a generation” and “don’t see why our generation should jump into the trenches for the government”.
Recruits to earn S$3,921 per month
DW reported that the Bundestag has implemented a key incentive to encourage youths to sign up, which is a higher monthly pay.
New recruits will earn a monthly salary of €2,600 (S$3,921) before taxes.
However, they must commit to at least six months of military service.
Those who serve for a year or more will also receive financial support for their driving lessons.
Pistorius said that the country aims to avoid a “rapid return to full conscription”, which is opposed by some parties in the German parliament.
According to Reuters, the defence ministry is expected to provide parliament with recruitment updates every six months.
The ministry aims to have up to 260,000 active soldiers and at least 200,000 reservists by 2035.
Top photos via @mazzenilsson & @blyskavka_ua/X
