Overview
- Letters with QR codes are being sent to roughly 700,000 people born in 2008, with a one‑month deadline to submit suitability and willingness responses.
- Men must complete the questionnaire under the new law, while women may respond voluntarily in line with constitutional limits on compulsory service.
- Failure to reply or giving false information constitutes an administrative offense that can be punished with a fine, with a reminder sent if the deadline is missed.
- Medical musterings and training intake will ramp up gradually, and the first volunteers are expected to start service in the coming months.
- The government targets about 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists by 2035, with semiannual progress reports and a possible Bundestag move to a needs-based draft if targets slip.