Overview
- The Defence Ministry told dpa on Saturday it will issue guidance that treats these travel approvals as granted as long as military service remains voluntary.
- Under a January 1 law change, males aged 17 to 45 must get permission from a Bundeswehr career center before any foreign stay longer than three months or when extending a trip beyond that limit.
- The requirement now applies in peacetime rather than only in a declared emergency, and the statute says approvals are to be issued when no call-up is expected.
- Officials have not released how to apply, what exceptions will qualify, or what happens if someone skips approval, and they note the rule carried no sanctions when it existed during the Cold War.
- The measure, intended to build a reliable register of potential conscripts, could affect semesters abroad, long work postings, and extended travel, and it has prompted calls for swift clarification and lighter notification-style handling.