From mid-January 2026, the German Armed Forces will use a questionnaire to find out who is motivated and suitable for military service. To this end, all young men and women with a German passport will receive a letter after their 18th birthday. This affects around 650,000 adults. Men born in 2008 or later must complete this questionnaire. Women can answer it voluntarily.
Fines of up to 1000 euro possible
Young men must answer the questionnaire truthfully, completely and on time. This also applies to transgender people who have adopted the male gender and registered this with the registration authorities. Anyone who does not complete the so-called declaration of readiness will face sanctions. The fine can be up to 1,000 euro. This was stated by a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Defence to the news agency epd.
Around 184,000 soldiers currently serve in the German Armed Forces. By 2035, their number is expected to grow to up to 270,000. The background to the new regulations is the law on the modernisation of military service.
Military service can still be refused
Men can refuse military service on grounds of conscience. However, if they are recognised as conscientious objectors, they must perform alternative or civilian service in the event of tension or defence. This is stipulated by the Ministry of Defence.
See tun25120205
and the information provided by the Federal Ministry of Defence with answers to all questions about the new military service at
https://www.bmvg.de/de/neuer-wehrdienst
and
https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/menschen-karrieren/neuer-wehrdienst/fragebogen
tun25123003