Germany has introduced a new rule requiring men aged 17–45 to obtain permission from the Bundeswehr before leaving the country for more than three months, and it did come into effect quietly on January 1, 2026.

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Germany has banned unrestricted travel for its citizens. Since January, all men aged 17 to 45 must obtain permission from the 🇩🇪 Bundeswehr if they intend to leave Germany for more than three months — whether for work, vacation, or long-term travel.

The requirement is permanent. The change came into effect almost unnoticed as part of the Military Service Modernization Act. The ministry acknowledged that the consequences of this decree are “significant.”

The German government plans to increase the size of the 🇩🇪 Bundeswehr from 184,000 to 255,000–270,000 personnel by 2035. As a result, young men born after 2008 could be conscripted.