Military service age and obligation

This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of service obligation.

• Afghanistan

  not available

• Albania

  19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization; conscription abolished 2010 (2019)

• Algeria

  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 19-30 years of age for compulsory service; conscript service obligation reduced from 18 to 12 months in 2014 (2021)

• Angola

  20-45 years of age for compulsory male and 18-45 years for voluntary male military service (registration at age 18 is mandatory); 20-45 years of age for voluntary female service; 2-year conscript service obligation; Angolan citizenship required; the Navy (MGA) is entirely staffed with volunteers (2019)

• Antigua and Barbuda

  18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for both males and females; no conscription (2021)

• Argentina

  18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended in 1995; Argentinians can still be drafted in times of crisis, national emergency, or war, or if the Defense Ministry is unable to fill all vacancies to keep the military functional (2021)

• Armenia

  18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation, which can be served as an officer upon deferment for university studies if enrolled in officer-producing program; 17-year-olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2021)

• Australia

  17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription (abolished 1973); women allowed to serve in all roles (2021)

• Austria

  registration requirement at age 17, the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service (6 months), or optionally, alternative civil/community service (9 months); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service; in a January 2012 referendum, a majority of Austrians voted in favor of retaining the system of compulsory military service (with the option of alternative/non-military service) instead of switching to a professional army system (2021)

• Azerbaijan

  18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; service obligation 18 months or 12 months for university graduates; 17 years of age for voluntary service; 17 year olds are considered to be on active service at cadet military schools (2021)

• Bahamas, The

  18 years of age for voluntary male and female service; no conscription (2021)

• Bahrain

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2019)

• Bangladesh

  16-21 years of age for voluntary military service; Bangladeshi nationality and 10th grade education required; officers: 17-21 years of age, Bangladeshi nationality, and 12th grade education required (2019)

• Barbados

  Voluntary service only; 17 years, 9 months to 17 years, 11 months with letter of consent from a parent or guardian, or be in the age range of 18-25 years at the start of recruit training; citizens of Barbados by descent or naturalization (2021)

• Belarus

  18-27 years of age for compulsory military or alternative service; conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications, and 24-36 months for alternative service, depending on academic qualifications; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2021)

• Belgium

  18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1995 (2021)

• Belize

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1; initial service obligation 12 years (2021)

• Benin

  18-35 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; a higher education diploma is required; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2019)

• Bermuda

  females and males who are Commonwealth citizens and 18-45 years of age for voluntary enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; service is for a minimum period of three years and two months from the date of enlistment; service can be extended only by volunteering or an executive order from the Governor; annual training commitment is about 30 days a year, which includes a two-week camp, weekends, and drill nights (2021)

• Bhutan

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; militia training is compulsory for males aged 20-25, over a 3-year period; in 2021, the Royal Bhutan Army graduated from a year-long training course the first batch of 150 women to be allowed to serve in combat roles; previously, women were allowed to serve in medical and other non-combat roles (2021)

• Bolivia

  compulsory for all men between the ages of 18 and 22; men can volunteer from the age of 16, women from 18; service is for one year; Search and Rescue service can be substituted for citizens who have reached the age of compulsory military service; duration of this service is 2 years (2019)

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years of service for E-1 through E-4, mandatory retirement at age 50 and 30 years of service for E-5 through E-9, mandatory retirement at age 55 and 30 years of service for all officers; conscription abolished in 2005 (2019)

• Botswana

  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)

• Brazil

  18-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 10-12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s, when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2021)

• Brunei

  17 years of age for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve; recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2021)

• Bulgaria

  18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in 2007; service obligation 6-9 months (2021)

• Burkina Faso

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2021)

• Burma

  18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for voluntary military service; no conscription (a 2010 law reintroducing conscription has not yet entered into force); 2-year service obligation; male (ages 18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors, engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may be stretched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency (2021)

• Burundi

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; the armed forces law of 31 December 2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but the government claimed that no one younger than 18 was being recruited (2019)

• Cabo Verde

  18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 2-years conscript service obligation; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2019)

• Cambodia

  18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2021)

• Cameroon

  18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; periodic government calls for volunteers (2019)

• Canada

  17 years of age for voluntary male and female military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for Reserve and Military College applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2021)

• Central African Republic

  18 years of age for military service; no conscription (2021)

• Chad

  20 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service, with a 3-year service obligation; 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a parent or guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age 21 (2021)

• Chile

  18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female military service, although the right to compulsory recruitment of males 18-45 is retained; service obligation is 12 months for Army and 22 months for Navy and Air Force (2021)

• China

  18-22 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with a 2-year service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2021)

• Colombia

  18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (2021)

• Comoros

  18 years of age for 2-year voluntary male and female military service; no conscription (2021)

• Congo, Democratic Republic of the

  18-45 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2019)

• Congo, Republic of the

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2019)

• Cote d'Ivoire

  18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; conscription is not enforced; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2019)

• Croatia

  18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2021)

• Cuba

  17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation for males, optional for females (2021)

• Cyprus

  Cypriot National Guard (CNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; 14-month service obligation (2021)

• Czechia

  18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished 2004 (2021)

• Denmark

  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months depending on specialization; former conscripts are assigned to mobilization units; women eligible to volunteer for military service; in addition to full time employment, the Danish Military offers reserve contracts in all three branches (2021)

• Djibouti

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2020)

• Dominican Republic

  17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; recruits must have completed primary school and be Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2021)

• Ecuador

  18 years of age for selective conscript military service; conscription has been suspended; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Ecuadorian birth requirement; 1-year service obligation; females have been allowed to serve in all branches since 2012 (2021)

• Egypt

  18-30 years of age for male conscript military service; service obligation - 18-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve obligation; voluntary enlistment possible from age 15 (2021)

• El Salvador

  18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation is 12 months, with 11 months for officers and NCOs (2021)

• Equatorial Guinea

  18 years of age for selective compulsory military service, although conscription is rare in practice; 2-year service obligation; women hold only administrative positions in the Navy (2019)

• Eritrea

  18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service (18-27 for female conscription); 18-month conscript service obligation, which includes 6 months of military training and one‐year of military or other national service (military service is most common); note - in practice, military service reportedly is often extended indefinitely (2021)

• Estonia

  18-27 for compulsory military or governmental service, conscript service requirement 8-11 months depending on education; NCOs, reserve officers, and specialists serve 11 months (2021)

• Eswatini

  18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2019)

• Ethiopia

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct callups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2021)
  
  note - in November 2021, the Ethiopian Government issued a nationwide state of emergency that enabled officials to order military-age citizens to undergo training and accept military duty in support of the Tigray conflict

• Fiji

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2019)

• Finland

  at age 18, all Finnish men are obligated to serve 6-12 months of service within a branch of the military or the Border Guard, and women may volunteer for service; after completing their initial conscript obligation, individuals enter the reserves and remain eligible for mobilization until the age of 60 (2021)

• France

  18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 2001); 1-year service obligation; women serve in noncombat posts (2021)
  
  note - men between the ages of 17.5 and 39.5 years of age, of any nationality, may join the French Foreign Legion; those volunteers selected for service sign 5-year contracts

• Gabon

  20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Gambia, The

  18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (18-22 for officers); no conscription; service obligation 6 months (2020)

• Georgia

  conscription abolished in 2016, but reinstated in 2017; 18 to 27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months (2021)

• Germany

  17-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription ended July 2011; service obligation 8-23 months or 12 years; women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001 (2021)

• Ghana

  18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription (2019)

• Greece

  19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 18 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation is 1 year for the Army and 9 months for the Air Force and Navy; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2021)

• Guatemala

  all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are eligible for military service; in practice, most of the force is volunteer, however, a selective draft system is employed, resulting in a small portion of 17-21 year-olds conscripted; conscript service obligation varies from 1 to 2 years; women can serve as officers (2021)

• Guinea

  no compulsory military service (2021)

• Guinea-Bissau

  18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2019)

• Guyana

  18 years of age or older for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Holy See (Vatican City)

  Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps: 19-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; must be Roman Catholic, a single male, and a Swiss citizen, with a secondary education; service is for 26 months (2021)

• Honduras

  18 years of age for voluntary 2- to 3-year military service; no conscription (2021)

• Hungary

  18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 2005); 6-month service obligation (2021)

• India

  16-18 years of age for voluntary military service (Army 17 1/2, Air Force 17, Navy 16 1/2); no conscription; women may join as officers, currently serve in combat roles as Air Force pilots, and under consideration for Army and Navy combat roles (currently can fly naval reconnaissance aircraft) (2021)

• Indonesia

  18-45 years of age for voluntary military service, with selective conscription authorized; 2-year service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2021)

• Iran

  18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15 years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript military service obligation is 18-24 months; women exempt from military service (2021)

• Iraq

  18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Ireland

  18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service recruits to the Defence Forces (18-27 years of age for the Naval Service); 18-26 for cadetship (officer) applicants; 12-year service (5 active, 7 reserves); Irish citizen, European Economic Area citizenship, or refugee status (2021)

• Israel

  18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druze) military service; 17 years of age for voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 32 months for enlisted men and about 24 months for enlisted women (varies based on military occupation), 48 months for officers; pilots commit to 9-year service; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), age 24 (women) (2021)

• Italy

  18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in any military branch; Italian citizenship required; 1-year service obligation; conscription abolished 2004 (2021)

• Jamaica

  no conscription; 18-23 for voluntary military service (17 with parental consent; 18-28 for the reserves); since 2017, the JDF's standard mode of recruitment is to enroll recruits ages 18-23 through the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC); in the JNSC, soldiers receive basic military, vocational, and life skills training; upon completion of 1-year of service, soldiers can continue on with JDF or seek other opportunities with law enforcement (2021)

• Japan

  18 years of age for voluntary military service (maximum enlistment age 32); no conscription (2019)

• Jordan

  17 years of age for voluntary male military service (women can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF); initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years; conscription abolished in 1991; however, in 2020, Jordan announced the reinstatement of compulsory military service for jobless men aged between 25 and 29 with 12 months of service, made up of three months of military training and nine months of professional and technical training; in 2019, announced a voluntary 4-month National Military Service program for men and women aged between 18-25 years who have been unemployed for at least six months; service would include one month for military training with the remaining three months dedicated to vocational training in the sectors of construction and tourism (2021)

• Kazakhstan

  All men 18-27 are required to serve in the military for at least one year. (2021)

• Kenya

  no conscription; 18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary service (under 18 with parental consent; upper limit 30 years of age for specialists, tradesmen, or women with a diploma; 39 years of age for chaplains/imams), with a 9-year obligation (7 years for Kenyan Navy) and subsequent 3-year re-enlistments; applicants must be Kenyan citizens (2021)

• Korea, North

  17 years of age for compulsory male and female military service; service obligation 10 years for men, to age 23 for women (reportedly reduced in 2021 to 8 years for men and 5 years for women) (2021)

• Korea, South

  18-28 years of age for compulsory military service; minimum conscript service obligation varies by service- 21 months (Army, Marines), 23 months (Navy), 24 months (Air Force); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, are able to serve in all branches, including as officers (2021)
  
  note - South Korea intends to reduce the length of military service to 18 – 22 months by 2022

• Kosovo

  service is voluntary; must be over the age of 18 and a citizen of Kosovo; upper age for enlisting is 30 for officers, 25 for other ranks, although these may be waived for recruits with key skills considered essential for the KSF
  (2021)

• Kuwait

  17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; Kuwait reintroduced one-year mandatory service for men aged 18-35 in May 2017 after having suspended conscription in 2001; service is divided in two phases – four months for training and eight months for military service (2021)

• Kyrgyzstan

  18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary male military service in the Armed Forces or Interior Ministry; 1-year service obligation (9 months for university graduates), with optional fee-based 3-year service in the call-up mobilization reserve; women may volunteer at age 19; 16-17 years of age for military cadets, who cannot take part in military operations (2021)

• Laos

  18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - minimum 18 months (2021)

• Latvia

  18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; no conscription (abolished 2007); under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2021)

• Lebanon

  17-25 years of age for voluntary military service (including women); no conscription (2021)

• Lesotho

  18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women can serve as commissioned officers (2019)

• Liberia

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)

• Libya

  not available

• Lithuania

  19-26 years of age for conscripted military service (males); 9-month service obligation; in 2015, Lithuania reinstated conscription after having converted to a professional military in 2008; 18-38 for voluntary service (male and female) (2021)

• Luxembourg

  18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 1969); Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2021)

• Madagascar

  Madagascar has an all-volunteer military; 18-25 years of age for males; service obligation 18 months; women are permitted to serve in all branches (2021)

• Malawi

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2021)

• Malaysia

  17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription (2021)

• Maldives

  18-28 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription; 10th grade or equivalent education required; must not be a member of a political party (2021)

• Mali

  18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service (men and women); 2-year conscript service obligation (2021)

• Malta

  18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Mauritania

  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Mauritius

  service is voluntary (2021)

• Mexico

  18 years of age for compulsory military service for males (selection for service determined by lottery); conscript service obligation is 12 months; conscripts remain in reserve status until the age of 40; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces; women are eligible for voluntary military service (20121)

• Moldova

  18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 1-year service obligation (2021)

• Mongolia

  18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 1-year conscript service obligation in army or air forces or police for males only (can be exchanged for a 24‐month stint in the civil service or a tax voucher); after conscription, soldiers can contract into military service for 2 or 4 years; citizens can also voluntarily join the armed forces (2021)

• Montenegro

  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2006 (2019)

• Morocco

  19 years of age for compulsory military service (reintroduced in 2019); both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2021)

• Mozambique

  registration for military service is mandatory for all males and females at 18 years of age; 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 2-year service obligation; women may serve as officers or enlisted (2021)

• Namibia

  18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Nepal

  18 years of age for voluntary military service (including women); no conscription (2021)

• Netherlands

  17 years of age for an all-volunteer force; conscription abolished in 1996 (2021)

• New Zealand

  17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2021)

• Nicaragua

  18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months; requires Nicaraguan nationality and 6th-grade education (2021)

• Niger

  has conscription, although it is reportedly not always enforced; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2021)

• Nigeria

  18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)

• North Macedonia

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2007 (2021)

• Norway

  19-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 17 years of age for male volunteers (16 in wartime); 18 years of age for women; 19-month service obligation; conscripts first serve 12 months from 19-28, and then up to 4-5 refresher training periods until age 35, 44, 55, or 60 depending on rank and function (2019)
  
  note - Norway was the first NATO country to allow females to serve in all combat arms branches of the military (1988); it also has an all-female commando unit known as Jegertroppen (The Hunter Troop), which was established in 2014

• Oman

  18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Pakistan

  16-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; women serve in all three armed forces; reserve obligation to age 45 for enlisted men, age 50 for officers (2019)

• Papua New Guinea

  16 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; graduation from grade 12 required (2019)

• Paraguay

  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy; volunteers for the Air Force must be younger than 22 years of age with a secondary school diploma (2019)

• Peru

  18-50 years of age for male and 18-45 years of age for female voluntary military service (12 months); no conscription (2021)

• Philippines

  18-23 years of age (officers 21-29) for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)

• Poland

  18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; professional soldiers serve on a permanent basis (for an unspecified period of time) or on a contract basis (for a specified period of time); initial contract period is 24 months; women serve in the military on the same terms as men (2021)

• Portugal

  18-30 years of age for voluntary or contract military service; no compulsory military service (abolished 2004), but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1992, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; contract service lasts for an initial period from two to six years, and can be extended to a maximum of 20 years of service. Voluntary military service lasts 12 months; reserve obligation to age 35 (2019)

• Qatar

  conscription for males aged 18-35; compulsory service times range from 4 months to up to a year, depending on the cadets educational and professional circumstances; women are permitted to serve in the armed forces, including as uniformed officers and pilots (2021)

• Romania

  conscription ended 2006; 18 years of age for male and female voluntary service; all military inductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term of service, with subsequent successive 3-year terms until age 36 (2021)

• Russia

  18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; one-year service obligation (Russia offers the option of serving on a two-year contract instead of completing a one-year conscription period); reserve obligation for non-officers to age 50; enrollment in military schools from the age of 16, cadets classified as members of the armed forces (2019)
  
  note: in April of 2019, the Russian Government pledged its intent to end conscription as part of a decade-long effort to shift from a large, conscript-based military to a smaller, more professional force

• Rwanda

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship is required; enlistment is either as contract (5-years, renewable twice) or career (2019)

• Saint Kitts and Nevis

  18 years of age for voluntary military service (under 18 with written parental permission); no conscription (2021)

• San Marino

  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; government has the authority to call up all San Marino citizens from 16-60 years of age to service in the military (2019)

• Sao Tome and Principe

  18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2019)

• Saudi Arabia

  17-40 for men; no conscription; as of 2021, women (aged 17-40) were allowed to serve in the Army, Air Defense, Navy, Strategic Missile Force, medical services, and internal security forces up to the rank of non-commissioned officer (2021)

• Senegal

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; 20 years of age for selective conscript service; 2-year service obligation; women have been accepted into military service since 2008 (2019)

• Serbia

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2011 (2021)

• Seychelles

  18-28 years of age for voluntary military service (18-25 for officers); 6-year initial commitment; no conscription (2021)

• Sierra Leone

  18-29 for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve; no conscription (2019)

• Singapore

  18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 1/2 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); 2-year conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers); women are not conscripted, but they are allowed to volunteer for all services and branches, including combat arms (2021)

• Slovakia

  18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2004; women are eligible to serve (2021)

• Slovenia

  18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2003 (2021)

• Somalia

  18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2021)

• South Africa

  18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2021)

• South Sudan

  18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2021)

• Spain

  18-26 years of age for voluntary military service by a Spanish citizen or legal immigrant, 2-3 year obligation; women allowed to serve in all SAF branches, including combat units; no conscription (abolished 2001), but Spanish Government retains right to mobilize citizens 19-25 years of age in a national emergency (2019)

• Sri Lanka

  18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Sudan

  18-33 years of age for male and female compulsory or voluntary military service; 1-2 year service obligation (2021)

• Suriname

  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

• Sweden

  18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47; compulsory military service, abolished in 2010, was reinstated in January 2018; conscription is selective, includes both female and male (age 18), and requires 9-12 months of service (2019)

• Switzerland

  18-30 years of age generally for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; every Swiss male has to serve at least 245 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by six 19-day intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years (2021)

• Syria

  18-42 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2021)

• Taiwan

  starting with those born in 1994, males 18-36 years of age may volunteer for military service or must complete 4 months of compulsory military training (or substitute civil service in some cases); men born before December 1993 are required to complete compulsory service for 1 year (military or civil); men are subject to training recalls up to four times for periods not to exceed 20 days for 8 years after discharge; women may enlist, but are restricted to noncombat roles in most cases; as part of its transition to an all-volunteer military in December 2018, the last cohort of one-year military conscripts completed their service obligations (2021)

• Tajikistan

  18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service for men; 24 month conscript service obligation; in August 2021, the Tajik Government began allowing men to pay the equivalent of $2,200 in order to avoid conscription (2021)

• Tanzania

  18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; 6-year commitment (2-year contracts afterwards); selective conscription for 2 years of public service (2021)

• Thailand

  21 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; males register at 18 years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation based on lottery (2021)

• Timor-Leste

  18 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-month service obligation (2021)

• Togo

  18 years of age for military service; 2-year service obligation; the military is an all-volunteer force (2021)

• Tonga

  Volunteers, 18-25; no conscription (2019)

• Trinidad and Tobago

  18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (some age variations between services, reserves); no conscription (2021)

• Tunisia

  20-23 years of age for compulsory service, 1-year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service (2021)

• Turkey

  President Erdoğan on 25 June 2019 signed a new law cutting the men’s mandatory military service period in half, as well as making paid military service permanent; with the new system, the period of conscription was reduced from 12 months to six months for privates and non-commissioned soldiers (the service term for reserve officers chosen among university or college graduates will remain 12 months); after completing six months of service, if a conscripted soldier wants to and is suitable for extending his military service, he may do so for an additional six months in return for a monthly salary; under the new law, all male Turkish citizens over the age of 20 will be required to undergo a one month military training period, but they can obtain an exemption from the remaining five months of their mandatory service by paying 31,000 Turkish Liras (2021)

• Turkmenistan

  18-30 years of age for compulsory male military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2.5 years for the Navy); 20 years of age for voluntary service; males may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2021)

• Uganda

  18-25 years of age for voluntary military duty (must be single, no children); 9-year service obligation (2021)

• Ukraine

  conscription abolished in 2012, but reintroduced in 2014; 20-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months; note - the Ukrainian military has a mix of conscript and professional soldiers on contracts; by law, conscripts cannot serve on the frontlines but have the opportunity to sign short or long-term contracts upon the expiration of their terms of service (2021)

• United Arab Emirates

  18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 17 years of age for male volunteers with parental approval; 24-month general service obligation, 16 months for secondary school graduates; women can volunteer to serve for 9 months regardless of education (2019)

• United Kingdom

  slight variations by service, but generally 16-36 years of age for enlisted (with parental consent under 18) and 18-29 for officers; minimum length of service 4 years; women serve in military services including ground combat roles; conscription abolished in 1963 (2021)

• United States

  18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 34 (Army), 39 (Air Force), 39 (Navy), 28 (Marines), 31 (Coast Guard); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard); all military occupations and positions open to women (2020)

• Uruguay

  18-30 years of age (18-22 years of age for Navy) for male or female voluntary military service; up to 40 years of age for specialists; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies (2021)

• Uzbekistan

  18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-year conscript service obligation for males (conscripts have the option of paying for a shorter service of one month while remaining in the reserves until the age of 27); Uzbek citizens who have completed their service terms in the armed forces have privileges in employment and admission to higher educational institutions (2021)

• Venezuela

  18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; all citizens of military service age (18-50 years old) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training, although “forcible recruitment” is forbidden (2021)

• Vietnam

  18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (females eligible for conscription, but in practice only males are drafted); conscription typically takes place twice annually and service obligation is 2 years (Army, Air Defense) and 3 years (Navy and Air Force) (2021)

• West Bank

  not available

• Yemen

  18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war) (2021)

• Zambia

  18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (16 with parental consent); no conscription; 12-year enlistment period (7 years active, 5 in the Reserves) (2019)

• Zimbabwe

  18-22 years of age for voluntary military service (18-24 for officer cadets; 18-30 for technical/specialist personnel); no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2021)