Johannes Fechner, the parliamentary manager for the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, stated that there is currently no requirement for obtaining permits for young men taking extended trips abroad. Speaking to the “Welt” Fechner described the debate surrounding this topic as a “confusing discussion”. He explained, “Since there is no conscription, there is no obligation for men between 17 and 45 to get permits for longer stays abroad”.
He noted that the relevant provision, found in Paragraph 3 of the Conscription Act, is over 60 years old and was not amended by the 2025 Conscription Modernization Act. Fechner stressed, “This provision explicitly refers only to the situation of an existing conscription, which has not actually been introduced. In the entire text of Paragraph 3 of the Conscription Act, it is crystal clear that the regulations there might only apply in the event of conscription”. He added that it would be beneficial for the Ministry of Defence to promptly issue an administrative regulation, making clear that no permit requirement for extended foreign travel exists due to the absence of conscription.
Carmen Wegge, the SPD parliamentary group’s policy spokesperson for legal matters, called for a permit requirement to be “incomprehensible”. Wegge told the “Welt” “I think it is good that the Ministry of Defence has announced wanting to structure the regulation so that the permit is considered granted as long as there is no conscription in this country. Anything else would, in my view, be incomprehensible to the public”.
Furthermore, Christoph Schmid, the SPD parliamentary group’s deputy policy spokesperson for defence, emphasized that the clause has “no practical relevance for implementation”. According to “Welt” and other media outlets, Schmid stated, “It has always been important for the SPD parliamentary group that the basis of the Conscription Modernization Act was volunteerism. Therefore, this clause, which dates back to the Cold War era, has no practical relevance for us either. We therefore welcome the announcement by the Federal Ministry of Defence to issue the corresponding administrative regulations very soon to avoid uncertainties”.
