List of enlistment age by country

These are the enlistment ages for military service by country, according to the online CIA publication The World Factbook.

A

• – 19 (voluntary; age lowered to 18 during wartime)
• – 19 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary – men), 20 (voluntary – women), 20 (compulsory – men)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary during peacetime; compulsory for men during wartime)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary; age 17 with parental consent)
• – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
• – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
• - 18 (voluntary) 20 (compulsory)

B

• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 16 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory militia training)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 17 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)

C

• – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 16.5 (voluntary; volunteers can join the Reserves and enter the Military Colleges at age 16.5, or join the regular forces at age 17 with parental consent)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory – men), 21 (compulsory – women)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory; only registration is compulsory. People do not have to serve in the military) 17 with parental permission.
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary; will be compulsory after 2025)
• – 17 (compulsory)
• – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory for Greek Cypriots only)
• – 18 (voluntary)

D

• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)

E

• – 18 (compulsory; conscription is currently suspended until further notice)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)

F

• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)

G

• – 20 (voluntary).
• – 18 (compulsory).
• – 18 (compulsory).
• – 18 (compulsory; conscription not enforced(17 with parental consent)
• – 18 (voluntary).
• – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory; conscription age can be lowered to 17 during wartime).
• – 17 (compulsory).
• – 18 (voluntary).
• – 16 (voluntary, with parental consent), 18 (compulsory).
• – 18 (voluntary).

H

• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• - 18 (voluntary)

I

• – 16.5 (voluntary, for National Defense Academy), 17.5 (voluntary, for all others on the Agnipath scheme)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory for Jews and Druze only)
• – 18 (voluntary)

J

• – 17 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 17 (compulsory)

K

• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 17 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 17 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory), 19 (voluntary – women)

L

• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 17 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• - 18 (voluntary)

M

• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory, conscription not enforced)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory, reintroduced in 2019); both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)

N

• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 17 (voluntary)
• – 17 (voluntary; soldiers are not deployed in combat before the age of 18)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 17 (voluntary – men), 18 (voluntary – women), 19 (compulsory;)

O

• – 18 (voluntary)

P

• – 16 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 17 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary; enlistment age can be lowered to 17 during wartime)
• – 18 (voluntary)

Q

• – 18 (compulsory)

R

• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)

S

• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 15 (voluntary)
• – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
• – 17 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 16.5 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)

T

• – 19 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary), 21 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
• – 18 (voluntary; age 17 with parental consent)
• – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary), 21 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)

U

• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (voluntary) 25 (compulsory; was 27 before April 2024)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent; age 17.5 for admission to an officer program; Nepalese citizens can join the Brigade of Gurkhas at age 17)
• – 18 (voluntary registration), 18 (voluntary service; age 17 with parental consent), 17 (compulsory militia service under 10 U.S. Code § 246)
• – 18 (voluntary)
• – 18 (compulsory)

V

• – 19 years old. The Holy See maintains a small volunteer force of Swiss nationals who make up the Pontifical Swiss Guard.
• – 18 (compulsory)
• – 18 (compulsory)
• - 18 (voluntary)

Y

• – 18 (voluntary)

Z

• – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
• – 18 (voluntary)

References

• Online CIA publication The World Factbook

External links

• Military service ages and obligation