| Field Listing :: Military service age and obligation |
| This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of service obligation. | |
Country |
Military service age and obligation(years of age) |
|---|
| Afghanistan | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Albania | 19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization (2012) |
| Algeria | 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 19-30 years of age for compulsory service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects) (2012) |
| 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; conscript service obligation - 2 years; Angolan citizenship required; the Navy (MGA) is entirely staffed with volunteers (2013) |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Governor-General has powers to call up men for national service and set the age at which they could be called up (2012) |
| Argentina | 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental consent); no conscription; if the number of volunteers fails to meet the quota of recruits for a particular year, Congress can authorize the conscription of citizens turning 18 that year for a period not exceeding one year (2012) |
| Armenia | 18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2012) |
| Australia | 17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in most combat roles, except the Army special forces (2013) |
| Austria | registration requirement at age 17, the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory service; males under the age of 35 must complete basic military training (6 month duration); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service (2012) |
| Azerbaijan | men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; length of service is 18 months and 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 (2012) |
| Bahamas, The | 18 years of age for voluntary male and female service; no conscription (2012) |
| Bahrain | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2012) |
| Bangladesh | 16-19 years of age for voluntary military service; Bangladeshi birth and 10th grade education required; initial obligation 15 years (2012) |
| Barbados | 18 years of age for voluntary military service, or earlier with parental consent; no conscription (2013) |
| Belarus | 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2012) |
| Belgium | 18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1994 (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| 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 (2013) |
| Bermuda | 18-45 years of age for voluntary male or female enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18 and may be subject to conscription; term of service is 38 months for volunteers or conscripts (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Bolivia | 18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory male and female military service; Bolivian citizenship required; 17 years of age for voluntary service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2013) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years of service (2013) |
| Botswana | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Brazil | 18-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 9-12 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 (2012) |
| 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 (2013) |
| Bulgaria | 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months (2012) |
| Burkina Faso | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2013) |
| 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); service obligation 2 years; 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; Burma signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 15 August 1991; on 27 June 2012, the regime signed a Joint Action Plan on prevention of child recruitment; in February 2013, the military formed a new task force to address forced child conscription, which reportedly continues (2013) |
| 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; mandatory retirement age 45 (enlisted), 50 (NCOs), and 55 (officers) (2012) |
| Cabo Verde | 18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2013) |
| Cambodia | 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012) |
| Cameroon | 18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Central African Republic | 18 years of age for selective military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2012) |
| 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 of 21 (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| China | 18-24 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; a recent military decision allows women in combat roles; the first class of women warship commanders was in 2011 (2012) |
| Colombia | 18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 18 months (2012) |
| Comoros | 18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; no conscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2012) |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 18-45 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2012) |
| Congo, Republic of the | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women can serve in the Armed Forces (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Croatia | 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; 6-month service obligation (2012) |
| Cuba | 17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2012) |
| Curacao | no conscription (2010) |
| Cyprus | Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; length of service obligation is 25 months; women may volunteer for a 3-year term (2013) |
| Czech Republic | 18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Denmark | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2012) |
| Djibouti | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Ecuador | 18 years of age for selective conscript military service; conscription has been suspended; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Air Force 18-22 years of age, Ecadorian birth requirement; 1-year service obligation (2012) |
| 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 16 (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Equatorial Guinea | 18 years of age for selective compulsory military service, although conscription is rare in practice; 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; 2-year service obligation; women hold only administrative positions in the Coast Guard (2013) |
| Eritrea | 18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2012) |
| 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 (2013) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Fiji | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2013) |
| Finland | 18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory - and female voluntary - national military and nonmilitary service; service obligation 6-12 months; military obligation to age 60 (2012) |
| France | 17-40 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; 1-year service obligation; women serve in noncombat posts (2013) |
| Gabon | 20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Gambia, The | 18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation 6 months (2012) |
| Georgia | 18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (2012) |
| Germany | 17-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription ended 1 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 (2013) |
| Ghana | 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription; must be HIV/AIDS negative (2012) |
| 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 all services; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2012) |
| Guatemala | all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for military service; in practice, a selective draft system is employed, with only a small portion of 17-21 year-olds conscripted; conscript service obligation varies from 1 to 2 years; women can serve as officers (2013) |
| Guinea | 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 18-month conscript service obligation (2012) |
| 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 (2013) |
| Guyana | 16 years of age or younger for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013) |
| Holy See (Vatican City) | Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia): 19-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; must be Roman Catholic, a Swiss citizen, with a secondary education (2013) |
| Honduras | 18 years of age for voluntary 2- to 3-year military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Hungary | 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 6-month service obligation (2012) |
| 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, but for noncombat roles only (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| 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 months; women exempt from military service (2012) |
| Iraq | 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013) |
| Ireland | 17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16 years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions; 17-35 years of age for the Reserve Defense Forces (RDF); maximum obligation 12 years (5 years IDF, 7 years RDF); EU citizenship or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2012) |
| Israel | 18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) military service; 17 years of age for voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months for officers; pilots commit to 9 years service; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2013) |
| Italy | 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in any military branch; Italian citizenship required; 12-month service obligation (2013) |
| Jamaica | 17 1/2 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Japan | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; mandatory retirement at age 53 for senior enlisted personnel and at 62 years for senior service officers (2012) |
| Jordan | 17 years of age for voluntary male military service; initial service term 2 years, with option to reenlist for 18 years; conscription at age 18 suspended in 1999; women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in noncombat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps and RJAF (2013) |
| Kazakhstan | 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 2 years; 19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; military cadets in intermediate (ages 15-17) and higher (ages 17-21) education institutes are classified as military service personnel (2012) |
| Kenya | 18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary service (under 18 with parental consent), with a 9-year obligation (7 years for Kenyan Navy); applicants must be Kenyan citizens and provide a national identity card (obtained at age 18) and a school-leaving certificate; women serve under the same terms and conditions as men; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2012) |
| Korea, North | 18 is presumed to be the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 16-17 is the presumed legal minimum age for voluntary service (2012) |
| Korea, South | 20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - 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, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; HIV-positive individuals are exempt from military service (2012) |
| Kuwait | 17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2012) |
| Kyrgyzstan | 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary male military service in the Armed Forces or Interior Ministry; service obligation - 1 year, with optional fee-based 3-year service in the callup mobilization reserve; women may volunteer at age 19; 16-17 years of age for military cadets, who cannot take part in military operations (2013) |
| Laos | 18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - minimum 18-months (2012) |
| Latvia | 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; no conscription; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2012) |
| Lebanon | 17-30 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-24 years of age for officer candidates; no conscription (2013) |
| Lesotho | 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2012) |
| Liberia | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Libya | 18 years of age for mandatory or voluntary service (2012) |
| Lithuania | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; service obligation 1 year; Lithuania converted to a professional military in the fall of 2008, although the decision continues under judicial review (2012) |
| Luxembourg | 18-24 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2012) |
| Macedonia | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2013) |
| Madagascar | 18-25 years of age for male-only voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation is 18 months for military or equivalent civil service; 20-30 years of age for National Gendarmerie recruits and 35 years of age for those with military experience (2012) |
| Malawi | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years reserve service (2012) |
| 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 (2013) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Mali | 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2012) |
| Malta | 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013) |
| Mauritania | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Mexico | 18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation is 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntary military service; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces (2012) |
| Moldova | 18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 1-year service obligation (2012) |
| Mongolia | 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months in land or air defense forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5 percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployed overseas for military operations (2012) |
| Montenegro | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Morocco | 20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation - 18 months (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Namibia | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Nepal | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for military training; no conscription (2012) |
| Netherlands | 17 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2012) |
| New Zealand | 17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription; 3 years of secondary education required; must be a citizen of NZ, the UK, Australia, Canada, or the US, and resident of NZ for the previous 5 years (2013) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Niger | 18 is the presumed 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 (2012) |
| Nigeria | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Norway | 19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women; 1-year service obligation followed by 4-5 refresher training periods through ages 35-60, totalling 18 months (2012) |
| Oman | 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Pakistan | 16-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors; the Pakistan Air Force recruits aviation technicians at age 15; service obligation (Navy) 10-18 years; retirement required after 18-30 years service or age 40-52 (2012) |
| Papua New Guinea | 16 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; graduation from grade 12 required (2013) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Peru | 18-50 years of age for male and 18-45 years of age for female voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Philippines | 17-23 years of age (officers 20-24) for voluntary military service; no conscription; applicants must be single male or female Philippine citizens with either 72 college credit hours (enlisted) or a baccalaureate degree (officers) (2013) |
| Poland | 18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; service obligation shortened from 12 to 9 months in 2005; women only allowed to serve as officers and noncommissioned officers (2013) |
| Portugal | 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service, but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2012) |
| Qatar | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013) |
| Romania | 20-35 years of age for compulsory male military service; conscription ended 2006, but military service remains mandatory; 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 (2012) |
| Russia |
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; service obligation is 1 year (conscripts can only be sent to combat zones after 6 months of training); reserve obligation to age 50; enrollment in military schools from the age of 16, cadets classified as members of the armed forces
note: the chief of the General Staff Mobilization Directorate announced in March 2009 that for health reasons, only 65% of draftees in 2008 were fit for military service, and over half of these had health-induced restrictions on deployment; the deputy chief of the Russian Army General Staff confirmed in May 2011 that over 30% of potential conscripts were turned down on health grounds; 61% of draft-age Russian males receive some type of deferment each draft cycle (2012) |
| Rwanda | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship is required, as is a 9th grade education for enlisted recruits and an A-level certificate for officer candidates; enlistment is either as contract (5-years, renewable twice) or career; retirement (for officers and senior NCOs) after 20 years of service or at 40-60 years of age (2012) |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Saint Lucia | 18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service (2012) |
| Saudi Arabia | 17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| Senegal | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 20 years of age for selective conscript service; service obligation is 2 years; women have been accepted into military service since 2008 (2013) |
| Serbia | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished December 2010; reserve obligation to age 60 for men and age 50 for women (2013) |
| Seychelles | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2012) |
| Sierra Leone | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); women are eligible to serve; no conscription; candidates must be HIV negative (2012) |
| Singapore | 18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 1/2 years of age for volunteers; 2-year conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers) (2012) |
| Slovakia | 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2012) |
| Slovenia | 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2003 (2012) |
| Somalia | 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012) |
| South Africa | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2012) |
| South Sudan | 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service; the Government of South Sudan signed a revised action plan with the UN in March 2012 to demobilize all child soldiers within the SPLA; UNICEF reported 250 confirmed cases of the SPLA's association with children at the end of 2012 (2012) |
| 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, but Spanish Government retains right to mobilize citizens 19-25 years of age in a national emergency; mandatory retirement of non-NCO enlisted personnel at age 45 or 58, depending on service length (2013) |
| Sri Lanka | 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 5-year service obligation (Air Force) (2012) |
| Sudan | 18-33 years of age for male and female compulsory or voluntary military service; 1-2 year service obligation; a requirement that completion of national service was mandatory before entering public or private sector employment has been cancelled (2012) |
| Suriname | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2012) |
| Swaziland | 18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; compulsory HIV testing required, only HIV-negative applicants accepted (2012) |
| Sweden | 18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; Swedish citizenship required; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); the Swedish Parliament has abolished compulsory military service, with exclusively voluntary recruitment as of July 2010; conscription remains an option in emergencies; after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47 (2013) |
| Switzerland | 19-26 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; every Swiss male has to serve at least 260 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years (2012) |
| Syria | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment obligation 5 years, with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45 (NCOs) (2012) |
| Taiwan | 18-35 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 2 years; women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 4 months of military training (2012) |
| Tajikistan | 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; males required to undergo compulsory military training between ages 16 and 55; males can enroll in military schools from at least age 15 (2012) |
| Tanzania | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| Timor-Leste | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-month service obligation; no conscription but, as of May 2013, introduction of conscription was under discussion (2013) |
| Togo | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2012) |
| Tonga | 16 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); no conscription; the king retains the right to call up "all those capable of bearing arms" in wartime (2012) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription; Trinidad and Tobago citizenship and completion of secondary school required (2012) |
| Tunisia | 20-23 years of age for compulsory service, one year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service; Tunisian nationality required (2012) |
| Turkey | 21-41 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 15 months conscript obligation for non-university graduates, 6-12 months for university graduates; conscripts are called to register at age 20, for service at 21; women serve in the Turkish Armed Forces only as officers; reserve obligation to age 41; under a law passed in November 2011, men aged 30 and older, or who have worked 3 years in foreign countries, may pay $16,200 in lieu of mandatory military service (2013) |
| Turkmenistan | 18-27 years of age for compulsory male military service; 2-year conscript service obligation, or 1 year for university students; 20 years of age for voluntary service; males may enroll in military schools from age 15 (2013) |
| Uganda | 18-26 years of age for voluntary military duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; no conscription; 9-year service obligation; the government has stated that while recruitment under 18 years of age could occur with proper consent, "no person under the apparent age of 18 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"; Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2012) |
| Ukraine | 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months for Army and Air Force, 18 months for Navy (2012) |
| United Arab Emirates | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for officers and women; no conscription; 16-22 years of age for candidates for the UAE Naval College (2012) |
| United Kingdom | 16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings; as of October 2009, women comprised 12.1% of officers and 9% of enlisted personnel in the regular forces; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2012) |
| United States | 18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 42 (Army), 27 (Air Force), 34 (Navy), 28 (Marines); service obligation 8 years, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines); DoD is eliminating prohibitions restricting women from assignments in units smaller than brigades or near combat units (2013) |
| 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; minimum 6-year education (2013) |
| Uzbekistan | 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-year conscript service obligation; moving toward a professional military, but conscription will continue; the military cannot accommodate everyone who wishes to enlist, and competition for entrance into the military is similar to the competition for admission to universities (2012) |
| Venezuela | 18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 30-month conscript service obligation; Navy requires 6th-grade education for enlisted personnel; all citizens of military service age (18-60 years old) are obligated to register for military service (2012) |
| Vietnam | 18-25 years of age for male compulsory and voluntary military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscription typically takes place twice annually and service obligation is 18 months (Army, Air Defense), 2 years (Navy and Air Force); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Force service; males may enroll in military schools at age 17 (2013) |
| Yemen | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012) |
| Zambia | national registration required at age 16; 18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription; Zambian citizenship required; grade 12 certification required; mandatory HIV testing on enlistment; mandatory retirement for officers at age 65 (Army, Air Force) (2012) |
| Zimbabwe | 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women are eligible to serve (2012) |