Cross-Country Comparison Tool
Military Conscription Length by Country
Mandatory military service is alive in dozens of allied and partner nations — but the length, the rules, and the exit ramps vary wildly. Six months in Austria. Thirty-two months in Israel. A monthly civilian buy-out in Turkey. Sortable comparison across 30+ countries — sourced from each nation's defence ministry.
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Showing 30 countries| Country | Length ↓ | Applies to | Exemptions | Paid option | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇲Bermuda | 38 (3 yrs 2 mo, ended 2018 — historic) | Historic — Bermuda Regiment ceased conscription in 2018 | N/A (abolished) | N/A | Royal Bermuda Regiment (historic policy) |
| 🇮🇱Israel | 32 (men) / 24 (women) | Most Jewish citizens; Druze and Circassian men; ultra-Orthodox exemption is a live political dispute | Health, conscientious objection (rare), Haredi exemption (under repeated legal challenge) | None | IDF Manpower Directorate (Aka) |
| 🇹🇭Thailand | 6–24 (lottery and volunteer) | Men 21+ via annual draft lottery; volunteers serve shorter | Health, ordained monks, certain civil servants | None | Royal Thai Armed Forces — Directorate of Conscription |
| 🇸🇬Singapore | 22–24 | All male citizens and second-generation permanent residents; reservist obligation to age 40 (50 officers) | Medical (PES F/E status); very limited | None — no buy-out | MINDEF / NS.sg portal |
| 🇩🇿Algeria | 18 | Men 19–30 | Health, family hardship | None codified | Algerian Ministry of National Defence (MDN) |
| 🇰🇷South Korea | 18 (Army) / 20 (Navy) / 21 (Air Force) | All male citizens 18–28; women may volunteer | Health, sole-breadwinner, alternative social service (since 2020 conscientious objection) | None | Korea Military Manpower Administration (MMA) |
| 🇨🇾Cyprus | 14 | Male citizens and male children of Cypriot citizens 18–50 | Health, permanent residency abroad (limited) | None | Cyprus Ministry of Defence |
| 🇪🇬Egypt | 12–36 (varies by education) | Men 18–30; university graduates serve shortest, low-education conscripts longest | Sole son, health, dual nationals (case-by-case) | None standard; limited buy-out historically for dual citizens | Egyptian Armed Forces Conscription Authority |
| 🇹🇼Taiwan | 12 (from January 2024) | Men born after 1 Jan 2005 (extended from 4 months); older cohorts served shorter terms | Health, sole-son in some cases | None | Taiwan Ministry of National Defence |
| 🇷🇺Russia | 12 (peacetime baseline) | Men 18–30; partial mobilisation since 2022 has expanded effective service | Health, education deferment, religious (alternative civilian service) | None | Russian Ministry of Defence (context only — not a covered nation) |
| 🇲🇦Morocco | 12 (reintroduced 2018) | Men and women 19–25 | Health, education, sole support | None codified | Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | 12 (Servicio Militar Nacional, weekends) | Men in the year they turn 18; mostly weekend service (Saturdays) | Health, education abroad, sole support | None | SEDENA — Servicio Militar Nacional |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | 12 (selective) | Men at 18; far more register than are called; in practice highly selective | Education, health, family hardship — most registrants are excused | None | Brazilian Armed Forces Joint Recruitment |
| 🇳🇴Norway | 12 (typical) / up to 19 for some specialities | All citizens — first NATO country to apply mandatory service to women (since 2016) | Health, conscientious objection (alternative service) | None | Norwegian Armed Forces (Forsvaret) |
| 🇲🇳Mongolia | 12 | Men 18–25 | Health, family hardship | Statutory buy-out available (cash payment in lieu of service, codified) | Mongolian Ministry of Defence |
| 🇬🇷Greece | 9 (Army) / 12 (Navy & Air Force) | All male citizens from age 19 | Religious, health, sole support | Reduced-term and reservist buy-down for Greeks resident abroad | Hellenic Ministry of National Defence |
| 🇸🇪Sweden | 9–12 (varies by role) | Both sexes since 2018 (könsneutral); selection from large pool | Health, conscientious objection | None | Swedish Defence Recruitment Agency (Plikt- och prövningsverket) |
| 🇪🇪Estonia | 8–11 (by role) | Men 18–27; women may volunteer (and a growing number do) | Health, family hardship | None | Estonian Defence Forces (Kaitsevägi) |
| 🇱🇻Latvia | 11 (reinstated 2023) | Men 18–27 (reintroduced in 2023); women may volunteer | Health; alternative civilian service (11 months) for conscientious objectors | None | Latvian Ministry of Defence |
| 🇦🇪UAE | 11 (graduates) / 16 (non-graduates) | Men 18–30 (mandatory since 2014); women may volunteer for 9 months | Sole son, medical | None | UAE Ministry of Defence — National Service & Reserve Authority |
| 🇱🇹Lithuania | 9 (reinstated 2015) | Men 18–26 | Health, parenthood, conscientious objection (alternative service) | None | Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence |
| 🇹🇷Turkey | 6 (short term) / 12 (long term for some) | Men 20–41 | Health, dual nationals with foreign military service, education deferments | Yes — bedelli askerlik (paid military service): one-month training plus statutory fee | Turkish Ministry of National Defence (MSB) |
| 🇦🇹Austria | 6 (Grundwehrdienst) | All male citizens 17–35; women voluntary | Health; 9-month Zivildienst (civilian service) alternative | None — confirmed by 2013 referendum | Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence (BMLV) |
| 🇨🇭Switzerland | 18–26 weeks initial (Rekrutenschule) + annual WK | All male citizens; women may volunteer; recurring reservist days until 30s | Health; civilian service (Zivildienst) for conscientious objectors | Annual tax (Wehrpflichtersatzabgabe) for those exempted | Swiss Armed Forces — VBS |
| 🇫🇮Finland | 165, 255, or 347 days (~6, 8.5, or 11.5 months) | All men; women may volunteer | Health; civilian service (347 days) for conscientious objectors | None | Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat) |
| 🇩🇰Denmark | 4–12 (expanding under 2024 reform) | Men currently; 2024 reform expands to all sexes and lengthens service | Health, sole breadwinner, conscientious objection (civilian service) | None | Danish Defence (Forsvaret) |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | No conscription (since 1960) | N/A — all-volunteer since 1960 | N/A | N/A | UK Ministry of Defence |
| 🇫🇷France | Suspended 2001 (SNU — Service National Universel — civic, non-military) | Men and women 15–17 may participate in SNU; military service is suspended | N/A (military conscription is inactive) | N/A | French Ministry of the Armed Forces |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Suspended since 2011 (reinstatement debated) | N/A — Wehrpflicht suspended; 2025 discussion of return | N/A | N/A | German Bundeswehr / BMVg |
| 🇺🇸United States | No active draft (Selective Service registration only) | Men 18–25 must register; no active draft since 1973 | N/A — no active service obligation | N/A | U.S. Selective Service System |
How to read this table
- Length (months): the headline figure used to sort. Where a range exists (e.g. branch-dependent), we use the typical army term as the headline and note the range in the cell.
- Applies to: who is legally obligated to serve. “Men only” is the most common worldwide; Norway, Sweden, and Israel apply mandatory service to women as well.
- Paid alternatives: some countries (Turkey, Switzerland for non-citizens, Egypt under specific clauses) allow a monetary payment to discharge the obligation. Where this exists, it is noted explicitly.
- Source: every row links to an official defence ministry page or recognised IISS / public-record reference.
Figures are approximate and reflect publicly reported policy as of 2024–2026. National legislation changes frequently. Always verify with the official ministry source linked in each row before relying on this data for any planning purpose.