Can I Join an Allied Military?

Any foreign national. French citizens cannot join the Foreign Legion — they must apply to the regular French Army. No prior military experience required. A criminal record is not an automatic disqualifier (the Legion has historically offered a form of clean start), but fraud, serious violent crime, and security concerns are screened.

None at enlistment — French language training is included in basic training. Recruits must be able to follow basic instructions, and the selection process is conducted in French, so elementary comprehension helps significantly in practice.

Approximately 17.5 to 39.5 years old (must have parental consent if under 18)

5-year initial contract. Renewable. Service is performed in the French military with full active-duty status — deployed to the same operations as the regular French Army.

No — you can apply from abroad without prior residency

After 3 years of honorable service, Légionnaires may apply for French nationality under the provision known informally as "Français par le sang versé" (French by the spilled blood) — this process is accelerated if a Légionnaire is wounded in service. French citizenship is not guaranteed and goes through a formal application process.

Citizens of Commonwealth nations and the Republic of Ireland are generally eligible to apply to the British Army. Commonwealth eligibility covers citizens of approximately 56 member nations including (among others) Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Jamaica, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Bangladesh, and many others. The Gurkha Brigade recruits separately from Nepal under a distinct agreement.

English proficiency sufficient to pass selection and serve. No formal minimum test score is published, but the recruiting process and the Army itself operate entirely in English.

Approximately 16 to 36 years old (varies by role; some roles have lower maximums)

Minimum 4-year commitment (Phase 1 and Phase 2 training plus initial service). Terms vary by role and engagement type.

No — you can apply from abroad without prior residency

After 4 years of service, eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, which is a step toward British citizenship (typically 1 further year of residency then eligible to naturalize). British citizenship is not automatic and is subject to the standard Home Office process.

Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) — those holding a valid "Green Card" (Form I-551) — are eligible to enlist in all branches of the US military as non-citizen service members. Non-LPR foreign nationals cannot generally enlist without citizenship. The MAVNI (Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest) program historically allowed certain non-LPR applicants with critical skills (specific foreign languages, certain medical/health specialties) — but MAVNI has been suspended multiple times and its current status must be verified with DoD recruiting.

English proficiency sufficient to pass the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and complete service. There is no formal English test at enlistment, but the ASVAB is administered in English and requires meaningful reading comprehension.

Varies by branch and component. Generally 17 to 34 years for most enlisted roles (some branches go to 39 for certain specialties). Officer commissioning has different age limits.

Typically 4 to 6 years active duty for initial enlistment, depending on branch and MOS/rating. Reserve component options also available to LPRs.

Yes — you must already hold residency status in this country

Non-citizen service members may apply for expedited naturalization after one year of honorable active-duty service under 8 U.S.C. § 1440. This is a well-established and widely used pathway — thousands of LPRs have become US citizens through military service. Application is made through USCIS while on active duty.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Foreign nationals who are not Canadian citizens and do not hold Canadian permanent resident status cannot apply. Residency in Canada is the threshold — not citizenship.

English or French (Canada is officially bilingual; you must be able to serve in at least one official language). Many roles require working proficiency; some specializations require bilingualism.

Minimum 16 years old (with parental consent for certain enrollment types). No fixed maximum for most roles, though physical standards apply.

Varies by component (Regular Force vs. Reserve Force) and occupation. Regular Force initial service is typically 3 to 5 years depending on training pipeline and occupation.

Yes — you must already hold residency status in this country

Permanent residents serving in the CAF remain under their permanent resident status during service. Canadian citizenship requires meeting Citizenship and Immigration Canada requirements — military service does not provide a fast-track equivalent to the US § 1440 pathway, though continuous service in Canada counts toward the physical presence requirement for citizenship applications.

Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens (who have right of residence in Australia under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), and Australian permanent residents are generally eligible. Foreign nationals without Australian citizenship or permanent residency cannot apply.

English is the language of service. Sufficient proficiency to complete training and serve operationally is required.

Minimum 17 years (with parental consent). Maximum age varies by role — typically up to approximately 55 for reservists in some specialties; enlisted roles typically up to mid-to-late 30s.

Varies by component and occupation. Regular Force initial commitments typically range from 3 to 6 years depending on training investment and occupation.

Yes — you must already hold residency status in this country

Permanent residents serving in the ADF remain on their visa status. Australian citizenship is not automatically granted through service, but continuous residence during service counts toward the citizenship application (generally requires 4 years of permanent residence including 1 year as a permanent resident). The ADF does not maintain a dedicated expedited naturalization track.

New Zealand citizens, Australian citizens (who have the right to live and work in New Zealand), and New Zealand permanent residents. Foreign nationals without NZ citizenship or residency cannot apply.

English is the language of service.

Minimum 17 years. Maximum age varies by role.

Varies by component and occupation. Regular Force service typically 3 years minimum; some training-intensive roles require longer commitments.

Yes — you must already hold residency status in this country

Military service counts as time spent in New Zealand for residency purposes, but the NZDF does not maintain a separate expedited naturalization pathway. Australian citizens exercising their right to reside in NZ can apply for NZ citizenship after 5 years of permanent residence.

Spanish citizens, and citizens of Ibero-American nations (broadly, Latin American countries with historical and linguistic ties to Spain, including most of South and Central America, plus Equatorial Guinea where Spanish is an official language). This is NOT open to all nationalities — it is specifically limited to Hispanophone and Luso-Hispanic legacy nations as defined by Spanish law.

Spanish. The Legion operates entirely in Spanish, and there is no language training accommodation at enlistment the way the French Foreign Legion provides French instruction.

Approximately 18 to 29 years old for initial enlistment

Initial contract of approximately 3 years, renewable.

No — you can apply from abroad without prior residency

Ibero-American nationals who complete service may apply for Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal residence (compared to the standard 10 years for most foreigners). Service in the Legion counts toward this. This is a reduced residency requirement, not an automatic grant.