German law mandates military approval for extended trips abroad by men under 45

A recently enacted German law now requires men aged 17 to 45 to obtain military approval before staying abroad for more than three months. The rule, buried within the Military Service Modernisation Act effective as of January 1, is intended to ensure the government can monitor and potentially mobilize men of fighting age during a national emergency. While conscription has not been reinstated, the measure is seen as a precautionary step amid efforts to bolster Germany's military readiness in resp