Non-participation or delayed responses can incur penalties, though cases are considered individually, including absences or international circumstances.

Officials describe the reform as a game changer and frame the service as a core element of the country’s life and public service framework.

Following the questionnaire, a friendly, Swedish-inspired recruitment medical examination (musterung) will assess fitness in a welcoming environment.

Initial volunteers are expected to join in the coming months as the system is rolled out across the eligible population.

The rollout includes 24 new muster centers by mid-next year and eight career centers, with many new centers using rental space to house assessments.

The Bundeswehr has begun sending the initial questionnaires to the cohort born in 2008, marking the start of the new compulsory service process by inviting about 700,000 young adults to participate as early as this year.

The questionnaires assess motivation and suitability for the new service, with men required to respond and women encouraged to participate voluntarily.

To boost attractiveness, the service offers incentives such as higher pay and licensing subsidies, while remaining voluntary overall.

Disqualifications include known extremists and illegal drug use, with explicit prohibitions on extremist ideologies and certain medically restricted substances in line with service requirements.

Applicants’ families, including parents and siblings, may accompany them at career centers during assessments, while personal physician-patient confidentiality remains in place.

The reform expands recruitment under the new law, aiming to align youth with national service principles while maintaining voluntariness in general terms.

The musterung process evaluates general fitness and readiness for specific roles, with a warning that refusal to answer questionnaires can lead to administrative penalties.