German men aged 17-45 may need military approval for long stays abroad

Under the law, travel approvals must generally be granted and it remains unclear how the rule would be enforced if breached.

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The Military Service Modernisation Act, which came into force on 1 January, aims to boost defences following threats from Russia in the aftermath of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement sent to the BBC, a defence ministry spokesman confirmed that males aged 17 and older were required to obtain prior approval for stays abroad lasting longer than three months.

Under the current law, travel approvals must generally be granted and it remains unclear how the rule would be enforced if breached.

The requirement to obtain permission had gone largely unnoticed until it was reported by the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper on Friday.