From August 25th, applications for the 11-month national defence service in the January 2026 intake are open, to which Latvian citizens – men and women – aged 18 to 27 are invited to apply until September 12th.
The January 2026 draft requires 110 conscripts for 11 months of military service, who will be able to serve in the Air Force at the military base “Lielvārde” or at the Headquarters Battalion in Rīga. The start of service is planned for January 14, 2026.
In the event that not enough people volunteer to make up the quota, a lottery system is employed to select draftees to make up the numbers.
It is possible to apply on the unified recruitment platform www.klustikaravirs.lv.
There are various incentives in place to encourage volunteering over being conscripted, not least of which is that volunteers are paid 600 euros per month while conscripts get only half that amount.
The maximum penalty for ignoring a draft summons and failing to appear for a health examination is 750 euros.
Latvia reintroduced military service for males aged 18-27 on a voluntary basis in 2023 and from January 1, 2024, military service has been designated as mandatory. Latvia did previously have mandatory military service until January 2007, when it switched to a fully professional military service, but reintroduced mandatory service in a bid to boost the size of its armed forces. Women can also undertake national service, but on a voluntary basis only.
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