German men must now ask the army for permission to leave the country

New rule has caught millions by surprise

As per the new rules, those who are aged between 17 and 45 should obtain a permit for trips abroad.

That is, if they plan to stay outside the country for more than three months.

This year, the government in Germany introduced a new military service scheme that stops short of conscription but requires men born from 2008 onwards to take a medical exam.

They must then fill in a survey about their fitness for service in the military.

Before leaving the country for extended periods, it has emerged that a clause in the law also requires men aged between 17 and 45 to obtain a permit from the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces.

However, what would happen if a German left without seeking a permit is unclear.

In the face of threats from Russia and a possible break-up from NATO, Germany is rapidly remobilising and rearming, with plans to expand its conventional army.

In the event of a war or a national crisis, which may may require emergency conscription, the new rule will restrict the movement of men of fighting age.

“Male persons who have reached the age of 17 must obtain permission from the responsible career centre of the German armed forces if they wish to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for more than three months”, the new rule says.

It was a Left-leaning newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau that spotted the clause, which had gone largely unnoticed prior to reporting.

The Frankfurter Rundschau said the rule would apply regardless of whether a German man “planned a semester of studying abroad, working in a foreign country or going on a backpacking trip around the world.”

The new clause will cause uncertainty for millions of men in Germany, it has been reported.

According to German defence officials, the permits would, in practice, always be granted during peacetime and also suggested that the rule would be watered down with exemptions in the near future.

“The background and guiding principle of this regulation is to ensure a reliable and informative military register for when needed … in case of emergency, we need to know who might be staying abroad for an extended period”, an army spokesman said.

The new military service model in Germany was introduced to counter a severe shortage in troop numbers.

As part of a long-term goal of meeting a 5 per cent NATO target, the country has also pledged to spend €153bn (£133bn) or 3.5 per cent of annual GDP on defence by 2029.