What to know about Croatia’s new mandatory military training
- by croatiaweek
- in News

(Photo: MORH/ T. Brandt)
After a 17-year pause, Croatia is reintroducing mandatory military service — though in a shortened and modernised form.
Announced during a press conference today at the National and University Library in Zagreb, the initiative was presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić, alongside Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces General Tihomir Kundid.
The new Temeljno vojno osposobljavanje (Basic Military Training – TVO) will span eight weeks and apply to all Croatian citizens turning 19 in a given year.
The training will take place in military barracks in Knin, Slunj and Požega, accommodating up to 4,000 recruits annually across five intakes.
Recruits will receive a monthly net allowance of €1,100 and the time spent in training will count towards their working years.
Females are not subject to conscription and basic military training, but they can attend voluntary basic military training, which is one of the conditions for admission to active military service.
Training will focus on core military skills such as weapon handling, movement, communication, protection, response, fitness and combat drills.
Daily routines are strictly scheduled — beginning at 6:00 and ending at 22:00 — with weekends partially free. Recruits are not permitted to leave the barracks except with special approval.
Exemptions and deferrals
Importantly, the law includes provisions for exemptions and deferrals.
Those legally unfit for service, as well as individuals undergoing certain types of legal proceedings, are exempt.
Dual citizens who have already completed military service in another country, police cadets, and religious personnel who have taken vows may also be exempt upon request.
Students can defer their service until the age of 29, while athletes, employed trainees, individuals living abroad, or those in households without other earners can also request postponement.
Deferrals are also granted for marriage, childbirth, or death in the immediate family — provided requests are submitted within the legally defined deadlines.
A special category is recognised for those with conscientious objections on moral or religious grounds.
Approved applicants will perform civil service instead — three months in civil protection or four months within local or regional government structures.
However, objections can be denied if not properly justified or in cases involving weapons offences.
A conscript who resides abroad and is not registered in the military records of the Republic of Croatia is obliged to report to the competent diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Croatia no later than the age of 29.
The government says the aim is not only to reinforce national security but also to instil discipline, resilience, and useful life skills in the nation’s youth — with added benefits like employment priority in public service roles after training.