245,000 people in Poland will be summoned for mandatory military qualification
In 2027, about 245,000 people in Poland will have to undergo mandatory military qualification. The main group will be men born in 2008, but summonses will also be sent to some older men and women with occupations needed by the army.
Such rules are provided by the draft regulation on conducting military qualification in 2027, prepared by the Polish Ministry of National Defence. The document is still at the consultation stage.
According to the draft, the qualification will be officially announced on January 15, 2027. The work of the commissions is to begin on February 1 and end on April 30.
The largest group will be men born in 2008. In addition, men born in 2003–2007 who have not previously been assigned a fitness category for active military service will have to undergo the procedure.
Some people who were temporarily deemed unfit for service for health reasons during qualification in 2025 or 2026 will also have to appear before the commission again. This applies in particular to cases where the period of temporary unfitness expires before the end of the 2027 qualification.
The obligation will also apply to a certain category of women born in 2000–2008. This concerns those who have an occupation useful to the army or who are completing studies in a relevant field in the 2026/2027 academic year and have not previously undergone military qualification.
Such occupations include, among others, medical and psychological professions, as well as certain technical specialties in demand by the Polish armed forces.
In addition, adults who have not yet been assigned a fitness category can undergo the procedure voluntarily. This possibility is also provided for people with an unresolved relation to military duty – until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 60.
Military qualification in Poland does not mean automatic conscription into the army. Its main purpose is to determine a person's physical and psychological suitability for military service and to enter the necessary data into military records.
During the procedure, a person undergoes a medical examination, and the commission assigns a fitness category. The relevant data is then transferred to the military registration system.
At the same time, appearing for those subject to mandatory qualification is compulsory. A personal notification must contain the date, time and place of the commission.
If a person cannot appear on the appointed day for a valid reason, the local authorities must be notified, and another date will be set. Failure to appear without a valid reason may result in a fine, and Polish law also provides for the possibility of enforced appearance at the qualification by the police.
Source: Rzeczpospolita, RMF24
