Compulsory basic military training in Croatia will resume in January 2026 and will last two months. Conscripts will receive a salary of 1,100 euros per month, Croatian news agency HINA reported, BTA reported.
Persons who refuse military service for religious or ethical reasons will be able to undergo three-month civil defense training or work for four months in city and municipal institutions - five days a week, eight hours a day.
The measure was officially presented by Defense Minister Ivan Anušić and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Tihomir Kundid, on the eve of the start of public consultations. Compulsory military service in Croatia was abolished in 2008.
Anusic specified that the legal amendments are expected to be adopted by parliament in September or October this year, after which about 20,000 conscripts will be notified and undergo medical examinations.
The reasons for the resumption of service include the changed global geopolitical and security environment, as well as the increasing frequency of climate change and natural disasters. The aim is to prepare the population for crisis response and to replenish the active and reserve military personnel.
The first conscripts will enter the barracks in January 2026. Military training is expected to cost around 20 million euros per year, while alternative civilian service is expected to cost around 15 million euros.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Defence among 12,000 people, 62% of respondents support the return of basic military training, and 67% said they would respond if called up.
Women will not be subject to compulsory military service, but will have the opportunity to apply for voluntary training.
Croatian citizens are registered in the military register at the age of 18 and are called up for training in the calendar year in which they turn 19. Training - both military and civilian - can be postponed until the age of 29 if they attend a higher education institution. Professional athletes will be able to postpone service for one year to participate in international competitions.