All 17-year-olds in Belgium will receive a letter this November with details about the voluntary military service year, Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) announced on Monday during a recruitment campaign press conference in Heverlee.
The initiative aims to provide young people with an optional year of military service, a plan Francken had previously outlined. New details about the programme’s structure and timeline were unveiled during the announcement.
A total of 130,000 17-year-olds will receive the informational letter. In November, physical information sessions will be held in every province, followed by digital events. Interested candidates can apply from January 2026.
The programme is open to anyone aged 18 to 25. During the summer selection process, the top candidates will be chosen to begin their service in September. Participants will earn a net monthly salary of €2,000.
The Defence Ministry plans to invite 3,500 individuals to the selection stage, with 500 selected to join the initial cohort in 2025. By 2027, 1,000 spots will be available, with a gradual increase to a maximum of 7,000 positions in subsequent years.
Participants will work in security roles across the Navy, Air Force, or land forces during their military service year.
