Wednesday 25/March/2026 – 02:12 PM
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ratified the amendment to the Military Service Law, Law No. 2 of 2026 amending some provisions of the Military and National Service Law promulgated by Law No. 127 of 1980, within the framework of developing the legislative system regulating recruitment in Egypt.
Amending the Military Service Law
The amendment to the Military Service Law included the reorganization of some cases of exemption from military service, in addition to tightening the penalties for those who fail to perform the service, as the law stipulates that anyone who fails to enlist after over the age of thirty shall be punished with imprisonment or a fine of not less than 20 thousand pounds and not more than 100 thousand pounds, or with one of the two penalties.
The amendments also included regulating the status of some categories eligible for exemption, especially in cases of the martyrdom or injury of the breadwinner during military or terrorist operations, or in the event of death or injury due to military or police service.
Is the age for exemption from the army set at 30, or have there been amendments?
Many may wonder whether the age of exemption from the army is 30, or have there been amendments? The new law kept the age of thirty years as an important dividing line in the conscription file, as Article (49) stipulated that those who failed to join the conscription would be punished if their age exceeds 30 years without performing the service.
What is the new decision for recruitment?
Regarding what is the new decision for conscription? The new decision includes several regulatory amendments to the Military Service Law, the most notable of which are:
- Reorganizing the cases of exemptions for the families of martyrs and those with total disability.
- Determine the categories of exemption for the eldest brother or child in cases of death or disability resulting from military or terrorist operations.
- Anyone who is absent during military or terrorist operations is considered missing until his position becomes clear.
- Tightening penalties for those who fail to perform military service after the age of thirty.
- Regulating the conditions of those assigned to reserve service and determining penalties for failure to do so.
Who are exempt from military service?
Regarding who are exempt from military service? The new law specifies a number of categories that enjoy exemption from military service, the most prominent of which are:
- Those most deserving of conscription are the brothers or sons of the citizen who was martyred or became completely disabled that prevents him from earning a living due to military or terrorist operations.
- Those most eligible for conscription are the brothers or sons of an officer, conscript, volunteer, or students of military or police colleges, in the event of death or permanent disability as a result of service.
- The eldest brother or child of citizens missing due to military or terrorist operations, provided that the exemption is canceled when it is proven that he is alive.
- Other cases are regulated by law in accordance with the medical and social controls determined by the competent authorities.
- In these cases, the exemption may be temporary or permanent depending on the nature of the case and its legal consequences.
When does military service cease in Egypt?
Regarding when military service is dropped in Egypt? Military service is not dropped automatically in all cases, but there are specific cases that regulate the expiration or ineffectiveness of the conscription mandate, including:
- Reaching a certain age without being summoned, as anyone over the age of thirty without performing the service is subject to legal accountability.
- Final exemption in health or social cases determined by law.
- Family exemption in special cases such as supporting the family or the presence of death or disability within the family as regulated by law.
- The end of the legal period of service for those who have already been recruited according to the periods specified for each category.
