MILITARY OBLIGATIONS
In accordance with the provisions of the Law relating to National Guard, there is compulsory military service for all male citizens of the Cyprus Republic including persons of Cypriot descent on the male side. Persons of Cypriot descent on the male side (that is all who have a Cypriot father) are liable for compulsory service even if they do not have Cypriot citizenship. The obligation commences in the year the person becomes 18 and continues to the year of his 50th birthday.

PERSONS WHO ARE EXEMPT FROM COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE
Those exempt from military service include those who live permanently abroad for as long as they continue to reside out of Cyprus.
The following are also exempt:

• persons of dual Cypriot and Greek citizenship provided that during theirpermanent residence in Greece they fulfilled (and did not buy themselves out) their obligation to serve in the Greek Army as provided for in the law of the Republic of Greece,
• all those who at the date of conscription have four or more dependants i.e. all those who are married and have a wife and three or more children who are minors,
• all those who on conscription are considered unsuitable for military service for health reasons.
• the oldest or the only son of the family whose father or brother was killed or went missing while serving in the National Guard.

LENGTH OF MILITARY SERVICE
The normal length of military service is 26 months.
In exceptional cases, the length of service may be reduced for special reasons. Each of these cases is considered separately after application has been made by the interested party to the Minister of Defence.
One or more children of large families serve for 13 months as follows:
(a) 4 male children............................... one (1)
(b) 5 or more male children................ two (2)
(c) 5 children......................................... one (1)
(d) 6 to 7 children................................. two (2)
(e) 8 to 9 children................................. three (3)


REDUCED SERVICE FOR CERTAIN CLASSES OF OVERSEAS CYPRIOT CONSCRIPTS
Apart from the above cases of reduced length of military service, the Ministry of Defence has also made arrangements to facilitate Overseas Cypriots with regard to the performance of their military obligations, specifically on the basis of the relevant
Decisions of the Council of Ministers, the latest of which is No. 51450 of 23.3.2000.
Repatriated Cypriot conscripts who had their permanent family home abroad for a period of more than 10 years, are entitled to reduced length of service according to their age on the date of their settlement in Cyprus as follows:
Over 26-50 years old 3 months service
Over 18-26 6 months service
Over 13-18 12 months service
Over 10-13 18 months service

The above reduced period of service is effective provided that the repatriates whose age has been called up for enlistment enlist within 4 dates of enlistment after the date of repatriation. In the case of their enlistment after 4 dates of enlistment they will be obliged to serve an additional 3 months.

Also, Overseas Cypriots who during their permanent residence abroad have performed compulsory military service for a period of at least 11 months in any other country of which they are also nationals, are obliged to serve only three months after their repatriation.

The terms and new length of service will also apply for those repatriates already performing military service.


MILITARY OBLIGATIONS OF PERSONS WHO ARE NOT CYPRIOT CITIZENS BUT ARE OF CYPRIOT DESCENT ON THE MALE SIDE
All those who are not Cypriot citizens but are of Cypriot descent on the male side (i.e. their father or grandfather was of Cypriot descent even if they had not acquired Cypriot citizenship) and were born in 1960 or after, are obliged to do military service. All those who belong to the above category and were born in 1959 or before, are not obliged at present to do military service. They may, however, if they wish, enlist in the National Guard as volunteers and after serving for six months only, apply for Cypriot citizenship without being liable for any further military obligation.


DUAL NATIONALITY
Citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, who were born either in Cyprus or abroad, are obliged to do military service regardless of whether they have another nationality in addition to their Cypriot one. (Cyprus accepts dual nationality and Overseas Cypriots may have both Cypriot citizenship as well as citizenship of their country of residence).

For clarification, all those who are permanent residents of Greece and have performed their military service in the Greek Army are exempted from the above obligation, as mentioned earlier (paragraph 25.2.).


MILITARY OBLIGATIONS OF THOSE WHO HAVE DONE MILITARY SERVICE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY AND ACQUIRE CYPRIOT CITIZENSHIP
Conscripts of any class who have been called up or will be called up for enlistment, who satisfy the Minister of Defence that before their enlistment in the National Guard they have performed military service of at least eleven months duration, in any other country of which they are nationals, serve for 3 months. Military service in another country means compulsory military service which is confirmed by an official army discharge of the other country and does not include cases of buying out.

Greek citizens who acquire Cypriot citizenship and who have performed (not bought out) military service in Greece, are fully exempted from compulsory service in the National Guard. The Minister of Defence, however, retains the right to enlist them in the National Guard Reserves.

The Minister of Defence may, at his discretion and when the circumstances justify it, exempt entirely from compulsory service in the National Guard aliens who acquire Cypriot citizenship, but of whom neither parent is of Cypriot descent.


ENLISTMENT IN THE NATIONAL GUARD
The procedure followed, for all those who come to Cyprus for enlistment, is as follows:

(a) Before enlistment
Immediately after their arrival and before their enlistment, those concerned should present themselves at the Enlistment Office of the District in which they were born, which will provide them with Notice of Enlistment for the next enlistment (January or July). All those who were born abroad should apply to the Enlistment Office of the District in which they will reside in Cyprus.

(b) After enlistment
After their enlistment, those concerned may submit, through their Unit, I. Application for reduced service, on the special form which their Unit will provide.
II. A solemn declaration with reference to the time and place of their permanent stay abroad.
III. Confirmation from the Cyprus Embassy, High Commission, Consulate or other Competent Authority that they were permanent residents abroad (and for what period) with photocopies of all the pages of their old and new passports, from which it is clear that they were permanently settled abroad until the date of their arrival in Cyprus. (If from the passports their permanent stay abroad is not clearly confirmed, then in addition they must provide photocopies of educational qualifications obtained abroad, confirmation from employers or from the Social Insurance Office or from the Commissioner for Inland Revenue for themselves and/or their parents, relating to their work/employment abroad up to the date of their arrival in Cyprus).
IV. Photocopy of any exemptions or postponements of military service granted to them in the past by the Minister of Defence.
V. Any other official information which confirms their permanent settlement and stay abroad.

VISITS TO CYPRUS OF OVERSEAS CYPRIOTS LIABLE FOR MILITARY SERVICE EXIT PERMITS
Before departing from Cyprus, all those aged between 15 and 50 who are liable for military service require an Exit Permit which is issued by the Ministry of Defence and local District Enlistment Offices in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. To facilitate these persons the following arrangements have been made:

(a) Presentation of "Marching Orders" or "Certificate of Emigration"
All those who have done their military service may leave Cyprus without an Exit Permit provided that on departure they present to Passport Control at the airports or ports from which they are departing, the original "Marching Orders" or Certificate of Emigration". Certificates of Emigration are issued by the Enlistment Offices supervising them.

(b) Presentation of "Certificate of Exemption"
All those who are exempted from compulsory military service by reason of permanent residence abroad, may leave Cyprus without an Exit Permit provided that they present to Passport Control the original of the "Certificate of Exemption", provided that their departure from Cyprus is within three months from their arrival. In the case where their stay in Cyprus exceeds three months, they require an Exit Permit from the Issue of Exit Permits Office of the Ministry of Defence in Nicosia. Certificates of Exemption by reason of permanent residence abroad, are issued by the Ministry of Defence upon the application of those concerned on the special form provided by Embassies and Consulates abroad or the Ministry of Defence in Nicosia.
All those entitled to a Certificate of Exemption are urged to submit their applications without delay to the Ministry of Defence to secure the above Certificate, which relieves them of unnecessary inconvenience and expense during their visits to Cyprus.
All those who have been exempted for other reasons (health, dependants, prisoners of war, missing father or brother etc) must apply to the National Guard Enlistment Office in the district in which they were born to secure a "Certificate of Emigration" which, as mentioned above, will allow them to leave Cyprus without an Exit Permit. Otherwise they must secure an Exit permit directly from the Exit Permit office of the Ministry Defence in Nicosia.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For supplementary information on the subject of enlistment, those concerned may apply to the Ministry of Defence or to local Enlistment offices at the following addresses:
1. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Emmanuel Roidi 5,
Nicosia
Tel.: 22-807542

2. Nicosia Enlistment Office
Ethniki Frouras Street
(Opposite Hilton Hotel)
Nicosia
Tel.: 22-515238

3. Larnaca Enlistment Office
Apollonos 13,
Larnaca
Tel.: 24-653991

4. Limassol Enlistment Office
Louki Akrita 13,
Limassol
Tel.: 25-369850

5. Paphos Enlistment Office
Kolokotroni Street,
Paphos
Tel.: 26-221436



July 2006