Previous NDS drafts
January 2026 draft
On September 12, 2025, voluntary applications for the January 2026 conscription of the National Defense Service closed.
The 11-month military service in January 2026 will be carried out in the following units:
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Air Force in Lielvārde
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NBS Headquarters Battalion in Riga
Conscripts began their service on January 14, 2026.
NDS five-year National Guard service (28 days per year) and reserve officer program for university and college students (total training and service time is not less than 180 days — currently, the program is planned to last 214 days) will be implemented:
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National Guard 1st Riga Brigade
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National Guard 2nd Vidzeme Brigade
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National Guard 3rd Latgale Brigade
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National Guard 4th Kurzeme Brigade
Conscripts began service on January 10, 2026.
Additional information can be obtained by calling 1827 or writing to vad@klustikaravirs.lv.
Previous drafts
The first conscription began on July 1, 2023, on a voluntary basis, and ended on May 31, 2024. On January 23, 2024, the first random selection of candidates for the National Defense Service took place.
On June 15, 2024, the application period for the January 2025 conscription ended, during which volunteers could choose to serve in the NBS unit, the National Guard, or the reserve officer program. On January 15, 2025, 208 young people who volunteered for service began their national defense service.
Applications for the July 2025 conscription closed on November 20, 2024. A total of 782 Latvian citizens volunteered for service. A total of 830 young people are planned to be drafted in July 2025. In accordance with the order issued by the Minister of Defense, the selection of the remaining conscripts was carried out on a random basis on November 26, 2024. The selection was broadcast live on the Ministry of Defense's Facebook account and the Latvian Army's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYJLqwy7FLA
A total of 757 young people from all over Latvia began their national defense service in July 2025.
Latvian citizens are invited to enlist voluntarily in future conscription rounds. However, if necessary, the missing persons aged 18 to 19 will be drafted on a random basis, by sending the decision on conscription into the national defense service to their e-mail address or declared place of residence, or by delivering it in person.
