Frequently asked questions about NDS from the diaspora

No, health examinations are carried out by a medical commission in Latvia. The procedure for health examinations and the composition of the medical commission are regulated by Cabinet Regulation No. 622 of September 24, 2024, "Regulations on the Health Requirements and Health Examinations of Conscripts." When you arrive for your health checks, you have the right to present additional medical documents from abroad that may be relevant for assessing the conscript's health capacity and health category (previous medical conclusions, analyses, and other medical documents).

The NDS training process is organized in Latvian. We recommend to Latvians living abroad to refresh their skills in the national language in their free time in order to better prepare for service.

Yes, but until 2027, citizens who permanently reside abroad and have notified the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of their address abroad in accordance with the procedure laid down in regulatory enactments will not be called up for military service. Citizens who also have citizenship (nationality) of another country and who have served in the military of a foreign country or have performed civil defense service (alternative service) abroad are exempt from military service. Citizens who also have citizenship of another country that is not a member state of the European Union, a member state of the European Free Trade Association, a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Federative Republic of Brazil, New Zealand or Ukraine, are exempt from service.

No, only at Latvian state universities and colleges. Young people who have voluntarily applied for NDS, completed it and meet the admission requirements of the respective university and study program are eligible for state-funded study places in short-cycle professional higher education programs, first-cycle higher education programs, and second-cycle higher education programs, which are implemented after secondary education, at state universities and colleges. Information about universities and colleges where you can start studying after NDS is available here.

Currently, compensation is provided for travel expenses from the declared place of residence in Latvia to the place where the health check is carried out and back. In the future, conscripts will be compensated for transportation costs when using public transport to travel from their declared place of residence (abroad) to the place where their health condition is examined and back.

The target audience of NDS is young people aged 18-19 who have just finished school, so we encourage them to apply to NDS as volunteers before taking on other commitments. Each case is considered individually – it is possible to agree on postponing service for a certain period, but this does not cancel the start of service until the age of 26.

Yes, you have the right to decide in which country you will perform your military service. Until you have completed your military service abroad, you are subject to service in Latvia. If you have been selected for the NDS on a random basis but wish to perform military service in your country of residence, please contact the Ministry of Defence with an application accompanied by documents confirming your service in the foreign military. Even if you have completed service in another country, you can still apply for NDS in Latvia if you meet the conditions.

It should be noted that each such situation must be assessed individually depending on the citizen's age, declared address, etc. If such information is required, an application must be submitted to the Ministry of Defence. The application must be signed with a secure electronic signature using eParaksts, eParaksts mobile, or the website https://www.dokobit.com. If you are unable to sign the application with an electronic signature, it must be signed by hand and sent by post to the Ministry of Defence at Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 10/12, LV-1473.

The NDS involves intensive training, and no long-term leave is planned during service. NDS soldiers are entitled to leave on weekends and public holidays, but if collective training or other important service-related events are planned during that time, priority will be given to improving military skills.

If the conscript fails to appear at the place and time specified in the Ministry of Health's notice without a valid reason, or fails to complete the examinations without a valid reason, the conscript may be given a warning or a fine of up to one hundred and fifty fine units (one fine unit is 5 euros, up to 750 euros). These penalties also apply to volunteers who have applied themselves but have not attended the health examinations, as well as to volunteers who have completed the health examinations, been found fit for service, but have not started service in accordance with the decision. It should be noted that administrative penalties for failing to attend or pass a medical examination are increased. If a conscript fails to report to the place of service specified in the decision, the Military Police may forcibly take him to the place of service, or the conscript may be fined between 50 EUR and 5,000 EUR.