Latvia's defence service recruitment — the January 2027 intake and the price of free study

Latvia is drawing volunteers with €600 a month, a €1,100 discharge payment and a state-funded university place, and those who do not sign up go into a lottery. We are tracking whether recruitment for the January 2027 intake works, who pays for the growing number of free study places, and whether Slovakia's equivalent — the National Defence Forces subject and voluntary military training — meets its own targets.

Actively tracking

0/5 fulfilled ⏳ 5 pending tracking since 2.9.2026 check by 30.11.2026

The article that started it

Lotyšsko platí za vstup do armády 600 eur a školu zadarmo. Prihlásilo sa vyše 1 500 mladých, Slovensko ich chce ročne 150

Lotyšsko otvorilo januárový nástup do obrannej služby skôr, než plánovalo. Dobrovoľník má 600 eur mesačne a školu zadarmo — a vyhne sa žrebovaniu.

2.9.2026

What we are still watching

Latvia closed sign-ups for the January 2027 intake and it is known whether it had to hold a lottery.
Latvia decided whether to add money for the funded university places for defence service graduates, or to reallocate them at other applicants' expense.
It is known whether the 100 places on the National Defence Forces course at four Slovak universities filled up and whether the course was expanded.
Slovakia's defence ministry published how many people completed voluntary military training in 2026 against a target of 150 graduates.
Latvia announced progress towards its 2028 target — 4,000 people in eleven-month service, 2,000 in five-year service and up to 500 reserve officers.

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Latvia's defence service recruitment — the January 2027 intake and the price of free study

The article that started it

What we are still watching

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