Serbia

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Previous reports: 2024 | 2023/24




Conscription currently imposed? No Suspended in 2011.
Conscientious objection first recognised 1992

Constitution of Serbia and Montenegro, Article 58 (guaranteed unarmed military service only)

Regulation on Civilian Service 37/2003
CO release of professional soldiers – No specific provisions beyond constitutional guarantees (see below)
Minimum recruitment age 18
Military expenditure1
$ (% change from 2024) Per capita % of GDP
2,781m (+6.3%) $414 2.8%

Principal EBCO concerns

  • It is unclear if and how the law on alternative service would apply to an event of reintroduction of conscription or emergency mobilisation.

  • The law on alternative service lacks basic guarantees to the rights of conscientious objectors, such as accessibility to all without discrimination, full control of civilian authorities.

  • 155-days military service without weapons replacing 75 days of armed service, discussed as arrangement for conscientious objectors after reintroduction of conscription planned in 2027 or 2028, does not satisfy human rights standards

Conscription provisions and procedures

The budget law passed in 2025 allocates €86.5mn to preparations for reintroduction of conscription in 2026-2028 according to a decision of the government announced in 20242. A planned term of compulsory military service is 75 days.3 The 2025 poll found that 61% of youth are against reintroduction of conscription4. Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, a regionalist political party in Serbia, pledged not to vote in parliament for reintroduction of conscription.5

Conscientious objection provisions and procedures

General Milan Mojsilović, Chief of the General Staff, said that the term of compulsory military service would be 75 days and conscientious objectors "who would not be trained to shoot" would be in military service for 155 days.6

  1. Military expenditure figures are estimates published by SIPRI (The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) in April 2026.↩︎
  2. https://www.intellinews.com/serbia-allocates-90mn-to-restart-mandatory-military-service-413589 ; https://www.mod.gov.rs/multimedia/dodaci/prilog_izvod_iz_srednjorocnog_plana_mo_2026_2028_1770300360.pdf ; https://forbes.n1info.rs/novac/deo-kasarni-prodat-deo-van-funkcije-koliko-drzavu-kosta-uvodjenje-vojnog-roka/↩︎
  3. https://www.nin.rs/english/news/97044/return-of-mandatory-military-service-between-the-military-and-politics↩︎
  4. https://www.krug.rs/kako-mladi-vide-srbiju-2025-protesti-politika-i-planovi-za-buducnost/↩︎
  5. https://gradsubotica.co.rs/pastor-o-uvodjenju-obaveznog-vojnog-roka/↩︎
  6. https://vreme.com/en/vesti/sta-ce-podrazumevati-75-dana-u-vojsci/↩︎