Military exemption

Under the Algerian National Service Law, citizens with serious physical or mental disabilities may be examined by a military medical board and can be exempted from military service either temporarily or permanently, depending on the condition.^[1] Individuals may also receive an exemption if they are the primary supporter of a large family, a parent, or a disabled relative.^[1]

Under certain dual-nationality agreements, dual citizens from countries such as France are exempt from Algerian military service.^[2] The president has the authority to grant exemptions to specific groups of people through official decrees.^[3] Citizens can also receive exemptions if they are preparing to run for or hold a government office. In addition, some individuals whose ancestors fought in the Algerian War of Independence may qualify for exemption. Finally, Algerian citizens living abroad may apply for military service exemptions through Algerian consulates.

Under Angola’s Military Service Law (Lei do Serviço Militar), a person may be exempt from military service if they have a serious physical or mental disability that makes them unfit to serve. Exemptions may also be granted to certain essential workers, such as full-time teachers, because the government considers their work important to the functioning of society. Other essential employees who may receive exemptions include engineers, technicians, medical professionals, and people working on critical government projects. Individuals who refuse military service for moral or religious reasons may also be exempted and instead required to perform community or alternative civilian service. In addition, exemptions or deferments can be granted to people who are the sole provider for their family or orphans responsible for caring for younger siblings. In rare cases, individuals who are appointed to important government positions may also receive exemptions from military service.

North Korea’s law requires most civilians to serve in the military unless they have severe physical disabilities that make them unfit for service. In some cases, exemptions or deferments may also be granted to individuals with close connections to the ruling elite, students attending prestigious institutions such as Kim Il-sung University, or citizens assigned to important national infrastructure or government projects considered vital to the state.

Israel’s Security Service Law requires military service mainly for Jewish, Druze, and Circassian citizens^[4] (Jewish men and women, but only men from the other two groups). People can receive exemptions for reasons such as medical or psychological issues, living abroad, criminal records, or religious and family reasons, especially for women.^[5] Arab citizens of Israel are generally not conscripted but may volunteer.^[6] For many years, ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish men studying in religious schools were exempt, but in 2024 the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that they could be drafted, leading the military to begin conscripting them.^[7] Military service is an important part of Israeli society, and avoiding service is often criticized.^[8]

Egzempcja wojskowa was the soldier's legal immunity in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth of 16th-17th century.

Military exemptions allow to evaluate the legal position of mercenary soldiers, functioning of legal norms of a temporary character and the interrelations between the statutory law and customary law in Poland.

In 16th and 17th centuries both the general exemptions, granted by Sejm (parliament), and hetman’s exemptions, deprived of the Sejm’s sanction, existed. The constitutions on the exemptions always had a temporary nature. As a consequence of the advancing paralysis of the parliament’s works, the exemptions issued by hetman became more and more common.

Exemptions were the releases to be applied before all types of courts, apart from military courts. They withheld the proceedings (even enforcement proceedings when the verdict did not benefit from the res iudicata character) with regard to all persons taking part in the military expeditions and their families. This enhanced the attractiveness of military service and prevented soldiers from leaving the army.

Exemptions were known to the customary law, however, they were formulated by Sejm by means of constitutions. The parliament, depending on the circumstances, enlarged or limited the group of the beneficiaries, applied more or less strict criteria, changed the time limits of the exemptions’ validity, prevented their abuse, and most importantly, it firmly opposed a rejection of the releases by courts.

• Exemption from military service in Israel
• Szlachta