Conflicts · Bucharest
Romania drafts paid volunteer military training for 18-35 year olds, 4,033 lei a month
The Defence Ministry put the draft rules into public consultation on Friday, 13 November 2026. In 2026 participants would receive 4,033 lei net a month, plus a supplement tied to their rank.
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In brief
For 2026 the allowance equals 4,033 lei net a month, paid in four monthly instalments, with 217 lei extra for soldier or 239 lei for senior private.
The programme targets Romanian citizens aged 18 to 35 who have not completed active or reserve military service. The ministry says it is not a return to compulsory service.
Recruits complete 11 weeks of basic military knowledge and 5 weeks of specialty training, with the military oath taken at the end of the first month.
Participants who do not finish must repay the allowance and the training costs, according to Digi24.
- End of first monthParticipants take the military oath
- Basic training (11 weeks)Basic military knowledge is taught
- Specialty training (5 weeks)Shooting, marches and field exercises
- Programme end (up to four months)Participants choose a military career or enter the operational reserve
The draft rules
Romania's Ministry of National Defence (MApN) put a draft Government decision into public consultation on Friday, 13 November 2026. The draft sets out the implementing norms for Law No. 446/2006 on preparing the population for defence and creates a basic military training programme for volunteer soldiers and non-commissioned officers. The ministry ties the move to defence planning objectives approved by the Supreme Council of National Defence and Parliament. It also links the draft to the goal of building up the operational reserve of the Romanian Army.
Who can apply and what training involves
The programme is open to Romanian citizens, women and men, aged 18 to 35 who have not completed active or reserve military service. It runs for up to four months. Recruits first complete 11 weeks of basic military knowledge, then five weeks of specialty training made up of shooting, marches and field exercises. The military oath is taken at the end of the first month. Throughout training participants receive accommodation, food, equipment and medical assistance, plus the financial and material rights set by law. The ministry says the programme gives participants the basic skills needed for specific missions.
Pay and conditions
The allowance equals three average gross salaries set by law, paid in four equal monthly instalments. For 2026 that amounts to 4,033 lei net a month. A soldier receives an extra 217 lei a month, while a senior private (fruitaș) receives 239 lei. Digi24 reports that the maximum number of places will be set each year by the Minister of Defence, depending on funds approved in the ministry's budget. Anyone who does not complete the programme must repay the allowance and the costs the military spent on their training.
- Base allowance
- 4033 lei net per month
- Soldier rank supplement
- 217 lei net per month
- Senior private (fruitaș) supplement
- 239 lei net per month
Data from the article text
What happens at the end
Participants who finish can choose to continue a military career under the conditions set by law, or be entered in the operational reserve of the Romanian Army. The ministry says the aim is to build a reserve of trained personnel able to help fill military structures and support national defence, including Romania's obligations within NATO collective defence. The ministry is firm on the status of the scheme.
“The programme is exclusively voluntary and is not a measure to reintroduce compulsory military service.”
The ministry adds that the Romanian Army is a professional force and that recruitment remains based on volunteering.
Next steps
The draft can be read on the ministry's official website in its transparency section, where interested people may send proposals and observations. The reports reviewed do not give a deadline for comments. Until the Government approves the decision, the programme exists only as a draft, and no date for approval is given.
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Sources and context
- HotNews.roHow much money does Romania give to young people who enroll in the Volunteer Soldier-Graduated Term programCâți bani le dă România tinerilor care se înscriu în programul Soldat-Gradat Voluntar în Termen · original in Romanian
- G4Media.roMinistry of Defense draft: Voluntary military training program for Romanians between 18 and 35 years old who have not completed military serviceProiect al Ministerului Apărării: Program de pregătire militară voluntară pentru românii între 18 și 35 de ani care nu au îndeplinit serviciul militar · original in Romanian
- Digi24MApN prepares voluntary military training program: allowance of over 4,000 net lei per month, plus money for rankMApN pregătește programul de instruire militară voluntară: indemnizație de peste 4.000 de lei net pe lună, plus bani pentru grad · original in Romanian
- adevarul.roHow much money does the Ministry of National Defense want to attract young volunteers to the army with. New legislative projectCu câți bani vrea Ministerul Apărării Naționale să atragă tineri voluntari în armată. Nou proiect legislativ · original in Romanian
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