Compulsory military service for Polish-Canadian returning to Poland?

Does anyone here know whether I would be required to serve in the military if I decided to live and work in Poland for a while? Does Poland still have compulsory enlistment?

I moved to Canada when I was three, and I've only visited once (for just a few weeks). I'm 31 now. Any thoughts?

As far as I know... Poland does not force you to serve in the military. Unless there is a war or a threat of war. Things had changed recently on your favor.

Hi. No. you are perfectly safe to come back. You will not be required to work in the army.

I don't think they have national Service anymore.

Apart from that, a number of people I know didn't serve because the government was short on money in their year. They've never been called up.

No, you are safe, conscription ended two years ago. Entire army is professional now. The only thing which still is practised is registering young Poles in case of war, etc.

Great! Thanks guys. I had been a Communications Officer in the Canadian army, and quite frankly I've had enough of that life. That having been said, if the Russians or Germans attacked Poland again, I would be the first to drop everything and enlist. :)

As far as I know from the ministry of national defence - military service is no longer mandatory in Poland as of Dec 9, 2009 but registration is still mandatory and strickly enforced by the WKU authorities. WKU sends out notification letters by mail, reminding of neccessity of registering and getting a medical check up. When applicant goes thru this process, then he is given a military booklet outlining his fittnes to stand for military duties,together with a stamp showing that applicant is automatically transfredto military reseve without actually being send to military's camp. This stamp in military booklet is the proof of of fufilling military obligation according to the military law and frees applicant to travel within or outside his country as he pleases, and can take up any emplyment and residency anywhere within eu zone or overseas,you have to keep in mind is that You may end up beeing called upon during a war or political unrest, and when that happens and You do not want to fight in a war, then annoucement from the Polish consulate becomes very handy to us. Please visit consulate's website in toronto and info is under the Military Service in Poland.

In other terms this statue is only valid for those who not only have a foreign citizenship but also have fufilled their registration with WKU authorities.

Update for those interested in this topic. Although there is no longer compulsory conscription in Poland there is no abolition for those who for whatever reason were avoiding the military service before the new laws. What happens is that although the army is not interested in you any more the prosecutor is. In theory you can go for 3 years to prison. In practice you will get suspended sentence or fine.

Poland is so fixed on the USA. Why they can't take what's best in America like pragmatic thinking. I can't understand how they can waste their time and money for prosecuting now for such a trivial thing.

For the last 7 years I have been living abroad (no fixed abode in Poland) but the prosecutor in Poland still sends letters addressed to my parents threatening with warrant for my arrest and stuff. Should I leave my family here and go back to Poland to pay homage to my great homeland? No way.

Here more detail on the matter (in Polish): prokuratura.legnica.pl/pliki/amnestia_sw.pdf

I would highly recommend that You stay outside of your country for additional 3 years more,before re-entering your homeland again. If WKU authorities unable to serve a notice then they will put their candidate's file in default category and themselves will try to locate a candidate for the next 10 years.

In general practise if they are still unable to locate their candidate in 10 years time, then that candidate's file is moved to reserve category and at this point WKU authorities should leave candidate alone.

Military authorities used to send their default files to prosecutor's office under the old rules. For those who are caught by Prosecutor, they are in bad luck and have to pay whatever the penalty are being imposed for avoiding to register at WKU.

if candidate pays the fine or he is able to reach some sort of deal with prosecutor he still has to update his file by simply showing up at the candidate's hometown WKU office and present a military booklet which was given during medical exam and obtain a necessary stamp which confirms candidate's enlistment of being registered and at the same time candidate's file will br transfered to National Reserve Force. If someone is avoiding completely to deal with WKU or prosecutor for fear of end up being arrested ,then I will sugest that candidate's family directly contact WKU and prosecutor offices

and make a declaration of candidate's whereabouts and obtain stamp in military booklet and i hope that should be it for the dilema that's WKU is causing for 1000's of guys who are currently residing permanetly all over the world and unable to visit family members in their country of origin.

As of today all Polish male citizens are required to register at their WKU office near their registered hometown residence. At the moment of
registration WKU automaticaly transfer candidate's file to NRF. This registration is mandatory and stricly enforced !!!
General public somehow is being misled that upon registering candidates are being send off to military camps throught Poland, that's not true unless a candidate himself states that he want to join a force right away.

kowalskiii
You do realise that there's about a million Polish citizens in the UK and Ireland - a great chunk of whom are the right age to have done military service when it still happened. If you keep getting letters from a prosecutor perhaps you should try replying to one and telling them you're outside Poland.

This relates to people who have been avoiding service (like hiding or left Poland just before they were due for service). This does NOT relate to people who emigrated when they were small children - have some sense. Don't worry OP, you WON'T do jail time for avoiding service.