According to the new rules that will come into effect on January 20, 2026, the procedure for conscripting citizens for military service will be completely revised. These changes affect both compulsory service and mobilization, as well as military gatherings and reserve officer service, as reported by Lada.kz citing Zakon.kz.
Complete information in summons
Citizens will receive official summonses, which must now contain the following information:
Full name and date of birth of the conscript;The name of the authority that issued the summons;The address where the individual must report;The date and time of reporting;The purpose of the summons.Possible purposes of the summons include:Medical examination;Data collection (surveys and checks);Meeting of the conscription commission or dispatch to a military unit;Determination of fitness for military service.Employers are required to inform their employees about the summons and ensure they can report in a timely manner.
Protection of the rights of working conscripts
Citizens undergoing a medical commission or compulsory service will be able to retain:
Their job and position;Salary;When summoned for military gatherings, notification will be sent to the place of work or study no later than three working days from the moment of conscription.
Who is subject to conscription
Men and women aged 18 to 27 are subject to conscription, provided they have no grounds for deferment or exemption from service. The number of conscripts will be determined based on the needs of the Armed Forces and other troops.
The defense departments will send schedules for control medical examinations and conscription activities twice a year, by February 1 and August 1.
Two-tier system for studying conscripts
Preparation for conscription includes assessing citizens based on the following criteria:
Health status;Place of work or study;Education;Family composition;Possession of a driver's license;Place of residence in Kazakhstan;Criminal record or offenses.
The study will take place in two stages:
Defense departments - from January 10 to February 28 and from July 10 to August 28;Collection points - from March 1 to June 30 and from September 1 to December 31.
Control over the process will be carried out by the defense departments in conjunction with the Armed Forces and other state bodies.
Conscription for service: from choice of branch to medical examination
District conscription commissions will make decisions regarding:
Conscription - fit for service;Deferment - temporarily unfit;Exemption from conscription - unfit in peacetime;Exemption from military duty - removal from military registration.
The decisions made will be documented in protocols certified by digital signatures and may be reviewed upon complaint, court decision, or prosecutor's act.
Distribution of conscripts by branches of service
When distributing conscripts, the commission will consider:
Health status;Physical fitness;Education, specialty, and profession.
Examples of distribution:
State security service - required education no lower than secondary and meeting physical requirements;Border service of the National Security Committee - educational and physical training requirements;Airborne troops - preference is given to those physically fit, including parachutists;Higher education - distribution to training units depending on the profile;Specialties in mathematics, physics, engineering - distribution to radio engineering, anti-aircraft missile, or communications units;Agricultural specialties - distribution to tank, aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, and the National Guard;Medical and pharmaceutical specialties - work as junior medical personnel. For the National Guard, the education and absence of criminal records of the conscript and their close relatives will be taken into account.
Reasons for deferment and exemption from service
Deferment may be granted for the following reasons:
Family circumstances;Continuation of education;Medical indications;Other reasons.
Individuals exempted from conscription will be placed in the reserve or removed from military registration, but may choose to serve voluntarily if they wish.
Conscription of reserve officers
The new rules also define the procedure for conscripting reserve officers to ensure systematic staffing of military formations.
