Syrian Arab Republic – Legislative Decree No. 30 of 2007 (Military Service Law) new

Reserve Service

The decree excludes the following categories from reserve military service:

• Students pursuing their studies (in peacetime) under the conditions specified in the regulations.
• One son of parents (or of one parent) if they have two or more sons in active military service, provided the total number in service does not exceed three sons.
• Those with temporary medical unfitness for service until the causes are removed.
• Convicted persons during their prison term, and detainees under investigation for the duration of their detention.
• Expatriates and residents permanently or temporarily working abroad, until their return.
• Employees seconded abroad from within Syria.
• Civilian employees of the armed forces, the Ministry of Defense, and its affiliated agencies; as well as firefighters, armed customs officers, anti-smuggling officers of the Tobacco and Tobacco Directorate, and forest inspectors, according to instructions issued by the General Command.
• Any person the General Command decides to exclude.

The decree also prohibits conscripts and reservists from practicing any activity forbidden to military personnel during their period of active service.

Every person subject to military service must inform their recruitment branch of their place of residence and of any changes to it, before and after being called to serve.

Travel Regulations

Syrian citizens and equivalent persons who have completed their seventeenth year but have not exceeded forty-two years of age are not allowed to leave Syria without prior approval from the General Directorate of Recruitment or its regional branches, and under the following conditions:

1. Submission of a financial, real-estate, commercial, industrial, or agricultural guarantee, or a guarantee by an officer, civil servant, or permanent worker from the first category eligible for a pension, or a first-degree relative.
2. The value of the guarantee is determined according to the category of the draftee and the reason for travel, as defined in the regulations.
3. Members of officially licensed sports, scientific, and artistic delegations may travel without a guarantee, provided they offer sufficient assurances, subject to the approval of the General Directorate of Recruitment.
4. Collection of the guarantee does not prevent the prosecution of any guaranteed person who fails to appear for service, in accordance with the penalties stated in the law.

The decree exempts the following individuals from submitting guarantees, provided they obtain prior travel approval from the Directorate of Recruitment (or its delegate) before departure:

1. Civilian employees currently in service (except those obliged to state service).
2. Government-sponsored students or trainees, or those traveling on official missions.
3. Those exempted from military service under this law.
4. Those who have completed compulsory service.
5. Retirees.
6. Expatriates visiting Syria.

For military personnel, travel permission is granted by the General Command, while for members of the Internal security Forces, it is granted by the Ministry of Interior.

Persons over forty-two years of age who are not subject to reserve service may leave the country without a guarantee or prior approval.

All guarantees are to be deposited in a bank account at a public bank in the name of the Ministry of Defense, and their returns shall be used—by decision of the Minister of Defense—for the development of recruitment facilities.

Rights, Guarantees, and Promotions

The decree defined the rules of promotion for:

• Conscripts with a basic education certificate or equivalent,
• Holders of intermediate institute diplomas,
• Holders of university degrees (four-year programs or equivalent),
• Medical doctors, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, engineers, and
• Holders of postgraduate diplomas, master’s, or doctorate degrees in all specialties.

It also clarified the relation between promotion and both field and non-field service.

Furthermore, the decree specified promotion rules for reservists, whether reserve officers, non-commissioned officers, or individual soldiers, and established command precedence, leave regulations, and benefits such as:

• Medical treatment and care,
• Recognition of inventions and publications,
• Compensation for injuries or damages,
• Exemptions from certain military service obligations, and
• Transportation allowances.

Financial Provisions

The decree determined the fixed salaries for all categories of conscripts, as well as allowances, compensation, and retirement entitlements for both conscripts and reservists, including discharge compensation and benefits for beneficiaries.

Loss of Military Identification or Service Book

The decree addressed the penalty for losing a military identification card or a military service booklet, defined the competent judicial authority (military courts), and outlined the procedures for implementing military court rulings, along with penalties applicable to reservists and those who fail to respond to call-up orders, with sanctions scaled according to the length of absence.

Special Provisions for Palestinian Residents in Syria

The decree stipulates that Palestinian Arabs residing in Syria and their children are to be treated as Syrians in all matters covered by this law, while retaining their original nationality.

They are to be called up for compulsory service in every recruitment batch, in accordance with instructions issued by the General Command.

General Provisions

Every Syrian male citizen who has reached the age of eighteen is subject to military service.
Service may be postponed for students until the completion of their studies, after which they are summoned again.

Conscription begins on the first day of January of the year in which the citizen reaches eighteen, and ends upon:

• Completion of compulsory service,
• Being exempted, or
• Reaching the age of forty-two.

✅ End of Legislative Decree No. 30 of 2007 (Military Service Law)