National Defence Service candidates receive fines for failing to attend medical checks

The Military Police has imposed an administrative fine on 91 conscripts of the National Defence Service (VAD) for failing to attend a medical examination at the time and place specified in the summons without a valid reason, reports the Ministry of Defence.

The administrative penalty for failing to attend a health check at the time specified in the summons is a warning or a fine of up to 350 euros. The penalties vary, but no conscript has been fined more than 50 euros.

The imposition of an administrative penalty does not exempt conscripts from the obligation to undergo a medical examination, and they are transferred to the next conscription, the ministry said.

The law does not provide any criminal liability for evasion of national defence military service.

The Military Police can impose a fine of between 50 and 5 000 euros for failure to report for duty.

The Military Police shall decide on the amount of the fine. If the fine is not paid voluntarily, the enforcement order issued by the Military Police is transferred to a sworn bailiff for enforcement, applying the provisions of the Civil Procedure Law on the recovery of sums of money, the ministry said.

Payment of the fine does not exempt the person from the obligation imposed by the administrative act to arrive at the place of service. The Military Police may also compulsorily take a conscript to the place of service.

Currently, the Ministry of Defence has referred to the Military Police five cases involving conscripts who have not voluntarily complied with the decision of the Ministry of Defence on their conscription to the national defence military service by arriving at the place of service within the time specified in the notice, the ministry said.

The conscripts will be forcibly brought to their place of duty and fined between 50 and 5 000 euros.

It has already been reported that the first recruitment to the VAD started in July 2023 on a voluntary basis and ended in May 2024. On the 23rd of January this year, for the first time, a random selection of candidates for the national defence service took place.

On the 15th of June 2024, the application period for the January 2025 conscription closed, which will allow volunteers to serve in the NBS unit, National Guard as well as in the reserve officer programme.

Latvian citizens are encouraged to join voluntarily in future conscriptions. However, if necessary, a random number of persons aged between 18 and 19 years will be called up, either by sending the conscription decision to the National Defence Service via e-mail or to the declared address of residence, or by personal delivery.

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