Armenia updates military medical eligibility rules

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian government has revised the list of medical conditions determining military fitness, amending a 2018 decision that defined when a citizen or servicemember is considered fit, temporarily unfit, or unfit for military service.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the main goal of the changes is to eliminate situations where citizens were exempted from service or granted deferments due to health issues that posed no serious risk or required no treatment, Sputnik Armenia reports.

Under the new decision, health conditions that are asymptomatic and do not require medical intervention will no longer constitute grounds for avoiding compulsory military service.

The amendments also include several conditions that were previously not clearly regulated. For example, venous angiomas of the brain or spinal cord were often assessed in practice as high-risk, leading to findings of unfitness, despite not being explicitly listed. These conditions will now be included under a separate article with clearly defined medical examination procedures.

At the same time, the approach to certain large brain cysts has been revised. Even in cases where such cysts do not cause pronounced symptoms, they may compress brain tissue and carry elevated risk. As a result, it has been proposed not to recognize such individuals as fully fit for service.

Changes also apply to cases of thyroid hypofunction that have had a favorable course, required no treatment, and manifested only through laboratory abnormalities. Such citizens will be allowed to serve under restricted conditions without deferment or exemption, resolving long-standing examination inconsistencies.

A similar approach has been applied to certain hereditary blood disorders, particularly heterozygous forms of alpha and beta thalassemia. If these conditions have no clinical manifestations and do not impair bodily function, citizens will be deemed fit for service with specific limitations.

The amendments also cover minor cardiac developmental anomalies, often detected incidentally during medical examinations and not requiring treatment. In such cases, service will be permitted without exemption.

The issue of diaphragmatic hernias has also been reconsidered. If a citizen has refused surgery but has experienced no complications or reflux problems, they may be recognized as fit for service under the relevant article.

Changes are also envisaged for spinal hemangiomas and other benign growths. If they do not cause functional impairments, are non-aggressive, and do not occupy a large portion of the vertebra, they will not serve as grounds for exemption.

The government says the revisions are based on international medical guidelines, professional publications, and the experience of NATO member states with compulsory military service. Similar approaches are used, for example, in Israel and Austria.

It is expected that the new regulations will reduce deferments granted for treatment purposes, increase the number of conscripts, and prevent unnecessary state expenditures.

From January 1, 2026, the duration of compulsory military service will be reduced to 1.5 years instead of the previous two years.