Belgium to ease medical requirements for military recruits, reservists

Belgium will ease the medical requirements for military recruits and reservists starting Sept. 1 in an effort to expand the country's armed forces, Defense Minister Theo Francken told Dutch-language daily Het Laatste Nieuws on Friday.

The revised rules are expected to allow an additional 10% to 20% of applicants who are currently rejected on medical grounds to begin military training, according to Francken.

The changes are part of Belgium's broader plan to increase the size of its defense workforce by 2035.

Under the government's target, the armed forces are expected to grow to 34,500 military personnel, supported by 12,800 reservists and 8,500 civilian employees.

"Not every soldier needs to meet the same extremely strict medical standards," Francken said, explaining that the existing medical screening excludes many candidates before they can begin training.

He cited eyesight requirements as an example, noting that while perfect vision remains essential for specialized roles such as F-35 fighter pilots, it is not necessary for every position in the military.

Francken stressed that the medical examination would remain mandatory and that recruits must still be "fit for duty."

"The bar is certainly not being lowered to the ground," he said. "Those admitted under the new criteria will still have to complete and pass their military training."

The defense minister said he had instructed the armed forces to review the medical requirements, while emphasizing that the revised standards were developed by the military's medical service rather than by political officials.

Francken said applicants seeking administrative or logistics positions, particularly reservists with civilian professional experience, should not be required to meet the same hearing standards as personnel assigned to operational combat duties.

Belgium has also recently raised the maximum age for reservists from 49 to 67 as part of efforts to strengthen recruitment and increase personnel numbers.