The administrative penalty for not appearing for a health check-up at the time specified in the summons can range from a warning to a fine of up to 350 euros. The fines applied vary, but none of the conscripts have been fined more than 50 euros.
The application of the penalty does not relieve the offenders of the obligation to perform a health examination, and the conscripts are transferred into the next conscription batch, the ministry said.
The law does not provide for criminal liability for evasion of obligatory national defense military service, but military police can impose fines of between 50 and 5,000 euros for failure to appear at the specified enlistment location. Ultimately, the Military Police can forcibly take a conscript to their place of compulsory service.
Latvia reintroduced military service for males aged 18-27 last year on a voluntary basis and from January 1, 2024, military service has been designated as mandatory. Latvia did previously have mandatory military service until January 2007, when it switched to a fully professional military service, but reintroduced mandatory service last year in a bid to boost the size of its armed forces.
Women can also undertake national service on a voluntary basis. Volunteers have the advantage of being paid twice as much as those called up, plus several other benefits.
In total 600 young people are scheduled to start national service this year – 120 in January and 480 in July.
Full details about mandatory military service in Latvia can be found here.
