Bundeswehr eases access to administrative service for severely disabled persons and temporary soldiers

The Federal Ministry of Defence has restructured the training for the upper-level non-technical administrative service in the Federal Defence Administration. The Second Ordinance Amending the Ordinance on the Preparatory Service was signed on August 18, 2026, in Bonn and promulgated on September 8, 2026, in the Federal Law Gazette Part I No. 251. It enters into force on the day following its promulgation.

The amending ordinance is based on Section 10 Paragraphs 1 and 2, as well as Annex 2 Number 25 of the Federal Career Ordinance of March 11, 2026 (BGBl. 2026 I No. 67). The Ordinance on the Preparatory Service of March 1, 2019 (BGBl. I p. 205), which was last amended by Article 2 Paragraph 24 of the Ordinance of March 11, 2026, is being amended. The regulatory framework was signed by the Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius.

Easier Access to the Selection Process

The centerpiece of the new regulation is the new Section 8 Paragraph 2 of the Training Ordinance. If the number of participants in the selection process is limited according to Section 11 Paragraph 3 Sentence 2 of the Federal Career Ordinance, the following groups of people shall be admitted to the selection process additionally and without restriction, provided they meet the requirements specified in the announcement:

• People with severe disabilities,
• disabled people with equivalent status,
• former female and male temporary soldiers with an integration or admission certificate.

The aim is to ensure that applicants with disabilities and departing temporary soldiers no longer fail due to a numerical limit on the selection process.

Second Retake of Failed Module Examinations

The new Section 38 Paragraph 2 simultaneously expands the examination options in the preparatory service. In the future: two module examinations not passed in the first retake may be repeated a second time. Previously, a second retake was not provided for; the amendment thus gives candidates an additional chance to successfully complete the preparatory service.

Significance for Applicants and Candidates

The ordinance affects all applicants and candidates of the upper-level non-technical administrative service of the Federal Defence Administration. For severely disabled people, people with equivalent status, and former temporary soldiers with an integration or admission certificate, the hurdle for entering the preparatory service is significantly lowered, while the expanded retake option is expected to cushion the failure rate in training. The regulation is part of the ongoing adaptation of the Federal Career Ordinance to the needs of the Federal Defence Administration.

Source: Federal Law Gazette, Part I No. 251 of September 8, 2026, pp. 1–2 (official reference: BGBl. 2026 I No. 251).