In accordance with the provisions of the law relating to National Guard, there is compulsory military service for all male citizens of the Cyprus Republic including persons of Cypriot descent on the male side, who are residents of the Republic. The obligation commences in the year the person becomes 18 and continues to the year of his 50th birthday. All those who are not Cypriot citizens but are of Cypriot descent (even if they had not acquired Cypriot citizenship), were born in 1960 or after, and reside in the Republic are obliged to do military service. All those who belong to the above category and were born in 1959 or before, are not obliged at present to do military service. They may, however, if they wish, enlist in the National Guard as volunteers and after serving for six months only, may apply for Cypriot citizenship without being liable for any further military obligation. Those exempt from military service include those who live permanently abroad for as long as they continue to reside out of Cyprus. The following are also exempt: persons of dual Cypriot and Greek citizenship provided that during their permanent residence in Greece they fulfilled (and did not buy themselves out) of their obligation to serve in the Greek Army as provided for in the law of the Republic of Greece; all those who at the date of conscription have four or more dependents i.e. all those who are married and have a wife and three or more children who are minors; all those who on conscription are considered unsuitable for military service for health reasons; the oldest or the only son of the family whose father or brother was killed or went missing while serving in the National Guard.
