The military will call in thousands of people. Even Category D won't help.

• The Minister of National Defence issued a regulation specifying the rules for military qualification in 2026, 235,000 people will be called up.
• The obligation to report applies to men and women of certain age groups, volunteers and persons with irregular military service.
• Persons with category D are not recruited into the army in times of peace, but may be conscripted in the event of war.

In August, the Minister of National Defense issued a regulation specifying the rules for conducting military qualifications in 2026. The document specifies, among other things, the date the qualifications will be announced and their duration. 235,000 individuals are expected to be called upon to participate in the qualifications.

The qualification will be announced on January 16 and is scheduled to take place from February 2 to April 30, 2026.

The obligation to appear for military qualification will apply to:

• men born in 2007 (turning 19 years old in 2020);
• men born in 2002-2006 who do not yet have a specific category;
• persons previously deemed temporarily unfit for service (in 2024-2025);
• women born between 1999 and 2007 who have qualifications useful for military service;
• volunteers - any person who is over 18 years of age and voluntarily applies for military qualification;
• persons with an unregulated military service status - until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 60, if they do not have a specific category of capabilities.

The Polish military qualification system distinguishes four basic categories of fitness for service: A, B, D and E.

• A - capable of active military service,
• B - temporarily unfit for service (e.g. due to health condition, with the possibility of re-examination),
• D - unfit for service in peacetime,
• E - permanently and completely unfit for military service under all conditions.

"Fakt" explains that category D is awarded to a person deemed unfit to join the military in peacetime.

The term "in peacetime" is key here, as the situation changes dramatically in the event of armed conflict. Category D individuals with relevant qualifications will be called up for active military service if necessary, we read.

The obligation to defend the homeland lasts in Poland until a citizen reaches the age of 60.