The Bundeswehr screening centres (Musterungszentren) are the places where the Musterung is to take place in future. On 7 May 2026 the Bundeswehr and the Ministry of Defence announced the site decision for 24 screening centres. This guide lists the locations, the planned timetable up to mid-2027 and what it means for men born in 2008 or later.
In short: The Bundeswehr plans 24 screening centres, 8 at new and 16 at existing Bundeswehr sites. According to the Bundeswehr the screening organisation is to be in place by 1 July 2027, and the first centre is to open in 2026. Bundeswehr page as of 7 May 2026. This is a planning status that can change. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points
- 24 screening centres are planned, assigned to the 15 existing Bundeswehr career centres (Karrierecenter).
- Eight centres will be at new Bundeswehr sites, 16 at existing ones. Rented premises outside the existing properties are planned in 14 federal states.
- About 50 civilian posts per centre are planned, and the number of Bundeswehr sites rises to 288.
- The complete screening organisation is to be in place by 1 July 2027. The Bundeswehr gives no exact opening date for the first centre.
- Which centre is responsible for you is stated in your summons.
Where are the 24 screening centres planned?
On its screening centres page (as of 7 May 2026) the Bundeswehr lists the following sites. New ones are Bielefeld, Braunschweig, Dortmund, Jena, Kempten, Offenburg, Regensburg and Würzburg. At existing Bundeswehr sites are Bonn, Dresden, Hamburg, Kassel, Kiel, Koblenz, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Neubrandenburg, Nürnberg, Oldenburg, Potsdam, Saarlouis, Schwerin, Ulm and Wiesbaden. The centres are to be housed in rented buildings in central, easily accessible places.
| Federal state (assigned by location of the city) | Sites | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | Offenburg, Ulm | 2 |
| Bavaria | Kempten, Nürnberg, Regensburg, Würzburg | 4 |
| Brandenburg | Potsdam | 1 |
| Hamburg | Hamburg | 1 |
| Hesse | Kassel, Wiesbaden | 2 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | Neubrandenburg, Schwerin | 2 |
| Lower Saxony | Braunschweig, Oldenburg | 2 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | Bielefeld, Bonn, Dortmund | 3 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | Koblenz | 1 |
| Saarland | Saarlouis | 1 |
| Saxony | Dresden, Leipzig | 2 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | Magdeburg | 1 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | Kiel | 1 |
| Thuringia | Jena | 1 |
| Total | 24 |
The assignment of cities to federal states follows from their location; the Bundeswehr page does not state it expressly. Berlin and Bremen therefore have no centre of their own on the list. The Ministry of Defence names the current population distribution as the selection criterion. Regions with high density and probably many persons concerned were taken into account.
What are new and what are existing sites?
The Bundeswehr distinguishes eight new sites from 16 existing ones. The existing ones are cities where the Bundeswehr is already present, but the screening centres are to be in rented buildings outside the existing properties. Overall the number of Bundeswehr sites nationwide rises to 288. For each centre the Bundeswehr plans around 50 civilian posts.
What do screening centres do and what do career centres do?
Each centre is assigned to one of the 15 existing career centres, which coordinates it. According to the Bundeswehr the centres check basic suitability for service. The career centres handle advice and support as well as the more extensive medical, physical, cognitive and psychological aptitude testing. Legally, the conscription authorities are the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Personnel Management and the career centres (section 14 WPflG). What is examined is covered in the article (in German): Tauglichkeit bei der Musterung.
By when are the centres to be in place?
According to the Bundeswehr the entire screening organisation is to be set up by 1 July 2027. The Ministry of Defence speaks of nationwide screening from mid-2027. The first new centre is to open during 2026 according to the information given; neither side names an exact date. The remaining centres are built up gradually.
| Stage | Planning status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Site decision | 24 centres, announced on 7 May 2026 | Bundeswehr, Ministry of Defence |
| First centre | Opening expected in 2026, no exact date | Bundeswehr, Ministry of Defence |
| Complete organisation | To be in place by 1 July 2027 | Bundeswehr |
| Nationwide screening | Planned from mid-2027 | Ministry of Defence |
These dates are planning and not a statutory deadline. Check the current Bundeswehr page before decisions. According to the Bundeswehr, the duty to attend the Musterung already applies to men liable for service from the 2008 birth cohort (as of 10 March 2026), and regional centres are still being built. How the appointment works is explained in the article (in German): Musterung 2026: Ablauf, Dauer und was man mitbringen muss.
Which centre is responsible for you?
Neither the Bundeswehr page nor the press release names a rule of responsibility by place of residence or place of study. What counts is the place in your summons. For orientation: in the region of southern Lower Saxony and northern Hesse, Kassel and Braunschweig are on the list, and in Thuringia Jena. Whether one of them applies to you depends on the assignment by the career centre. If the appointment clashes with your place of study, a written enquiry to the inviting career centre helps.
For students who live somewhere other than where they are registered, this can have practical consequences. Plan travel and return, and check whether the appointment clashes with classes or exams. Studying does not postpone the duty. A deferral is a separate application, described in the article (in German) Zurückstellung vom Wehrdienst wegen Studium beantragen. Anyone who does not appear risks consequences explained in the article Musterung nicht wahrgenommen.
Frequently asked questions
How many screening centres are there?
The Bundeswehr plans 24 screening centres (as of 7 May 2026). Eight of them will be at new sites, 16 at existing ones. The number is a planning status.
Is there a centre in my city?
The sites are listed by federal state in the table. If your city is missing, this does not mean you will not be screened, but that you will be assigned to a centre in the region. Which one is stated in the summons.
Which federal state has the most centres?
By the location of the cities, Bavaria has four centres with Kempten, Nürnberg, Regensburg and Würzburg, and North Rhine-Westphalia has three with Bielefeld, Bonn and Dortmund. Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Saxony have two each. The remaining seven states on the list have one each. The figures follow from the Bundeswehr site list and the geographic location of the cities.
Does the Musterung take place before mid-2027?
The Bundeswehr states that the duty to attend already applies to men liable for service from the 2008 birth cohort and that the regional centres are still being built. Until then mainly men who show interest in service are invited. When your invitation comes, this page cannot tell you.
Is the 1 July 2027 date binding?
It is a planning target of the Bundeswehr for building up the organisation and not a statutory deadline. Delays are possible. Current information is on the Bundeswehr page on the screening centres.
What to do now
- Check in the table which centres lie in your region.
- Wait for the summons and read place, date and documents carefully.
- Plan travel and the appointment around classes and exams.
- If you are unable to attend, enquire in writing at the inviting career centre.
- Watch the Bundeswehr page on the screening centres for changes.
Related guides (in German)
- Wehrdienst und Studium 2026: Der Überblick
- Musterung ab Jahrgang 2008
- Musterung 2026: Ablauf und Dauer
- Musterungsbescheid erhalten
- Musterung in der Schulzeit
Sources: Bundeswehr: screening centres (page as of 7 May 2026), Federal Ministry of Defence: site decisions for screening centres (7 May 2026), Bundeswehr: assessment and Musterung (page as of 10 March 2026), Conscription Act (WPflG), section 14, gesetze-im-internet.de.
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
