Poland to mail mobilization cards to 230,000 reservists in 2026

Military Recruitment Centres throughout Poland will dispatch mobilization cards (Karta mobilizacyjna) by registered mail to more than 230,000 citizens in 2026. The document does not constitute immediate conscription, but creates a legal duty to report to a designated unit if a mobilization or war is declared. Envelopes carry a coloured strap that signals the assignment’s priority: red for the first‑call active reserve, green for later‑call reserve, and blue for civilian defence staff such as logistics or communications specialists.

Eligibility covers men aged 18‑60 (officers up to 63) and women up to 50 who have completed military training or possess professional qualifications needed for wartime operations, including medicine, IT, logistics, communications and public administration. Certain public‑office holders—parliamentarians, senior civil servants, employees of the National Bank, internal security services and defence‑industry firms—are exempt, provided the exemption is formally confirmed. Failure to appear after being summoned is a criminal offence under article 687 of the Defence of the Fatherland Act, punishable by fines or imprisonment.