ADHD
ADHD and military service in Greece: deferment, the extra two years for students, and service itself
With ADHD, the age limit for study deferment rises by two years. Which bodies certify it, what applies to psychiatric deferment, and how to prepare for service.
Short answer
ADHD is named explicitly in the new Greek conscription law (Law 5265/2026): people with ADHD or specific learning difficulties get study deferment up to two years later in age than others, if the diagnosis has been established by one of the public bodies the law lists. For psychiatric deferment, the diagnosis on its own does not mean automatic deferment or exemption: the military health committee decides. If you serve, a little preparation with medication and organisation makes a big difference.
A diagnosis is not a decision
Under the framework in force with Law 5265/2026:
A private psychiatrist’s opinion can be submitted optionally, as supporting evidence. What is mandatory is either an official disability certification or an opinion from a public-sector psychiatrist at director level.
The application is made from 10 working days before the enlistment date up to the day itself. After referral you have two months to appear in person.
Deferment on psychiatric grounds can reach five years in total, in periods of six months or one year. The maximum is not automatic.
If you are classified I1–I4 you are considered fit and may be called up soon. I5 is examined after deferments are exhausted and requires official disability certification.
Detailed steps and deadlines are on the page Certificate for military deferment. Always confirm the requirements with your local Recruitment Office (Stratologiki Ypiresia).
Study deferment: two extra years with ADHD
Article 187 of Law 5265/2026 sets the age up to which students get deferment. The deferment lasts until 31 December of the year in which the limit is reached. Paragraph 3 raises every limit by two years for people with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dysgraphia and others) or attention deficit syndrome, with or without hyperactivity.
Lyceum, vocational upper secondary, secondary schools: 21, with ADHD 23
Higher vocational training (SAEK), post-secondary apprenticeship year and similar: 22, with ADHD 24
4-year university degree, post-secondary centres (KEME), master’s after a 4-year degree: 25, with ADHD 27
5-year degree or master’s after a 5-year degree: 26, with ADHD 28
6-year degree (e.g. Medicine) or master’s after a 6-year degree: 27, with ADHD 29
Doctorate: 30, with ADHD 32
Who certifies ADHD for this provision. The law states that the diagnosis is established by:
the Disability Certification Centres (KEPA) and the Higher Health Committees for Disability Certification
the Centres for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counselling and Support (KEDASY)
the Community Mental Health Centres for Children and Adolescents
the Mental Health Centres
A diagnosis by a private psychiatrist is not mentioned in this provision. If you were diagnosed privately as an adult, ask the Recruitment Office what it accepts and allow time for certification by one of the bodies above. A full private report can help that assessment, but it does not replace it.
Note: this is deferment for studies, so you must be studying and meet the law’s other conditions (for example, the minimum remaining length of study must fit within the limit). It is a different procedure from psychiatric deferment described above.
What a good psychiatric report on ADHD should include
How and when the diagnosis was made
How it affects your life: school, work, safety, accidents
What treatment you have had and how you responded
Whether other conditions coexist, such as anxiety, depression or substance use
The report describes the situation accurately. It does not ask for a particular outcome. More about how the assessment works: Adult ADHD.
If you serve: medication
Tell the unit doctor about every medication you take, from the first day.
Carry a copy of your prescription and a short medical certificate.
If a medication needs special prescribing, ask before enlistment how it will be continued inside the unit. Do not stop it on your own without discussing it with a doctor.
If you serve: organisation
In the army the schedule is strict and the demands for detail are many. For adults with ADHD, small mistakes (a forgotten item, lateness, an impulsive reply) can lead to penalties.
One tool I use with adults with ADHD is “when… then… because…” rules. They do not rely on memory in the moment of pressure, but on a decision you have already made. Examples for service:
“When I leave the barracks, then I check my pockets in the same order, because my mind forgets when I rush.”
“When I am given an order, then I repeat it quietly or write it down, because I lose the details within minutes.”
“When I get angry with a superior, then I count to five before speaking, because an impulsive reply here has a cost.”
Write three such rules before enlistment, not ten. A few rules that are kept help more than many that are forgotten.
When to seek help during service
If intense anxiety, insomnia, dark thoughts or increased drinking appear, talk to the unit doctor or your psychiatrist. If you are thinking of harming yourself: 1018 (Klimaka suicide prevention line) or 112.
Disclaimer: This article is informational. It is not legal advice and does not guarantee any outcome.
Sources
Law 5265/2026, article 187 “Deferment of enlistment of secondary and tertiary education students”, Government Gazette A 3/10.01.2026. https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5265/2026/arthro/187
Dr Mylonas, “Certificate for military deferment”, 4/11/2026, with references to Law 5265/2026 and the National Register of Administrative Procedures. https://www.doctor-mylonas.gr/services/bebaiosh-anavolhs-stratou
