Azerbaijan.US
Recent cases involving Azerbaijani students studying abroad have drawn attention to a legal gray zone in the country’s conscription system. Families report that students enrolled in foreign universities have been called up for military service despite continuing their education.
The key issue, according to legal experts, is not the country of study, but the form of education.
Under Azerbaijan’s current legislation, draft deferment is granted only to students enrolled in full-time (in-person) programs, including those studying at foreign universities. This rule applies across all levels of higher education.
By contrast, distance or online education does not provide grounds for deferment, even when remote learning is introduced due to extraordinary circumstances such as war or security risks.
This distinction has become particularly relevant for students studying in Ukraine, where many universities shifted to online instruction following the outbreak of war. While distance-learning diplomas may be recognized in Azerbaijan, the law does not treat remote study as a basis for postponing military service.
Another frequent source of conflict is timing and documentation. If students fail to submit confirmation documents to the relevant authorities within the required timeframe, the electronic draft system may automatically register them for conscription. In such cases, the burden falls on the individual to resolve the issue by submitting documents retroactively.
The State Service for Mobilization and Conscription has confirmed that:
students physically enrolled in full-time programs abroad are eligible for deferment without restrictions;
students studying exclusively in distance-learning formats are not entitled to deferment;
the law currently provides no exceptions for force majeure situations, including armed conflict.
As a result, the issue is increasingly seen as a systemic legal gap rather than a series of isolated cases. With more students affected by hybrid and remote education models worldwide, questions remain over whether existing legislation reflects current realities in international education.
