Armed Forces Around The World That Allow Foreigners To Join Them
Joining the military is the dream of a lot of people. To wear the
uniform, train hard and serve the nation from the front is a matter of
utmost pride and honour. Every year, millions of people apply for a job
with the armed forces of their nations. But did you know that a lot of
these forces around the world also recruit foreign nationals?
You read it right. Countries like India, USA, France and Britain
recruit citizens of other nations into their army. Putting other
criteria like age, height, weight, etc. aside, here is a list of
countries who welcome foreigners into their armed forces.
1. India
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The Indian army recruits citizens of Nepal and Bhutan. Also, refugees
from Tibet and people of Indian origin from nations like
Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with an
intention of permanently settling in India can also join the Indian
army.
Fun fact – Bear Grylls wanted to join the Indian Army after school.
The US Army recruits foreign nationals who are a permanent legal
resident of the US. Moreover, non-US citizens from friend nations can
also join the American army as an enlisted soldier.
Fun Fact –The US Army is older than the country it serves.
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The British army recruits Gurkhas from Nepal. Additionally, it also
recruits citizens of the Commonwealth Nations except those of Cyprus and
Malta. However, people from Cyprus, Malta and Republic of Ireland can
join after residing at least 5 years in the UK.
Fun Fact –The British army chose Red colour for their jackets because red dye was the cheapest at the time.
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The Australian Defence Forces recruit citizens of New Zealand who are
a permanent resident of the nation. Also, citizens of allied nations
who are willing to obtain an Australian citizenship and have military
experience can also join the Australian armed forces.
Fun Fact – Australia spends $87 million a day on the military.
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Canadian forces recruit foreign nationals who are permanent residents
of the nation as long as the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) believes
that it would not harm their national interests.
Fun Fact – Canadian soldiers in WW1 were called ‘Stormtroopers’ for being precise, relentless, intelligent and highly organised.
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The French army has a branch called the French Foreign Legion which
was originally formed to protect and expand the French colonial empire
in 1831. Anyone who has a valid passport and clean criminal record can
join the legion.
Fun Fact – The French Foreign Legion accepts foreign nationals, but only French people can attain the rank of Officer.
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The Israeli Defence forces recruits non-Israeli Jews and also
non-Jews who have at least one Jewish grandparent. The Israelis have
special programmes called ‘Mahal’ and ‘Garin Tzabar’ for people who wish
to join.
Fun Fact –Every adult Israeli (18 years old), whether male or female, is required to serve in the army.
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Any serving member of the militaries of the Australian, American,
British or Canadian militaries can join the New Zealand defense forces.
Also, anyone who has been living in New Zealand for over 5 years can
also apply to join the forces.
Fun Fact –Although a very small army, New Zealand soldiers have served in all the major conflicts of the 20th century.
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The Spanish military recruits citizens from ex-Spanish colonies
except those from Puerto Rico and The Philippines. Also, citizens of
Spanish-speaking nations (like Costa Rica, Mexico, etc.) can enroll in
the Spanish Legion.
Fun Fact –The Spanish Legion was set up in 1920s to serve as part of Spain’s ‘Army of Africa’.
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Foreign nationals living in Denmark can apply to join the Danish
military forces, provided they have command over the Danish language and
are in the process of getting a Danish citizenship. The applications
are to be made in writing and are evaluated on an individual basis.
Fun Fact –Founded in 1614, the Danish Army is over 400 years old.
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The Bahrain army recruits foreigners, mainly from the Arabic
countries and Pakistan. However, it has become a matter of debate in the
nation as native Bahrinis are Shias while the foreign recruits are
Sunni.
Fun Fact –The Crown Prince of Bahrain is the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force.
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Citizens of the European Economic Area can join the Irish national
army. Also, citizens of other nations who have lived in Ireland for over
3 years can apply for the Irish army.
Fun Fact – Although Ireland remained neutral during WW2, about 5000 Irish soldiers joined the British troops.
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Although Monaco’s defence is the responsibility of France, the nation
has a small group of armed forces for the protection of the Prince’s
Palace called ‘The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince’ which recruits
French nationals.
Fun Fact –The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince’ company of Monaco has only 119 members.
Some ghanians are serving under the NIA too
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