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What's in store if your child is doing France's Journée de Défense et de Citoyenneté this year

The Journée de Défense et de Citoyenneté (JDC) is a requirement for all young French citizens, even if they live outside France, and is a prerequisite for sitting the baccalauréat, applying for certain public jobs, or obtaining a driving licence. The day itself, formerly known as the Journée d'Appel de Préparation à la Défense (Defense Preparation Day, or JAPD), was established in 1997 by President Jacques Chirac and replaced compulsory military service. Non-French citizens who are resident of France as well as those with dual nationality (who can opt out depending on their nationality) are not yet obliged to take part in these days, but they are mandatory from September for all French nationals – and some foreign residents – aged 16 to 25 as part of government efforts to link youth engagement to military preparedness. Advertisement Invitations to attend a JDC are sent out once a compulsory citizen registration is completed. In 2024, 20,000 JDCs were organised with around 40 young people taking part in each session. From September 2025, they will undergo several key changes, and take on a greater military direction – and will feature greater emphasis on military and reserve recruitment, the Ministry for the Armed Forces confirmed. By 2026, the goal is to organise 8,500 new-generation JDCs with 100 young people per session, accompanied by 10 supervisors from defense units and sites. French government information website Service Publique included a breakdown of a typical JDC day that will be rolled out from September. They will last seven hours, starting at 8.30am and ending at 3.30pm, and – after a flag-raising ceremony and the singing of La Marseillaise, followed by the reading of the Charte des droits et devoirs du citoyen français (charter of rights and responsibilities of French citizens) will feature role-play and aptitude workshops, a laser-target shooting simulation, and a careers forum with military officials and officers from the National Gendarmerie, while meals will be served in the form of combat rations. The armed services currently aim to increase the number of reservists from 47,000 to 80,000 by 2030.