South Africa
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women
are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation
(2007)
Spain
20 years of age (2004)
Sri Lanka
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 5-year
service obligation (2010)
Sudan
18-33 years of age for male and female compulsory and
voluntary military service; 12-24 month service obligation (2009)
Suriname
18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary, with
personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)
Swaziland
18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military
service; no conscription; only HIV-negative applicants accepted;
compulsory HIV testing required (2010)
Sweden
18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary military
service; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy),
8-12 months (Air Force); the Swedish Parliament has abolished
compulsory military service, with exclusively voluntary recruitment
as of July 2010; conscription remains an option in emergencies;
after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment
until age 47 (2010)
Switzerland
19-26 years of age for male compulsory military service;
18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service;
every Swiss male has to serve at least 260 days in the armed forces;
conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by seven
3-week intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years
(2010)
Syria
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 21 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy);
women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2010)
Taiwan
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service;
service obligation 2 years; women may enlist; women in Air Force
service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age
30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing
a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015, although
nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service
or go through 4 months of military training (2010)