How to become a reservist ?

You want to serve in an elite unit renowned worldwide for its professionalism and discipline? Join the French Foreign Legion reserve!

Becoming a legionnaire is a full-time commitment and opens the door to a professional military career. Becoming a reservist in a foreign regiment, on the other hand, allows for part-time service alongside a civilian life. This is not a new phenomenon: reservists already fought in the ranks of the Foreign Legion in 1940. Since 2000, several hundred reservists have served each year with Honor and Fidelity, both in mainland France and overseas.

 A reserve force on the rise 

The new geopolitical situation is leading to an increase in the size of the operational reserve. With the French Army's objective of eventually having one reservist for every two active-duty soldiers, the Foreign Legion aims to have 9,700 legionnaires and 4,500 operational reservists by 2035. The main role of the operational reserve is engagement in operations, particularly within the framework of the Operational Defence of the Territory (DOT).

Interested in serving in the French Foreign Legion part-time?

Sign up to serve in the Foreign Legion Reserve.

You can join two types of reserve:

  • The Operational Reserve;
  • The Citizen Reserve.

 

The Operational Reserve

The Operational Reserve: A Reserve of Commitment 

The operational reserve is composed of civilians and former active-duty military personnel who volunteer to serve as part-time soldiers. 

CANDIDATE WITH NO MILITARY EXPERIENCE (AB INITIO)

 You will be required to complete a 12-day Initial General Reserve Training (FGI/R) course to acquire fundamental military skills, including marksmanship, first aid, and combat within a small team of three. Upon completion, you will be assigned to a reserve ground combat company within your regiment. There, you will continue your training, participate in exercises, and may be deployed on missions.

FORMER ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE PERSONNEL 

Your experience will be highly valued, and you will rediscover what you enjoyed about military life while combining it with your civilian job. You will receive refresher training in combat marksmanship, first aid, and vehicle operation. You will be assigned to a reserve company or as an individual reserve officer within your regiment to continue your military training. Former CCH1s with more than 11 years of service may be appointed as reserve sergeants.

FORMER LEGIONNAIRE (naturalized or foreign national):

 The operational reserve is a way to stay connected to the Legion and strengthen your integration. Are you looking for work or already settled in civilian life? You can supplement your income and further your integration into French society by returning part-time to use the military skills you acquired during your service in the Legion.

RESERVISTS UNDER ESR AND FORMER RESERVISTS: 

Your skills are immediately applicable to the French Foreign Legion. After a discussion with the Reserve Officer of your chosen foreign regiment, and if your profile matches their requirements, you will be able to join a foreign regiment. For reservists under ESR, a transfer request from your original unit will then be required.

YOUR MISSIONS WILL BE: 

  • Providing temporary reinforcement to the armed forces, particularly for the protection of national territory (Operations Sentinelle, Harpie, Hephaestos, etc.);
  • Participating in the daily operations of the units (surveillance patrols, search and rescue operations, public safety missions, etc.);
  • Rescuing populations affected by natural, accidental, or man-made disasters.

The Contract

 The Commitment to Serve in the Operational Reserve (ESR) contract is a two- to five-year availability contract under which you commit to serving with a Foreign Legion unit for an average of 20 to 60 days per year, depending on your availability. Reserve periods are paid.

This contract is entered into, among other things, for the following purposes: 

  1. Combat training (C3T);
  2. Providing temporary reinforcement to foreign regiments;
  3. Delivering defense training;
  4. Participating in domestic operations (Sentinelle, Harpie, etc.), overseas operations (individual supplement), and emergency situations (natural disasters, terrorist attacks, various crises).

Once your contract is validated, you will be assigned:

  1.  Either as a combatant in a Reserve Land Combat Company (CCT/R);
  2. Or as an individual support (staff).

Furthermore, the Foreign Legion can use specialists, with or without a military background, to perform specific functions corresponding to their civilian professional qualifications (lawyers, archivists, curators, communicators, etc.) which do not require them to undergo specific military training.

 

Conditions and criteria for recruitment into the operational reserve of foreign regiments:

 

  • Be of French nationality*;
  • Be between 17 and 45 years old;
  • Have completed the Citizenship and Defense Day (JDC) or been exempted;
  • Enjoy full civil rights; Be declared medically fit by the Armed Forces Health Service;
  • Reside within 3 hours and 30 minutes of the regiment to which you intend to apply.

For candidates without prior military experience, recruitment is at the rank of reserve soldier. Candidates holding a Higher Military Preparation (PMS) certificate are exempt from Initial General Training/Reserve (FGI/R) and can serve directly as a team leader with the rank of corporal (R). 

The recruitment of "specialists" is based on civilian professional qualifications corresponding to the performance of specific duties and according to the needs of the military institution. Volunteers recruited as operational reservist specialists are recruited with an equivalent rank based on their age and level of specialization. 

Candidates are required to comply with the requirements set forth in their commitment to serve in the reserve and to demonstrate availability, particularly for the activities scheduled within the projected number of days of service.

 

*There is a special provision: a former soldier who served in the Foreign Legion “in a foreign capacity” may, in some cases, then serve as a reservist within the Legion.

 

Steps to become an operational reservist

  • The Foreign Legion reservist recruitment unit, part of the GRLE (Foreign Legion Recruitment Group), directs volunteer applications to foreign regiments based on their needs and the candidates' profiles. However, each Foreign Legion regiment can also receive applications directly through the Armed Forces reservists' website.
  • In 2026, 1,700 reservists of all ranks served with honor and fidelity in the ranks of foreign regiments, and 300 new reservists were recruited annually.

 

How to apply to become a reservist?

1 -   Via the Foreign Legion Reservist Recruitment Unit (GRLE) 

  • Submit a CV including your date of birth and address, along with a cover letter;
  • Specify the type of reserve you are applying for: 

               -  Operational Reserve Specialist

               -  Operational Reserve Citizen Reserve 

  • Specify your annual availability (minimum 20 days)
  • Send your application to the Foreign Legion Reservist Recruitment Unit at:

                recruitment-reserve@legion-etrangere.com 

  • Your application will be reviewed and forwarded to the regiment of your choice.

2 - On the website of the Army reservists

Go to https://www.reservistes.defense.gouv.fr 

Register on the portal as:

  •  "Volunteer" if you are a civilian or if you left active service more than five years ago;
  • "RO1" if you are a reservist under the ESR (Engagement Service Reservist) program;
  • "RO2" if you left the military less than five years ago.

 You can view job postings from foreign regiments by selecting "Army" and the department of the regiment you are interested in.

 

A civic commitment

 

The Citizen Reserve: A Resource for Skills and Capabilities

 The Citizen Reserve is composed of approved civilian volunteers, former operational reservists, and former active-duty military personnel not subject to mandatory availability. It allows French citizens to make their skills and interpersonal abilities available to the military authorities in order to contribute to the Army's influence and its integration within civil society. As such, the citizen reservist has the status of a volunteer collaborator of the public service.

The actions undertaken by citizen reservists fall within various areas, such as: 

  1. strengthening the spirit of national defense;
  2. contributing to the duty of remembrance;
  3. communication and public relations in support of national defense.

The conditions and criteria for recruitment into the citizen reserve differ from those of the operational reserve. Candidates must not hold a Commitment to Serve in the Operational Reserve (ESR). To determine their suitability for employment, the selection process considers factors such as professional skills, experience, and interest in national defense issues.

 The application process for becoming a citizen reservist is the same as for becoming an operational reservist.