The rules for leaving the army depend on whether you enlisted:

1. before 1 January 2008
2. on or after 1 January 2008

1. If you enlisted before 1 January 2008 (called the 'Open Engagement'):

The earliest you will be able to leave Regular Service by legal right will be the date four years and three months after you enlisted, for which you must have given 12 months' notice in writing to leave.

The above paragraph does not apply if you have spent time Absent Without Leave (AWOL) or have signed a form extending your minimum term of Regular Service (which you might have had to do if you accepted a course of education or training - the extension can be as much as six years but is usually less).  In this case, your legal right to leave the army will be later than four years and three months after you enlisted.  If in doubt, you can ask your commanding officer to tell you when you will have a legal right to leave.  If it is difficult to talk to your CO, you can try contacting At Ease or SSAFA, who will try to help - visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.

When you leave regular service you will have to serve in the Reserve for six years or until the age of 40, whichever is sooner.  Reserve Service means that once you have left Regular Service and become a civilian again, you may still be called out to serve on active duty or to train - this can be anywhere in the world.

If you go Absent Without Leave (AWOL) and are caught, you can be punished with a prison sentence and your legal right to leave the army will be delayed.

If there is a time of 'imminent national danger', for example if the country is attacked, you may not be allowed to leave the army for the duration, whatever your circumstances.

2. If you enlisted on or after 1 January 2008 (Versatile Engagement):

You cannot leave during the first 28 days of paid duty.  If you have served the first 28 days with no time spent on leave (whether authorised or unauthorised) and if you have not yet served three months from the date you enlisted then you may leave the army altogether.  This right to leave is called 'Discharge As of Right' (DAOR) and using it means you will not have to serve in the Reserve.  To use your DAOR, apply in writing to your Commanding Officer.  Note that if this is the second time you have enlisted in the regular army then the right of DAOR does NOT normally apply.

The three-month deadline for DAOR is absolute.  If you have served over three months from the date you enlisted, you will not be allowed to exercise your 'Discharge as of Right' (DAOR) and the earliest you will be able to leave Regular Service by legal right will be four years after the date of your enlistment.  To leave then you will have to have given 12 months' notice in writing.

The above paragraph does not apply if you have spent time Absent Without Leave (AWOL) or have signed a form extending your minimum term of Regular Service (which you might have had to do if you accepted a course of education or training - the extension can be as much as six years but is usually less).  In this case, your legal right to leave Regular Service will fall on a later date than four years after you enlisted.  If in doubt, you can ask your commanding officer to tell you when you will have a legal right to leave.  If it is difficult to talk to your CO, you can try contacting At Ease or SSAFA, who will try to help - visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.

When you leave Regular Service you will have to serve in the Reserve for six years or until the age of 40, whichever is sooner.  Reserve Service means that once you have left Regular Service and become a civilian again, you may still be called out to serve on active duty or to train - this can be anywhere in the world.

If you find that you have no legal right to leave Regular Service for a long time, then you can still try asking for permission to leave anyway.  Permission is not normally granted but some Commanding Officers have been known to look sympathetically on such requests.  Leaving in this way is called Compassionate Discharge and will release you from Regular Service but not necessarily Reserve Service.  Serious family problems can sometimes be grounds for a Compassionate Discharge from Regular Service -- and also from Reserve Service if you are called out to serve and still have serious family responsibilites but this is not guaranteed.  It is worth getting advice before you take this step; visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.

If you go Absent Without Leave (AWOL) and are caught, you can be punished with a prison sentence and your legal right to leave the army will be delayed.

If there is a time of 'imminent national danger', for example if the country is attacked, you may not be allowed to leave the army for the duration, whatever your circumstances.

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