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

1. before 1 January 2008
2. on or after 1 January 2008 but before 6 August 2008
3. on or after 6 August 2008.

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

Assuming that you have served over six months from the date you enlisted, you will now 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 your 22nd birthday.  To leave then or any time afterwards you must first have given 12 months' notice in writing.  (The army can reduce this period by up to six months but this is up to the army and is not a right; in any case this reduction has to be decided upon in the first month of the notice period)

If you are now over 18 and 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 at such requests.  If you want to talk this option through, then visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.

2. I enlisted on or after 1 January 2008 but before 6 August 2008 (called the 'Versatile Engagement'):

As you will now have enlisted more than six months ago, the earliest you would normally have a legal right to leave Regular Service by legal right will be four years after the date of your enlistment - this is the day you attested (read the oath) at the recruitment office (not the day you started work).  To leave then or any time afterwards you must first have given 12 months' notice in writing.  (The army can reduce this period by up to six months but this is up to the army and is not a right; in any case this reduction has to be decided upon in the first month of the notice period).

If you find 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 at such requests.  If you want to talk this option through, then visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.

3. I enlisted on or after 6 August 2008 (called the 'Versatile Engagement'):

You cannot leave during the first 28 days of paid duty.  If you have served the first 28 days of paid duty with no time spent Absent Without Leave (AWOL) and have not yet served for six months from the date you enlisted then you may leave the army altogether by giving 14 days' notice in writing to your Commanding Officer before the six month deadline passes.  This is called 'Discharge As of Right' (DAOR) and if you use it you will not have to serve in the Reserve.  (Note that the date you enlisted is the day you read the oath (i.e. attested) at the recruitment office, not the day you started work)

If six months have passed since the day you enlisted but you are still under 18 then you can now give three months' written notice to leave.  This three-month notice period can be reduced if both you and the army agree to this.  If you leave in this way you won't have to serve in the Reserve.

If six month have passed since the day you enlisted and you are now 18 or over then you will normally have no legal right to leave Regular Service until your 22nd birthday at the earliest and in all cases by giving 12 months' written notice beforehand.  Once you do leave Regular Service in this way you will be transferred to Reserve Service for six years.  Reserve Service means that once you have returned to civilian life you may still be called up by the army for active duty or training anywhere in the world.

If you find 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 at such requests.  If you want to talk this option through, then visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.

Exceptions

If you go Absent Without Leave (AWOL) 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.

If you have spent time Absent Without Leave (AWOL) then your legal right to leave Regular Service will be delayed.

If you 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) then your legal right to leave Regular Service will be delayed.  However, if you sign this form when you are still less than 17 years and six months old then you can cancel the extension in writing any time before you are 18 years and 28 days old.  If you think this applies to you, visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.  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.

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