In 2026, the French Foreign Legion will recruit about 1,100 new legionnaires to join its ranks and begin training. This number is clearly defined by the Legion’s planning and reflects evolving manpower needs.
In this article, I explain:
- What does this number mean?
- How recruitment has changed compared to recent years
- What candidates should realistically expect in 2026
- Key advice for joining
Recruitment Targets
The French Foreign Legion is currently overstrength due to structural changes, mainly in 2e REP and 13e DBLE. These two regiments are each losing 130 positions, reducing the total required number of legionnaires by 260. This change mechanically reduces the number of available posts, especially for junior ranks. That is the main reason why the recruitment number is decreasing compared to previous years.
For 2026, the target is therefore 1,100 new enlisted volunteers, and not 1,200 as announced on the official recruitment page. Around 8,000 volunteers enter the Legion’s gates each year, which means the selection rate will be about 13% in 2026.
This is still slightly higher than the selection rate of the early 2010s, when more candidates were applying. However, this ratio still represents one selected candidate out of 7 to 8, depending on the period, compared to 1 out of 4 in the regular French Army.
Previous years allowed the French Foreign Legion to recruit more, especially with the 13e DBLE returning to Europe from the United Arab Emirates. The coming years will allow the Legion to become more selective again. So, 2026 marks the beginning of a return to a more selective recruitment model.
French Foreign Legion Recruitment Nowadays
On 1 January 2026, the French Foreign Legion has 9,147 active-duty soldiers. They serve under foreign status and come from 149 different countries.
In 2025, most recruits came from three main regions:
- Latin America: 37.9% (+0.3% compared to 2024), mainly Brazil and Colombia
- The Indian subcontinent: 23.4% (−3.4% compared to 2024), mainly Nepal
- Europe, including France: 23.4% (+4.6% compared to 2024)
As a result, the current active-duty force includes:
- 33% Europeans, including 8% French
- 25% South Americans (11% Brazilians and 9% Colombians)
- 18% Nepalese and 2% Indians
For this reason, recruitment diversification remains a key challenge in 2026. French candidates and applicants who speak French fluently (considered francophone) have a higher chance of being selected, as the Legion needs French speakers to maintain an acceptable overall level of French proficiency.
Planned Distribution of Young Legionnaires – 2026
For 2026, and taking attrition into account, 814 young legionnaires will be assigned to regiments:
- 274 legionnaires from the 2025 intake, assigned between January and April 2026
- 540 legionnaires from the 2026 intake, assigned from May until the end of the year
Assignment Assumptions
The planned assignments take into account:
- The closure of the 5th companies of 2e REP and 13e DBLE
- The planned manpower increase based on current information, including the Engineer 2030 objective
Annual Targets by Regiment
- Total annual target: planned number of legionnaires assigned to each regiment during the year
- Average per assignment cycle: average number of legionnaires assigned during each intake rotation
Factors That May Lead to Adjustments
For each assignment cycle (called ventilation in French), adjustments may be required based on:
- Paratrooper (TAP) volunteers
- Medical fitness or employment restrictions, including TAP, mountain, or armored roles
- Identification of personnel for 3e REI, with limited impact during the first 6 to 7 assignment cycles
- Personnel selected by 4e RE for the fast-track corporal training program
- Volunteers selected for the French Foreign Legion Music Band
Follow-up
Due to these uncertainties, a situation review will be conducted at the end of the first half of the year to identify and apply any necessary adjustments.
How to Increase Your Joining Chances
2026 clearly will not be a mass recruitment year. If you plan to join in 2026, you must be well prepared.
In the French Foreign Legion, we say that preparation is 90% of success; the rest is luck. I left the Legion a few years ago to join another, more specialized unit. Here is what allowed me to pass the selection phase successfully:
- Mental preparation. You must clearly define your motivation. Many English-speaking candidates believe the Legion mainly needs “desperate third-world candidates.” That is not true. The Legion is not the Red Cross. It needs soldiers who will at least complete their first five-year contract. Your motivation should be the same as if you were trying to join your own country’s special forces.
- Coherent physical training. Running is a key test when joining the French Foreign Legion. The results tables and details are available on this blog, and the official Luc Léger soundtrack is available in the Legion Training app. Aim for at least 16 out of 20 points (level 10 out of 12).
- Health and personal hygiene. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. You must be as healthy as possible and look like soldier material, not like someone looking for shelter.
Prepare seriously for 2026, and I hope to see some of you serving as legionnaires on overseas missions in the years to come.
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