Military profile
Vatican City Military Strength
Vatican City is not covered by the Global Firepower ranking.
Armed forces of Vatican City
Branches and forces
the Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) serves as the de facto military force of Vatican City; the Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City (Corpo della Gendarmeriais) is a police force that helps augment the Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps during the Pope’s appearances, as well as providing general security, traffic direction, and investigative duties for the Vatican City State (2025)
Service age and conscription
Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps: 19-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; must be a single Roman Catholic male with Swiss citizenship who has completed basic training with the Swiss military and can obtain a certificate of good conduct; qualified candidates must apply to serve; the service contract is between 2 and 25 years (2025)
Good to know
defense is the responsibility of Italy
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Vatican City compared with its neighbours
| Country | Strength rank | Military spending |
|---|---|---|
| Vatican City | — | — |
 Italy | #10 | $48.1 billion |