Allergy and Military Service: The Target Organ Decides

The short answer: allergy by itself does not exempt from conscription. The Schedule of Diseases has no article called "allergy" — it has articles on the nose, the skin, the bronchi and the consequences of external factors. The category therefore depends not on the fact of allergy but on which organ it affects and how severely. There is one direct route to category V in the regulation, and it is unexpected: food allergy to military ration staples.

Where each form of allergy belongs

Allergic rhinitis: category B-3

The regulation names it directly in clause «v» of article 49:

allergic rhinitis requiring treatment with topical corticosteroids

Clause «v» gives category B-3 in column I — fit with minor restrictions. Even rhinitis requiring a permanent steroid spray does not prevent service. This applies both to seasonal allergy to birch or grass pollen and to year-round allergy to dust and animal dander.

Food allergy: the one direct route to category V

Here the regulation states the condition very precisely:

Persons suffering from food allergy with clinical manifestations (confirmed by examination in inpatient conditions) to the staple foods of the military ration are assessed under clause «b».

Clause «b» of article 84 gives category V. But note three conditions at once:

1. Clinical manifestations, not merely positive tests.
2. Confirmation by inpatient examination — an outpatient report is not enough.
3. A reaction specifically to staple foods of the military ration. Allergy to an exotic fruit absent from army catering does not meet this.

The logic is clear: if a person cannot be fed what the unit serves, service becomes impossible.

Other forms — by target organ

For other allergic diseases the regulation states that with urticaria, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, dermatitis and the like, assessment is carried out under the relevant articles. That means:

• skin — article 62, where area of involvement and relapse frequency decide, and chronic urticaria enters clause «b» only after four weeks of failed inpatient treatment; more on the page about dermatitis and eczema;
• bronchi — article 52, the weightiest option: bronchial asthma of any degree gives category V, covered on the page about asthma and conscription;
• nose and sinuses — article 49 with category B-3.

The practical question is therefore not "do I have an allergy" but "what has it developed into, and what do the records say about it".

What your records must contain

• An allergist's conclusion with the exact form — rhinitis, dermatitis, asthma, food allergy.
• Work-up results: allergy testing or specific antibody assays.
• Total immunoglobulin E and specific IgE to particular allergens.
• Prescribed therapy: for rhinitis it matters whether topical corticosteroids are required.
• For food allergy — a discharge summary with confirmed clinical manifestations and the list of foods.
• For asthma — spirometry; for skin forms — the area and frequency of flares.
• The chart code is T78.4 for unspecified allergy.

What is usually missing

• There are positive tests but no clinical manifestations — on their own they do not trigger an article.
• The form of allergy is not stated, leaving the applicable article unclear.
• For food allergy there was no inpatient examination — the key condition of clause «b».
• It is not stated which foods provoke the reaction or whether they belong to the army ration.
• For rhinitis it is not recorded whether topical corticosteroids are required.
• Allergic asthma is written simply as "allergy", although that is article 52 with category V.

Questions for your doctor

• Which form of allergic disease exactly is in my diagnosis?
• Are there clinical manifestations, or only positive tests?
• Which allergens has a reaction been confirmed to, and by what method?
• For food allergy — was there an inpatient examination?
• Does my rhinitis require continuous treatment with topical corticosteroids?

Allergy at departmental boards

The above concerns assessment under Government Decree No. 565. The Interior Ministry, National Guard, Federal Security Service and Emergencies Ministry use their own schedules of diseases with their own requirements. A review under articles 49, 52, 62 and 84 shows how complete your records are but is not their regulation.

The short version

The word "allergy" is too general for the board: the target organ is what matters. Rhinitis gives B-3, skin forms are assessed by area and relapses, asthma gives category V at any degree. Food allergy stands apart: it gives category V, but only with clinical manifestations confirmed in hospital, and only to foods from the army ration. Only the military medical board determines the fitness category.