Currently, the Swiss Guard of the Vatican consists of 110 people.
By tradition, it consists only of Swiss citizens; the official language of the guard is German. All of them must be Catholics, have a secondary education, complete a four-month military service mandatory for all Swiss men, and have positive recommendations from secular and spiritual authorities. The age of recruits is from 19 to 30 years.
The minimum service life is two years, the maximum is 25 years. All guards must be at least 174 cm tall, they are forbidden to wear mustaches, beards and long hair. In addition, only bachelors are accepted into the guard. They can marry only with a special permit, which is issued to those who have served for more than three years and have the rank of corporal, and their chosen ones must adhere to the Catholic faith.
The monthly maintenance is relatively small — about 1,500 euros (but it is not taxed). For the period of service, the Swiss guardsman also receives citizenship of the Vatican.
