Applying
You may apply for service at the earliest during the year when you turn 18. You may apply for the July contingent of the ongoing year, as well as for the January and July contingent of the following three years. The brigade-level units of the Finnish Defence Forces and of the Finnish Border Guard feature a high number of service tasks available for the conscript service. However, please keep in mind that not all service tasks are available in every brigade-level unit. Familiarise with service tasks here.
This is how you apply for the service
1. Fill in and then print out the advance questionnaire for examining an applicant’s state of health
Please register by signing on to the MyMilitary E-service and fill out the questionnaire "Advance questionnaire for examining an applicant’s state of health". Please take a print-out of the form that you filled out and schedule an appointment for a medical check by a medical practitioner for determining fitness for service.
2. Have your medical examination completed
Please bring a print-out of the filled out “Advance questionnaire for examining an applicant’s health” to the medical check appointment that you booked. At the medical check, you will receive a medical statement that you need to annex to your application. You can request reimbursement for the medical check costs from the Finnish Defence Forces. For this purpose, please remember to ask a receipt or proof of payment while at the health centre!
3. Fill out and submit the application to voluntary military service for women
Once you have received the medical statement, please sign on to the MyMilitary E-service. Fill out the application to voluntary military service for women and annex to this application also the medical statement that you received as well as proof of payment for cost reimbursement. In some cases, the medical practitioner who conducted the health check may forward the medical statement to the Regional Office.
4. Submit your application by 15 January
5. In case you apply for special forces, please see here for application instructions
You may also submit your application in a print-out version and send the application with its attached documents by post to your own Regional Office. You can access the advance questionnaire for examining an applicant’s state of health here.
Selection criteria
The selection criterion is the applicant’s state of health. Those selected must also be suitable to be trained into the Finnish Defence Forces’ reserve.
In the selection event, you will be provided with information on voluntary military service, take part in an interview, and have your state of health checked. Your own Regional Office will organise the selection event in April.
Pilot combining women’s voluntary military service selection events and men’s call-ups
The Regional Offices of Uusimaa, Häme and Lapland will pilot combining women’s voluntary military service selection events and men’s call-ups in 2024. In practice, this means that in the spring 2024, specific selection events will not be organized for women applying to voluntary military service in the regions of Uusimaa, Häme and Lapland. Instead, women’s selection events will be held, in your home municipality, in conjunction with men’s call-ups between 15 August - 15 December 2024.
As the selection event moves to autumn, it will not be possible to apply to the July 2024 contingent except for those accepted to special operations forces. You will be able to apply to the 2025-2027 January and July contingents.
From 2024 on, service must be started at the latest the year you turn 29. In case you turn 29 in 2024, contact your regional office, because applying online will not be possible.