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Voluntary military service for women Interested in military service? You can apply for voluntary military service the year you turn 18. To apply, you must be a Finnish citizen and physically and mentally fit for military training. You can also app...

Voluntary military service for women Interested in military service? You can apply for voluntary military service the year you turn 18. To apply, you must be a Finnish citizen and physically and mentally fit for military training. You can also app...

Other forms of service and being exempted from military service It is possible to fulfil the liability for military service in armed service or unarmed service in the Finnish Defence Forces or in non-military (civil) service. Unarmed service If re...

Get ready for military service If you get selected for service, you will receive your Military Service Order at the selection event or later by mail. It will tell you when and at which brigade-level unit you must report for service. The Military S...

Voluntary military service for women - Frequently asked questions

Military bandsmen The Conscript Band of the Defence Forces offers musically talented conscripts a chance to complete their military service in a military band. Performing in events requiring distinguished performance in Finland and abroad, the Con...

About to enter into the military? Finnish liability for military service safeguarding the defence capability The Finnish Defence Forces will train conscripts to form a sustained combat-efficient wartime force and reserve. This will establish a pre...

Air Force military drivers Comprehensively trained in transports, military drivers of the Air Force practice for their set tasks by using versatile equipment in a varying operating environment. In the Air Force, training for military drivers consi...

About to enter into the military? Finnish liability for military service safeguarding the defence capability The Finnish Defence Forces will train conscripts to form a sustained combat-efficient wartime force and reserve. This will establish a pre...

30.6.2026 | On Monday 6 July 2026, the conscripts of the summer contingent will report for military service in the Army. 9700 recruits will begin their military service in Army brigade-level units. Karelia Brigade, Pori Brigade and Kainuu Brigade will receive the largest numbers of recruits.

Before the service This page offers you information on preparing for the service, as well as on changing the contingent intake day and service location. You may familiarise with service tasks to which you apply through special application. Through...

Preparing for the service It is worth preparing for the approaching service by getting your civilian life matters in order, becoming familiar with the daily routines in the military and the service tasks as well as getting increasingly fit. The mo...

Conscript service and training The objective of military training is to sustain the readiness of the Finnish Defence Forces and to train individuals liable for military service in tasks of national defence. Military training is provided annually f...

Conscript service and training The objective of military training is to sustain the readiness of the Finnish Defence Forces and to train individuals liable for military service in tasks of national defence. Military training is provided annually f...

Women talk about their service This site contains links and sources where you can listen to women talk about their experiences of military service. Listen to their stories and use the chance to get some practical tips on how to prepare for service...

Task that require applying for before the service Are you into discovering another side of the military and completing missions that others only dream about? Challenge yourself as part of the Finnish Defence Forces’ toughest and most competent tro...

Changing the contingent or place of entering into service In case you must have either your assigned service starting time or brigade-level unit changed for a compelling reason, please apply for this online via the OmaIntti -service. The reasons m...

Task that require applying for before the service Are you into discovering another side of the military and completing missions that others only dream about? Challenge yourself as part of the Finnish Defence Forces’ toughest and most competent tro...

Foreign citizens who have gained Finnish citizenship and who have completed the compulsory peacetime military service of his/her former home country, or a portion of if (at least four (4) months) can upon application be exempted from military service in peacetime. Decisions regarding exemption are made by the regional offices.

30.6.2026 | Conscripts of contingent 2/26 start their military service on Monday, 6 July 2026. The brigade-level units of the Defence Forces and the Border Guard will receive about 12 500 new recruits.

21.1.2026 | The closing date for submitting applications for the voluntary military service for women was 15 January 2026. Altogether 1360 women applied to the voluntary military service in total.

During the military service, you need to learn the ranks of the Finnish Defence Forces by heart. To accomplish this, you need to be able to recognise and identify the insignia of rank.

In 2022, the piloting of shared accommodation will expand and continue in the Finnish Defence Forces to include all brigade-level units providing training to persons liable for military service excluding the FAF air commands, and also to include the North Karelia Border Guard District of the Finnish Border Guard.

26.11.2025 | Do you intend to do military service? Submit your application online via the MyMilitary e-service by 15.1.2026 and join the growing number of military-trained women!

Health care services During the military service, you will have access to health care services free of charge. Enter into service feeling well! All long-term illnesses must have been examined and taken care of and injuries treated prior to the ser...

10.8.2026 | More information: Defence Command's media service, [email protected]

22.12.2025 | The next contingent of conscripts will begin their military service on Monday, 5 January, 2026. Approximately 9500 conscripts will start their service in the Army brigade-level units.

16.12.2025 | On 15 December, the 2025 call-up was completed. Altogether 76,29 percent of the male Finnish nationals of the age group was ordered to service. Since the previous year, the number has increased by 0,22 percentage points.

28.8.2026 | The exercise conducted in Louisiana was part of the cooperation between Karelia Brigade and the Virginia National Guard under the official partnership program between Finland and state of Virginia.

2.7.2025 | On Monday 7 July 2025, the conscripts in the contingent 2/25 will start their service, of whom altogether up to c. 9,700 trainees will start their service at the Army brigade-level units.

4.12.2024 | Have you considered completing the voluntary military service? Submit your application via MyMilitary e-service by January 15, 2025, and join the growing ranks of military-trained women in the country!

12.8.2025 | 15 Aug. - 15 Dec. 2025, call-ups in accordance with the Conscription Act will be organized by the Defence Forces regional offices. This year, male citizens born in 2007 will be summoned to call-ups.

5.11.2025 | Lively Sentry 25, led by the Guard Jaeger Regiment, will be organised from 27 November to 4 December 2025. The exercise will be conducted in the areas of East Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso and Päijät-Häme.

13.1.2026 | This Autumn, special forces training in Utti Jaeger Regiment attracted more applicants than ever. The selection tests for those applying for paratrooper training and those applying to train as a contractual military personnel on the Defence Forces special forces course will be held on 19-23 January 2026.

9.3.2022 | The application period for women’s voluntary military service closed on 1 March 2022. This year, a total of 1588 women applied to conscript service. This was the first time applications were submitted online through the E-service. Women who complete military service are and will be an important asset for the Defence Forces.

2.10.2025 | On 16 September 2025, Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL) of NATO member nations’ land forces familiarised with conscript training of the Army at the Jaeger Brigade during the NATO Land Command conference (LC3).

Tasks that you apply for while in military service Make the most of military service and utilise your civilian competences! In special tasks you get to utilise the competences that you have developed prior to the military service, hone you skills ...

19.4.2021 | The threshold for applying to the voluntary military service for women will be lower as the E-service becomes available on 20 April 2021. The aim is to make applying easier and to increase the number of applications to the voluntary military service for women. The possibility for submitting the application via the E-service has already increased the number of applications submitted for the other tasks available in the Finnish Defence Forces.

8.12.2022 | The start of the annual application round to women’s voluntary military service has been advanced. This change is due to a new Act on women’s voluntary military service which entered into force in June. As a consequence, applications must be submitted as early as 15 January at the latest.

23.2.2017 | 2016 was a record year in terms of women applying for voluntary military service: an astonishing 842 women applied. It is almost 50 women more than the previous applicant record during the 20 year history of women's voluntary military service.

Persons legally recognising their gender Legal recognition of gender before service start A person who has legally recognised their gender as female before military service commencement, can start the voluntary military service for women without h...

Applying At the earliest, you can apply for military service the year you turn 18. Those applying between 16 January 2026 and 15 January 2027 can apply for the 2027 July contingent and both the January and July contingents of the next three years ...

Guidelines for those coming from abroad Instructions for Managing Conscription matters in Finland You can contact the Defence Forces’ regional offices if you have questions concerning conscription. Your last home municipality in Finland determines...

Call-ups You become liable for call-up and thus liable for participating in the call-up event in the year you turn 18. The call-ups are organised annually from August to December. At the call-ups, you will receive information on the conscript serv...

In the reserve Once you have completed the conscript service part of the liability for military service, you will be mustered out in the Finnish Defence Forces’ reserve. As part of the reserve, your competence and know-how will be sustained by ref...

Make it to Tikkakoski through special operations forces application You may get to be assigned to do the military service in the Air Force Academy at the call-ups or trough special operations forces application. In the call-ups, the Air Force Acad...

Reservist health If your state of health undergoes changes that affect your fitness for service, please notify your Regional Office about this. The notification should include a medical certificate on your fitness for military service. If the Regi...

In the reserve Once you have completed the conscript service part of the liability for military service, you will be mustered out in the Finnish Defence Forces’ reserve. As part of the reserve, your competence and know-how will be sustained by ref...

Finnish Defence Forces Sports School The main task of the Defence Forces’ Sports School is to train reconnaissance squads for emergency and wartime conditions. In addition to military training, the Sports School enables sports training for talente...

30.6.2026 Conscripts of contingent 2/26 to start military service in the Army 30.6.2026 Contingent 2/26 to start service in a new era 21.1.2026 Altogether 1360 women applied to voluntary military service 13.1.2026 Record number of applicants for s...

For the first time in a brigade-level unit You will receive a service order either at the call ups or in the mail with details on when and in which brigade-level unit you must enter into service. You can use the VR (Finnish Rail) barcode attached ...

Individual arrangements These pages offer you information on factors that may affect service completion, and on service options available. Factors that may affect the liability for military service and service completion include, for instance, hav...

Selection event Regional offices will invite those who applied for voluntary service to a selection event which will be organised in April. If you applied for service between 16 January 2025 and 15 January 2026, your selection event will take plac...

Applying for cyber conscript training Applying for cyber conscript training happens through the special forces application process before the start of one’s military service. The application period for the cyber conscript training starting in July...

Accommodation, meals and clothing During the military service, you will be given free of charge accommodation, meals, clothing, health services and social support services. The Finnish Defence Forces will remain committed to sustaining and promoti...

From 2028 onwards, the Utti Jaeger Regiment will train conscripts for special forces’ UXV operator tasks, i.e. for operators of unmanned systems. UXV operators are trained to use and maintain special forces’ unmanned ground, maritime, and aerial systems.

Training in electronic warfare Training in electronic warfare offers a selection of demanding tasks available in the field of high technology. The term electronic warfare (EW) refers to the surveillance, disruption and counter measures of systems ...

Air Force situation picture operators and fighter controllers Situation picture operator and fighter controller non-commissioned officers operate in modern air surveillance and control system elements close to air surveillance, fighter control, an...

Readiness unit training Consisting of Finnish Army personnel and conscripts, the readiness units contribute to sustaining enhanced readiness in responding to rapid changes in the security environment on a national level. These units form part of t...

Are you interested in a pilot's career in the Finnish Defence Forces? The Air Pilot Reserve Officer Course at the Air Force Academy in Tikkakoski opens the way for military flying in the Air Force, Army or Border Guard. The course provides in-dept...