Finland to extend reservist age limit to 65 from January

Finland decided to extend the maximum age of reservists to 65 years from the beginning to 2026.

The President on Monday approved the legislative amendment in this regard, said the Ministry of Defence in a press release.

According to the new law, persons liable for military service will remain in the reserve until the end of the year they turn 65 years irrespective of their military rank.

There will be no upper age limit for officers with the rank of colonel or captain or higher, and they will remain in the reserve as long as they are fit for military service, just as they do now.

The amendment will extend the liability for military service by 15 years for the rank and file and by five years for officers and non-commissioned officers.

This will give the Finnish Defence Forces and the Finnish Border Guard a wider range of options of assigning persons to key positions during emergencies regardless of their military rank.

“There will be a five-year transition period during which the number of reservists will grow by 125,000. The number of Finnish reservists will be around one million in 2031. This and our other measures to bolster our defence signal that Finland ensures its security now and in the future,” said Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen in the press release.

In practice, it will affect a relatively limited group of persons liable for military service, said the government.

For example, only reservists who have been assigned wartime tasks can be ordered to attend refresher training. There will be no upper age limit for participating in voluntary national defence.

The amendment will enter into force on 1 January 2026, and the 65-year age limit will only apply to those who are liable for military service upon the entry into force of the amendment.

The Non-Military Service Act will be amended in the same way as the Conscription Act.