From January 1, the Finnish army will allow service until the age of 65 0 10

The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, has approved a law raising the maximum age for reservists in the country's Armed Forces to 65 years. The new rules will come into effect on January 1, 2026, the Finnish Ministry of Defense reported.

The ministry explained that the period of reserve service is extended until the end of the year in which the reservist turns 65. This limitation does not apply to senior officers (of the rank of colonel, commodore, and above): they will remain in the reserve as long as they are fit for service.

Amendments are being made to the laws on civil service and military duty. Once they come into effect, the period of reserve service for privates will increase by 15 years, while for non-commissioned officers and officers, it will increase by five. Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen explained that this will give the Defense Forces and the Border Guard more opportunities to utilize qualified personnel in emergencies.

According to the head of the defense ministry, the reform will allow for an expansion of the reserve by 125,000 people over a transitional period of five years. By 2031, its number is expected to reach approximately one million, the minister specified.

"Along with all other measures to strengthen defense, this is a signal that Finland cares about its security now and in the future," Häkkänen concluded.

According to Western analysts, the Finnish army is one of the best-prepared in Europe due to its system of universal conscription and significantly surpasses others in reserve numbers. After the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, other EU countries also began discussing a return to conscription, but so far this idea has only been implemented by Sweden, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The current strength of Finland's troops during wartime is 280,000 soldiers. In principle, they are divided into reserve forces and replenishment forces. The forces for emergencies consist of departments and units for unforeseen circumstances, staffed with personnel and conscripts, as well as immediate response forces, which are mainly composed of reservists. Additional forces include operational forces, regional forces, and local forces.