Every male Finnish citizen aged 18-60 has an obligation for military service.
More detailed instructions for the entire conscription period can be found in the OmaIntti service of the Finnish Defence ForcesOpens in a new window..
Finland’s military defence is based on military service obligation. This means that the men liable for military service must perform either armed or unarmed military service or non-military service if they are fit for service.
Fitness for military service and the start time of the service are decided at call-ups. All men who turn 18 in the call-up year are invited to the call-ups. The date of the call-ups is shown in a call-up notice you receive by post. The notice also includes more detailed instructions on how to respond to the call-up.
If your convictions prevent you from performing armed service, you can perform unarmed military service or non-military service.
You can apply for both during the call-ups by filling out a form:
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A man liable for military service may be exempted from military service if:
They may be exempted from service in full or for a fixed period. The exemption always only applies to peacetime. This means that those exempted from military service in peacetime could be declared fit for service during a crisis and ordered to serve in the military.
The Defence Forces or your non-military service place will pay you a daily allowance during your service. You can also apply for military service assistance from Kela, which you can use to cover your housing costs, the interest on your study loan, or other such purposes.
Your partner can also apply for military service assistance if you are married, in a registered civil relationship or if you are cohabiting and have a child together. You can apply for assistance for childcare at the same time.
Read more about Kela's benefits for conscripts and their family membersOpens in a new window.
If you are injured as the result of an accident during your service or become ill because of your service, the Defence Forces or the place of your non-military service will look after your treatment during your service.
If you are still suffering from the injury or illness caused by your service after the period of service is over, the State Treasury will be responsible for the treatment costs of your injury or illness as well as other compensation under the law.
The military service obligation does not end with carrying out the military service or voluntary military service. After the service period the person who has completed the conscript service transfers to the reserves. When you are in the reserves, make sure that your basic data, such as your contact information, is up to date at your regional office. If there are major changes in your state of health (e.g., a serious or long-term illness), notify your regional office about it to have your fitness for service reassessed. Submit the notifications of changes in your basic data or state of health in the OmaIntti serviceOpens in a new window..
The reservists who have completed armed military service can be called up for refresher training and, if necessary, to defend Finland militarily.
Those who have completed non-military service are not obliged to undergo refresher training and cannot be ordered to serve in the military even during the war. However, in the event of a threat of war, those who have carried out non-military service are obliged to take part in extra service in which they are trained to civilian wartime tasks.
The military service obligation only ends at the end of the year in which
If a person liable for military service totally refuses to perform both military service and non-military service, he is called a total objector. Refusal to perform military service does not exempt a total objector from the military service obligation. In a crisis or war situation, total objectors can be assigned to civilian tasks that safeguard the functions of society.
Total objection begins when a person
Refusal is followed by a questioning and a trial. Under Finnish law, these objectors either have a monitoring sentence imposed on them or are sent to prison. The sentence will not be entered in the criminal record.