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Finland will raise the age limit for reservists to 65 from 2026

Finland will raise the age limit for reservists to 65 from 2026

Tetiana Bodnarenko Journalist

24 December 2025, 14:00

Finland will raise the age limit for reservists to 65 from 2026 — Commander of the Finnish Defense Forces General Timo Kivinen

From 1 January 2026, Finland will raise the age limit for military reservists to 65 years. The number of reservists will increase by 125 thousand

The Finnish government has decided to raise the maximum age for military reservists to 65 years. The relevant amendments to the legislation will come into force on 1 January 2026, the country's Ministry of Defence has announced.

According to the updated regulations, persons subject to military service will remain in the reserve until the end of the year in which they turn 65, regardless of their military rank. No upper age limit will be set for officers with the rank of colonel or captain of the first rank and above, they will remain in the reserve, provided they are fit for service.

The amendments extend the obligation to serve in the reserve by 15 years for enlisted personnel and by 5 years for officers and NCOs. This will enhance the ability of the Finnish Defence Forces and the Border Guard to fill key positions in case of emergency.

Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen said that during the five-year transition period, the number of reservists will increase by 125,000. It is expected that in 2031 the total number of Finnish reservists will reach about 1 million people.

At the same time, the changes will affect a limited number of citizens. Only reservists who have specific wartime tasks will be involved in the training camps. There are no age restrictions for voluntary participation in national defence.

Similar changes will be made to the law on alternative non-military service.

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