If an employee enters into conscript service, the employer is obliged to maintain their job or service position. The employer is also obliged to provide the employee with time off to take care of mandatory procedures related to entering into conscript service, such as the assessment of state of health. See more here!

Practising fitness 3-4 times per week will help you manage the physical demands of conscript service. Endurance sports like running and cycling are particularly useful.

The physical fitness of conscripts is evaluated with a general fitness test. The test consists of:

• push-ups in two minutes
• sit-ups in two minutes
• 3200-metre run

General fitness is a crucial part of the soldier’s basic course; exercise makes up around one tenth of the programme. You must be prepared for rapid movements lasting a couple of hours as well as longer regular movements during conscript service. The distance of the final movement of the soldier’s basic course is 30-50 km depending on the time of year and unit. This distance is typically covered over the course of 2-3 days.

Go to the Defence Forces Service web interface and make sure that your bank details are correct. The Defence Force will transfer the conscript’s allowance to that account. If your bank details are missing or wrong, add the correct details.

Are you a student? Don’t forget to take academic leave – this way you will be retained as a student and can continue your studies after service.

Are you employed? Notify your employer of when you are entering service and the estimated end of service.

Do you have loan commitments? You can suspend repayment of the principal of student loans for the duration of conscript service. You are also entitled to mortgage interest and driving licence compensation. See more.

Do you have a child? The child of a conscript is entitled to child allowance of a conscript. The allowance must be applied for at the Social Insurance Board. You can submit the application electronically through the self-service environment of the Social Insurance Board or by e-mail [email protected].

Read more about requesting compensation at the Social Insurance Board website.

If you do not appear for conscript service, you will be subject to misdemeanour proceedings. Ignoring the call to conscript service and not appearing at the designated time is punishable with a fine of up to 300 fine units or detention.

The Defence Forces has developed a sports app called Spordivägi aimed at offering both call-up selectees and conscripts to train under guidance and improve their physical condition through various training programmes in the app.

The app provides call-up selectees with various programs and sample regimens to improve their fitness level and get ready for conscript service, along with the Defence Forces’ physical aptitude test calculator. Various training programs with sample videos are accessible through the app.

Spordivägi allows you to set up your training diary, set goals for physical activities and get a summary of your progress. Training data can also be synced with leading sports watches and sports apps.

Spordivägi is downloadable from the App Store and Google Play Store.