The Swedish Government has put forward Proposition 2025/26:279, proposing a number of amendments to the Total Defence Conscription Act and the Employment Protection Act for certain service within total defence, with the stated aim of strengthening the availability of personnel in the war organisation.

The Government proposes that the obligation to fulfil military service (värnplikt) be extended during heightened readiness for those who have been called up for service, until the end of the calendar year in which the conscript turns 47. For those who have previously served as a regular officer or reserve officer in the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) for at least one year, the conscription obligation shall apply until the end of the calendar year in which the individual turns 70.

Under the proposal, war placement in the Swedish Armed Forces' conscript reserve shall remain in effect until the end of the calendar year in which the conscript turns 47. A conscript who has not served during a period of ten years since their most recent period of service shall be war-placed in the Swedish Armed Forces' personnel reserve and included in the conscript reserve.

The proposals in the bill also entail an increase in the total number of days an individual may be called upon for readiness service, and stipulate that a single period of service may amount to a maximum of 230 days. The individual's right to leave of absence from civilian employment when serving in the Swedish Armed Forces is also clarified in law.

"We are now putting forward a number of legislative proposals to improve the availability of personnel within the military defence, in order to strengthen Sweden's defence capability and the war organisation's endurance. This is particularly important in a deteriorating security environment," said Defence Minister Pål Jonson in a press release from the Ministry of Defence.

The legislative amendments are proposed to enter into force on 1 January 2027.