The coalition government has agreed on three models to extend from nine to eleven months starting in 2027. Minister announced that the extension will remain voluntary unless falls below 13,875 members.
Participants can choose to serve eleven continuous months, return to the same facility later for two months, or complete 400 volunteer hours within five years. New mandatory training with uniform standards and minimum durations will also be implemented soon.
Implementing these changes requires a two-thirds majority in the , necessitating support from the Greens or FPÖ. Spokespersons Johannes Gasser and Paul Stich noted that voluntary service credits will be capped at one percent per birth year.
