Key data
| Regulation | Order DEF/1064/2026, of October 2 |
|---|---|
| Modified regulation | Order DEF/1363/2016, of July 28 |
| BOE Publication | October 9, 2026 |
| Effective date | October 10, 2026 |
| Affected parties | Members of the Spanish Armed Forces and their direct supervisors |
| Category | Public Sector |
| Ordinary working day | 35 hours per week / 1,533 hours per year |
| Special dedication working day | 37.5 hours per week |
Military personnel of the Spanish Armed Forces have been working since October 10, 2026 with an ordinary working day of 35 hours per week, equivalent to 1,533 hours per year. The Order DEF/1064/2026 modifies Order DEF/1363/2016 to align the Armed Forces with current instructions from the General State Administration regarding working day and schedule.
The change is not just about hours: the regulation also redefines the fixed and flexible time slots for morning shifts and morning-to-afternoon shifts, and expands the right to schedule flexibility to a broader group of military personnel with care responsibilities.
What does this regulation establish?
Order DEF/1064/2026 introduces two blocks of changes to the previous regulation (Order DEF/1363/2016):
1. New working hours
| Type of working day | Before (DEF/1363/2016) | Now (DEF/1064/2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary weekly working day | 37.5 hours | 35 hours |
| Ordinary annual working day | Not specified in the data | 1,533 hours |
| Special dedication working day | Not specified in the data | 37.5 hours per week |
The regulation also governs the fixed and flexible time slots of the schedule, both for morning shifts and morning-to-afternoon shifts. This directly affects the planning of personnel presence in units.
2. Expansion of the right to schedule flexibility
Military personnel in any of the following situations may flexibilize by one hour daily the fixed part of their schedule:
- Children under 12 years old in their care (including guardianship and foster care)
- Persons with disabilities in their care
- Family members with serious illness up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity
- Dependent persons living in the household
Compatibilities and incompatibilities
- Incompatible: The reduced working day cannot be combined with other reductions provided for in Order DEF/253/2015.
- Compatible: The reduced working day is compatible with the schedule flexibility measures regulated in this same order.
Economic and operational impact
For the Armed Forces as an organization, the reduction from 37.5 to 35 hours per week represents a decrease in ordinary presence time of 2.5 hours per week per military personnel. In annual terms, the adjustment requires reorganizing the planning of shifts, services, and availability to meet the same operational needs with fewer ordinary computable working hours.
The most immediate operational impact falls on direct commanders, who must:
- Review and update the work schedules of their units.
- Manage schedule flexibility requests from military personnel with recognized rights.
- Verify that the new fixed and flexible time slots are correctly applied according to the type of working day (morning or morning-to-afternoon).
- Control compatibility or incompatibility with working day reductions already granted under Order DEF/253/2015.
Who does it affect?
- Military personnel of the Spanish Armed Forces on active duty assigned in national territory, on ordinary or special dedication working day schedules.
- Direct commanders responsible for schedule planning and management of flexibility requests.
- Personnel and human resources units (HR) of Defense, which must update procedures and time control records.
- Military caregivers: those with children under 12 years old in their care (by birth, guardianship, or foster care), persons with disabilities, family members with serious illness up to the second degree, or dependent persons living with them.
Practical example
A sergeant assigned to a mainland base with a morning-to-afternoon working day has an 8-year-old child in their care. Until now, their fixed schedule was rigid. With the entry into force of Order DEF/1064/2026, this military personnel can request to flexibilize by one hour daily the fixed part of their working day, for example, by delaying their start time or advancing their end time to accommodate school hours, without needing to request a formal working day reduction.
At the same time, their computable ordinary working day changes from 37.5 to 35 hours per week. If their unit assigns them tasks requiring special dedication working day, this remains at 37.5 hours per week, but it is no longer the "standard" working day for other military personnel.
Their direct commander must update the unit's work schedule to reflect the new fixed and flexible time slots, and formally register the sergeant's flexibility request, verifying that they do not have any incompatible reduction granted under Order DEF/253/2015.
What should commanders do now?
- Update the unit's work schedules to reflect the ordinary working day of 35 hours per week and the new fixed and flexible time slots, both for morning and morning-to-afternoon shifts.
- Identify personnel with the right to flexibility: review which military personnel in the unit have children under 12 years old, persons with disabilities, family members with serious illness (up to the second degree), or dependent persons in their care.
- Manage schedule flexibility requests in a documented manner, applying the expansion of one hour daily to the fixed part of the schedule for those who meet the requirements.
- Verify compatibility: check if any military personnel already have a working day reduction granted under Order DEF/253/2015, as in that case the reduced working day of this order is incompatible with that one, although it can be combined with schedule flexibility measures.
- Update time control systems and personnel records to reflect the new annual calculation of 1,533 hours.
- Inform personnel of the new rights and procedures for requesting them, especially those groups with care responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours per week and per year do military personnel work now?
From October 10, 2026, the ordinary working day for members of the Armed Forces is 35 hours per week, equivalent to 1,533 hours per year. The special dedication working day remains at 37.5 hours per week.
Which military personnel have the right to flexibilize their schedule by one hour per day?
Military personnel who have in their care: children under 12 years old (by birth, guardianship, or foster care), persons with disabilities, family members with serious illness up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, or dependent persons living in their household. In all these cases, they can flexibilize by one hour daily the fixed part of their schedule.
Is the reduced working day compatible with schedule flexibility?
Yes. The reduced working day is compatible with the schedule flexibility measures regulated in Order DEF/1064/2026. However, it is incompatible with other reductions provided for in Order DEF/253/2015: both reductions cannot be accumulated simultaneously.
When did Order DEF/1064/2026 come into force?
The regulation came into force on October 10, 2026, one day after its publication in the BOE (October 9, 2026). Its application is immediate for all members of the Armed Forces.
What regulation does Order DEF/1064/2026 modify?
It modifies the Order DEF/1363/2016, of July 28, which regulated the working day and the usual schedule system at the place of assignment of members of the Armed Forces. The main change is the reduction of the ordinary working day from 37.5 to 35 hours per week, in line with the instructions of the General State Administration.
Official source
View complete regulation at official source (BOE-A-2026-20978)
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20978
