Social Security

Overview

The Swedish Safety Net

Försäkringskassan administers Sweden's social insurance — from child allowance to sick leave to disability benefits.

Authority

Försäkringskassan (Social Insurance Agency)

Requirement

Personnummer + registered in Sweden

Portal

forsakringskassan.se — apply and track online

Funded by

Employer contributions (31.42% of salary)

Child Allowance

Barnbidrag (Child Allowance)

Every child in Sweden receives a monthly barnbidrag automatically — no application needed.

Amount per child

SEK 1,250/month

Multi-child supplement

SEK 150–3,240/month extra for 2–6 children

Paid until

Child turns 16 (then studiebidrag)

Application

Automatic — no application needed

1. Register your child with Skatteverket
2. Ensure both parents have personnummer
3. Payment starts automatically the month after registration
4. Check payment schedule at Försäkringskassan

Parental Leave

480 Days Parental Leave

Sweden offers 480 days of paid parental leave per child — split between both parents. It's one of the world's most generous systems.

Total days

480 days per child

Pay (390 days)

~80% of salary (capped at SEK 1,116/day)

Pay (90 days)

SEK 180/day flat rate

Reserved per parent

90 days non-transferable

Use before

Child turns 12

1. Register the birth with Skatteverket
2. Apply for parental benefit at Försäkringskassan
3. Notify your employer 2 months before leave
4. Split days between parents (90 days reserved each)
5. Track days used via the Försäkringskassan app

Sick Leave

Sick Leave & Pay

Sweden's sick leave system has multiple steps: a qualifying day, employer-paid period, then Försäkringskassan takes over.

Day 1 (karensdag)

No pay — qualifying deduction day

Day 2–14

80% of salary — paid by employer

Day 15+

~77% of salary — paid by Försäkringskassan

Doctor's note

Required from day 8

Annual cap

SEK 1,116/day from Försäkringskassan

1. Report sick to your employer on day 1
2. Get a doctor's certificate if sick longer than 7 days
3. Employer pays days 2–14
4. Apply to Försäkringskassan from day 15

Unemployment

Unemployment Insurance

Sweden's unemployment system has two levels: basic insurance for everyone, and income-based insurance through an a-kassa.

Basic benefit

SEK 510/day (no a-kassa membership)

Income-based max

SEK 1,200/day (first 100 days)

Duration

300 days (450 if children under 18)

Registration

Arbetsförmedlingen (Public Employment Service)

A-kassa membership

12 months required before claiming

1. Register as job-seeking at Arbetsförmedlingen on day 1
2. Apply to your a-kassa for income-based benefit
3. Attend all scheduled meetings with Arbetsförmedlingen
4. Apply for jobs actively and report monthly
5. Accept suitable job offers or risk losing benefits