Holidays and holiday pay in Sweden
Working in Sweden? Learn how Swedish holiday rules work, how many paid holiday days you are entitled to, and what applies when taking or saving holiday.
Your right to paid holiday
If you work in Sweden, you are covered by Swedish holiday legislation. This means that you are entitled to 25 days of holiday per year, including four consecutive weeks during June, July or August, unless otherwise stated in a collective agreement.
You can also save some of your unused holiday days for up to five years. Depending on your workplace, this may make it possible to take longer holidays in some years.
In Sweden, holiday rules are often divided into three main concepts: holiday leave, holiday pay and holiday compensation.
Holiday days (semesterledighet)
Full-time employees are entitled to at least 25 days of holiday per year.
Holiday pay (semesterlön)
Holiday pay is the pay you receive while you are on holiday. It includes your regular salary, any salary supplements and holiday allowance.
Holiday compensation (semesterersättning)
Holiday compensation is paid when your employment ends if you still have unused holiday days remaining.
Swedish holiday year
In Sweden, the holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March of the following year. This is the period during which you earn and take holiday days.
How to take holiday in Sweden
In Sweden, your employer is responsible for administering your holiday entitlement. In many workplaces, this is handled by the HR department. It is a good idea to check with your employer which holiday rules and procedures apply at your workplace.
Under Swedish holiday legislation, holiday is normally taken as full days. This means that you usually cannot take half days of holiday. However, some collective agreements may allow this, so check what applies at your workplace.
Public holidays in Sweden
Some days are public holidays in Sweden. On these days, many employees have time off and some workplaces and shops may be closed.
Public holidays do not necessarily count as part of your annual holiday entitlement. Before planning your holiday, it is a good idea to check with your employer what applies at your workplace.
See our overview of public holidays in Sweden and Denmark
If you stop working in Sweden
If your employment ends, you may be entitled to payment for unused holiday days, including:
- holiday earned during the current holiday year
- unused holiday days from the current year
- saved holiday days from previous years
Contact your employer to find out what applies in your case and whether you are entitled to holiday compensation.
Did you find this information relevant?
Do you want to elaborate?
Public Holidays 2023 - in Sweden and Denmark
If you want to know when we have holidays in 2024 in Denmark and Sweden.
