Parental benefits in Sweden
When you work and are covered by social security in Sweden, you are entitled to leave with parental benefits (föräldrapenning) on the same conditions as Swedish citizens. It is Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) that administers parental benefits.
This information is for EU/EEA citizens only
Parental benefit - Föräldrapenning
Parental benefit, or Föräldrapenning as it is called in Sweden, is paid to those who are socially insured in Sweden to provide income when you are unemployed from your job or other employment to care for a child. In Sweden, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) administers and pays out parental allowance.
Length of the parental leave
If you work in Sweden, parental benefits allow you the opportunity to go on family leave for a total of 480 days. For joint leave, each parent has the right to 240 days. Of these, 90 days are reserved for each parent, while the other days may be transferred from one to the other. During the child’s first 15 months, parents can go on parental leave at the same time and get parental benefits for the same days - so-called double days. Parents can take a maximum of 60 double days.
Amount of benefit
The benefit you are entitled to during your leave is calculated by Försäkringskassan, who makes the calculation based on your current income.
The benefit is not the same throughout the benefit period:
- For 390 of the 480 days, the benefit is 80 percent of the calculated income. It is provided that you have worked at least 240 consecutive days before the birth. Otherwise, you get the basic amount of 250 SEK (2025) a day (the “basic level”).
- For 90 days of the 480, the benefit is 180 SEK (2025) a day (the “lowest level”).
- Note that you can choose how many days per week you want compensation, but the first 180 days have to be on the highest level. After the first 180 days, you can choose when you want to take advantage of one or the other benefit level. This scheme means that many Swedes extend their parental leave period since they do not seek compensation every day.
You can get parental benefits, for children born before 1 January 2014, until the child reaches the age of 8 or completes first grade in school. For children born after this, payment is until the child turns 12 years or completes grade 5 in compulsory schools. After the child turns 4, you can only get 96 days’ maternity benefit.
Apply for parental benefit
To begin payment of parental benefits you must send a so-called “maternity certificate” (moderskapsintyg) to Försäkringskassan. You get the certificate from your midwife at your Maternity Centre (Mödravårdscentral). When Försäkringskassan receives the certificate, they send information about parental benefits to you. You can apply for the benefit directly on Försäkringskassan’s website or call and order the “Request for parental benefit” (Begäran om Föräldrapenning) form, which you fill out and send to the physical address. The telephone number is +46 (0) 771 524 524.
If there are two parents, you can choose to share your parental leave so that each parent takes 195 days each at sickness benefit level and 45 days at the ‘lowest level’. It is also possible to waive some of the days so that one parent gets more days of parental leave than the other. However, 90 of the days are reserved for each parent for children born in 2016 or later.
For children born in 2015 and earlier, the rule is that 60 days are reserved for each parent.
If you are a single parent, you are entitled to all 480 days of parental benefit.
During the child's first 15 months, both parents can receive parental allowance for the same days and child. This is called "double days" and you can have a maximum of 60 double days. On one double day, the parents are deducted for two days of parental benefit. This means that if a couple chooses to have 60 double days, they will be deducted 120 days of parental benefit.
Before the birth, the mother has the right to take leave with parental benefit for up to 60 days before the intended birth. These 60 days are included in the total 480 days. They are deducted from the number of days that can be used after the birth. If a corresponding Danish benefit is given to the same child for a period of time, it is deducted from the 480 days.
The parent who is not pregnant is entitled to be off work and receive compensation for 10 days in connection with the birth of the child. This is known as temporary parental allowance.
The compensation is primarily paid to the parent who is not pregnant. The parent taking the 10 days must be insured in Sweden. The child must live in Sweden, within the EU/EEA or in Switzerland.
There are different ways to divide parental leave. If you have a child under the age of 18 months, you are entitled to be completely off work, but you can also choose to take leave and receive benefits for 50 % or 75 % of your working day instead. This arrangement means that many Swedes extend their parental leave period as they do not apply for parental benefit for all days of the week. After your child turns one year old, you can apply for five parental leave days per week to avoid affecting the level of your benefit from Försäkringskassan.
If your child was born after 1 January 2014, you can redeem parental benefit for that child until they are 12 years old.
If you live in Denmark and are going on parental leave from your job in Sweden, you should apply for parental benefit as a type of cash benefit (kontantförmån) from the first day of your leave. It is important that you receive at least 1/8th per day, every day of the week, otherwise you risk losing your social security cover in Sweden. When your child turns 1 year old, you must receive full compensation (full ersättning) at least five days a week, and at least 1/8th two days a week.
You can contact Försäkringskassan to find out more about what this means for you.
Denmark and Sweden have a system for calculating parental leave days for couples where one parent works in Denmark and the other works in Sweden. This means that the days paid in Sweden are deducted from the days taken in Denmark - and vice versa.
The scheme requires documentation to either Udbetaling Danmark or the Swedish Försäkringskassan, depending on which country the parental leave is taken in first.
Did you find this information relevant?
Do you want to elaborate?
We can help you
You can always visit our Information Center in Malmø to get help with your questions regarding working, moving or studying in Sweden.
