Parental leave in Sweden
This information is for EU/EEA citizens only
Length of leave
If you have joint custody of the child, you are each entitled to 240 days of parental leave. Of these 240 days, 195 days are based on income and 45 are on low level (180 SEK/day). 90 days are reserved for each of you. One of the parents can choose to transfer the remaining 180 days to the other parent. If you have sole custody, you are entitled to all 480 days.
The father or the child’s other parent has the right to take leave with parental leave for 10 days in connection with the child’s birth. The leave can be taken while the mother is on leave too and must be taken before the 60th day after coming home from the birth. You should inform your employer no later than 2 months before you plan to take parental leave.
The financial benefit of parental leave
Parental benefit in Sweden (föräldrapenning) is divided into different levels. One is based on the amount of your income, while the other two represent a fixed amount per day.
Read more about parental benefits in Sweden
Available part-time
There are various ways to share parental leave. If you have a child under 18 months, you are entitled to be completely off work, but you can also choose to take leave and get a benefit for part of your working day. If your child is under eight or in her or his first year in school, you are entitled to work part-time and be at home with your child in the remaining time.
If one parent is working in Denmark
If one parent is working in Denmark, a set-off system is used for taking parental leave. What is taken from the Danish parental leave is deducted from the Swedish and vice versa.
Questions about parental leave?
If you have any questions or need more information about parental leave, please contact Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) at Øresunddirekt in Malmø on phone at +46 40 17 64 00.
