Shared parental leave in Denmark and Sweden

If you are two parents who are covered by social security in different countries, the parental benefits between countries must be coordinated. In this case, the number of days in each country is deducted.

Swedish parental benefits consist of 480 days in total. In Sweden, parents can decide how many days per week they want to receive. In order to receive the maximum compensation, the parent must request payment of seven days per week. If you are on parental leave in Denmark, parental benefit is paid as a weekly amount. One week of parental benefit in Denmark is equivalent to seven days of parental benefit in Sweden.

You can choose to be on parental leave at the same time for a period by using the so-called 'dubbeldagar', as it is called in Sweden (double days). This means that both parents can take parental leave at the same time, but it counts as one day from each parent's account - so two days in total from the total number available. However, it's important to note that this is only possible to a limited extent: You can take up to 60 double days during the first 24 weeks after birth (but no later than before the child turns 15 months). However, you cannot take maternity days at the same time during the last 13 weeks of the leave period.

Example of settlement:

If the person working in Sweden is on parental leave first, the person working in Denmark must document how much parental leave time has been used in Sweden. In this case, it is Udbetaling Danmark that must have documentation for the remaining time taken in Denmark.

Conversely, it is the Swedish Social Insurance Agency that must receive documentation of how much of the parental leave has been used in Denmark. The period paid out from Denmark will be settled through the Swedish parental benefit time (föräldrapenningdagarna), even if a Danish employer may have been responsible for the payment. Försäkringskassan may require documentation even if no time has been spent in Denmark. The respective authority then calculates the remaining days/weeks for the parent who has not yet taken parental leave or is entitled to more days. 

Read more about parental benefit in Sweden

The mother who works in Sweden and lives in Denmark is entitled to 480 days (390 days at sickness benefit level and 90 days at basic level), minus the days taken in Denmark by the other parent.

The mother has the option to take parental leave from Sweden two months before the child's due date. Please note that if you take parental leave before the birth of the child, these days also count towards the 390 days at sickness benefit level in Sweden.

When you live in Denmark and take parental leave from Sweden, you must take at least 1/8 per day to retain your right to cash benefits from Sweden.

If the parent who works in Denmark takes parental leave, the parental leave days will initially be deducted from the 390 days at sickness benefit level, the so-called days at “sjukpenningnivå”. For settlement, Försäkringskassan can request a certificate from Udbetaling Danmark stating how many days of parental leave have been taken in Denmark (including any days where the Danish employer has paid for parental leave for the father/co-mother working in Denmark).

Read more about parental leave in Sweden

The father/co-mother who works in Sweden is covered by Swedish social insurance and is therefore entitled to Swedish parental benefit.

The father/co-mother is entitled to 10 days of temporary parental benefit (tilfällig föräldrapenning) in connection with the birth of the child. These days must be taken within 60 days of returning home from the hospital. The 10 days of tilfällig föräldrapenning is not to be confused with actual parental leave and must be applied for separately and within the first 60 days of returning home from hospital.

The father/co-mother is also entitled to 480 Swedish parental benefit days with deduction of the days that the mother takes with Danish parental benefit (390 days at sickness benefit level and 90 days at basic level).