Unemployment benefits - if you commute to/from Sweden

If you work in Sweden

In Sweden, it is optional if you want to become a member of an unemployment insurance fund, but if you do you qualify after 12 months for income-related unemployment benefits if you become unemployed. You do not need to be a member of a trade union to be a member of an unemployment insurance fund.

If you start commuting from your residence in Denmark to a job in Sweden, you should become a member of a Swedish unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa). Do not terminate the membership of your Danish unemployment insurance fund until you are enrolled in a Swedish one. You can get benefits from the Swedish unemployment insurance funds in the event of part-time or temporary unemployment - ask your unemployment insurance fund. If you are full-time unemployed, however, you return to the Danish system of unemployment fund again. Every a-kassa has a designated EU-case worker who can help you with your questions regarding such events. 

If you work in both Sweden and Denmark

As a starting point, you are insured against unemployment in the country where you are socially insured. If you have two jobs at the same time, in two different countries, and work 25% or more in your country of residence, generally you are socially insured in your country of residence and must be a member of an unemployment insurance fund in that country. However, you can apply for an exemption from this rule if you want to remain unemployment insured in your country of employment.

If you become unemployed

If you are fully unemployed, you must, on the first day of unemployment, notify the employment services of the country of residence. Furthermore, you have to apply for admission to an unemployment insurance fund in your country of residence. You need a certificate for your new unemployment insurance fund, which shows how much you have worked in the other country. It is called PD U1, and you get it from the unemployment insurance fund in the country of work. You can then apply for unemployment benefits in the country of residence. There must be no break in your membership of an unemployment insurance fund, as you may risk losing your right to benefit.

For seconded personnel, special rules apply. Contact your unemployment fund for more information. 

Income insurance

In both Sweden and Denmark, you can take out optional income insurance, i.e. an insurance policy that pays the difference between the highest unemployment insurance level and a certain percentage (often 80 % for a limited time) of your previous salary if you become unemployed. If you live in one country and your workplace is in another, you should keep your income insurance in your country of residence and check if your income insurance is valid for commuting between countries. If you move from one country to another, then remember that you have to take out new income insurance in your new country of residence to be insured.