Unemployment Insurance in EU->Sweden

Unemployment insurance in Sweden

Type of scheme

How to join? Sweden has voluntary unemployment insurance. You must apply for membership of an Unemployment Insurance Fund ("A-kassa").

Contribution: The Unemployment Insurance Scheme is financed in part by membership fees paid by members of the Unemployment Insurance Funds ("A-kassor").

Who is covered? All employees and self-employed.

Benefit amount: How much compensation you receive depends on your previous income and how long you have been a member.

Requirements for entitlement

In order to be entitled to unemployment benefit, you either need to meet an income condition or an alternative rule:

• have earned a total of SEK 120,000 during the last 12 months (the qualification period) before you became unemployed and at least SEK 11,000 in four of these months, OR
• If you earned less than 120,000 SEK: You can also receive unemployment insurance through an alternative rule. You meet this if you have earned at least SEK 11,000 for four consecutive months during the qualification period.
• be at least 20 years old
• You must be registered with the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen).
• You are free to work in Sweden (if you are a non-EU citizen you need a general work permit which is not limited to a certain job).
• You must actively look for job and be able to accept job offers with one day notice.

Quarantine in case of self-induced unemployment

If you have resigned from your job without good reason, or if the employment relationship has been terminated due to the employee's own fault, the benefit is suspended for 45 days.

Are there special rules for new graduates?

No, but if you have studied full-time, the period in which work/income is counted (12 months) can be extended by the number of months in which you have studied, provided that:

• you have completed your studies after you have become 25 years old, or
• you were younger than 25 when you finished your studies, but had worked full-time for at least 5 months before starting your studies.

In this way, there are good chances that new graduates who have worked in the year before starting their studies or have had holiday jobs etc. may be entitled to unemployment benefits.
However, a recent graduate must still meet the requirement of (up to) 1 year's membership of A-kassa. It is therefore a good idea to join a Swedish A-kassa no later than 1 year before you graduate.

How much can I get from unemployment insurance?

Your compensation depends on your previous income and how long you have been a member of an unemployment fund ("A-kassa") during the qualification period.

• If you have been a member of the unemployment insurance fund for the past 12 months or longer, you can receive up to 80 percent of your previous salary.
• If you have been a member of the unemployment insurance fund for the last 6-11 months, you can receive up to 60 percent of your previous salary. For four of these months, you must have earned at least SEK 11,000.
• If you have been a member of the unemployment insurance fund for the last 0-5 months, you can receive up to 50 percent of your previous salary.

The benefit amount is always calculated based on income from all 12 months of the qualification period, even if you have not had income in every month.

The highest possible compensation from the unemployment insurance fund is 80 percent of SEK 34,000. That is SEK 27,200 before tax.

When you qualify for compensation under the alternative rule (see above) the level of compensation is calculated using a fixed standard income base. This apply regardless of how much you have actually earned.

Compensation is phased out over time

After 100 days, the benefit is reduced by 10 percentage points and after 200 days by another 5 percentage points. To receive more days of benefit, you must meet the conditions again.

Tax treatment

Benefit is taxable.

How long will I receive unemployment benefits?

How long you receive unemployment benefits depends on how many months during the qualification period you have earned at least SEK 11,000.

• 300 compensation days: at least 11 months with 11,000 SEK per month
• 200 compensation days: 8-10 months at SEK 11,000 per month
• 100 compensation days: 4-7 months at SEK 11,000 per month
• 66 compensation days: Earned at least SEK 11,000 for four consecutive months

Aggregation of insurance periods from other EU/EEA countries

Periods of insurance and work from another EEA country which are confirmed in a PD U1 document or exchanged electronically by the authorities via EESSI in SED U002 can be used to meet the qualifying period, if you have worked in a job covered by compulsory insurance after arriving in Sweden.

In case of using PD U1 / SED U002 the Unemployment benefit is calculated on the basis of income you have had while working in Sweden.

How to apply for unemployment benefit

• You must register as a jobseeker.
• Contact your A-kassa and apply for benefit or visit the A-kassa's website to fill in the required information.

If you do not meet the requirements

Individuals who do not meet the above mentioned requirements for unemployment benefits, may have the option to apply for Social Assistance (Ekonomiskt bistånd).

Swedish words

Unemployment insurance = inkomstbortfallsförsäkring

Unemployment insurance fund = arbetslöshetskassa (A-kassa).

Unemployment benefit = ersättning.

This page was last updated on September 3, 2026.