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Parental benefits

You can receive parental benefit if you care for a child instead of working, looking for work or studying.

Am I eligible for parental benefit?

You can receive parental benefit if you care for a child instead of working, studying or actively seeking work.

You must be insured in Sweden and your child has to live in Sweden.

Insured in Sweden

Special rules apply if your child lives in another EU/EEA-country or in Switzerland.

EU family benefits

How many days with parental benefit do I get?

Parental benefit is paid out for 480 days (approximately 16 months) for one child. For 390 days, the compensation is based on your income (these are referred to as sickness benefit level days). For the remaining 90 days, the compensation is set at SEK 180 per day (these are referred to as minimum level days).

 

Parental benefit is paid out for 480 days for one child. For 390 days, the compensation is based on the income one has (days at the sickness benefit level).

The first 180 days that are taken out for the child must be days at the sickness benefit level. Once you have taken out 180 days at the sickness benefit level, you can begin taking out days at the minimum level as well. It is your joint withdrawal of days for the child at the sickness benefit level that are counted.

You will get 195 days each at the sickness benefit level and 45 days each at the minimum level. You can divide the days between you by transferring days to each other, but 90 days at the sickness benefit level are reserved and cannot be transferred to the other parent.

Days at sickness benefit level that can be transferred

Days

Parent 1

Parent 2

Days at sickness benefit level that can be transferred

105

105

Days at sickness benefit level that cannot be transferred

90

90

Days at the minimum level (SEK 180 per day) that can be transferred

45

45

Total

240

240

 

During the child's first 15 months, both parents can take out parental benefit for the same day. However, you must both take out the same number of hours for each day - a whole day, three-quarter day, half day, quarter day or one-eighth day. This is called taking out double days. You can take out maximum 60 double days. Double days are not included in the reserved days.

When you take out a double day, two days are deducted - one for each parent. So if you take out all 60 double days, you have used 120 days of parental benefit.

It is possible to take out double days at different levels of compensation. This means that one parent can take out days at the sickness benefit level while the other takes out days at the minimum level, but you still have to take out the same number of hours for each day. Remember you must have taken out 180 days at sickness benefit level for the child before you can start taking out days at the minimum level.

When you and the other parent apply for a double day, you must choose the reason "Taking care of the child - double days" in your application.

If your child was born before 1 April 2023, you can only apply for 30 "double days" up until their first birthday. This is because your child will be over 15 months old before the new rules came in to effect on July 1, 2024 allowing for 60 days.

Log in to check the number of days available for your child:

 

Parental benefit is paid out for 480 days for one child. For 390 days, the compensation is based on the income one has (days at the sickness benefit level). For the other 90 days, the compensation is SEK 180 per day (days at the minimum level).

If you have sole custody of the child, you are entitled to all 480 days. The first 180 days that are taken out for the child must be days at the sickness benefit level.

 

If you have had a multiple birth, you and the other parent will receive the following number of days with parental benefit:

Number of children

Days at sickness benefit level

Days at minimum level

Total

1

390

90

480

2

480

180

660

3

660

180

840

4

840

180

1,020

 

If you are two parents, you can also take out parental benefit for each child and thereby be home at the same time. If you have sole custody of the child, you are entitled to all of the days.

You can transfer up to 45 days of your parental benefit to another carer, for example the child´s grandparent. If you have sole custody of your child you can transfer up to 90 days.

When can I take out my parental benefit?

If you adopt a child, you can start taking parental benefit on the day you take the child into your care.

 

How long can I take out parental benefit?

You can take out parental benefit up to and including the day the child has finished Year 1 at compulsory school. If your child turns 8 years old after the end of school, you can take out parental benefit up to and including the day the child turns 8.

Can I take out parental benefit only for days I would not have worked?

Yes, if you are taking out parental benefit days at the minimum level. But, you can only take out parental benefit at the sickness benefit level if you also take out parental benefit for the days directly before or directly after the days you would not normally have worked, like the weekend.

 

How long can I take out parental benefit?

You can take out parental benefit up to and including the day the child becomes 12 years old or when the child finishes Year 5 at compulsory school. But, from the child’s 4th birthday, you can only save 96 days in total. If you have twins, you can save 132 days in total.

Can I take out parental benefit only for days I would not have worked?

Yes, if you are taking out parental benefit days at the minimum level. But, you can only take out parental benefit at the sickness benefit level if you also take out parental benefit for the days directly before or directly after the days you would not normally have worked, like the weekend.

How do I apply?

You must first register that you will be on leave and then apply for the benefit.

1. Register parental benefit

You can register whenever you want but no later than on the same day for which you want compensation.

 

If your midwife cannot send your pregnancy certificate to Försäkringskassan, you have to do it. Send your pregnancy certificate to:

Försäkringskassans inläsningscentral
839 88 Östersund.

The pregnancy certificate serves as your registration and you can plan and apply for parental benefit in the next step.

 

It is possible to receive parental benefit for taking care of a child that is not your own. However, the child's parent, or legal guardian, must transfer one or more days of parental benefit to you before you can apply.

2. Apply for parental benefit

Log in to My pages (Mina sidor) and apply for parental benefit. Remember to apply no later than 90 days after you have taken your first parental benefit day.

We recommend you apply for as long a period as possible in order to ensure regular disbursements. If you need to change your application, for example if you have to go back to work, you have to make a new application.

Disbursement

Information about when you receive your payments:

Utbetalningsdatum och handläggningstider (in Swedish) External link.

If you want to change your application

If you need to change your application, you must submit a new application. If you submit your new amended application no later than the 15th of the month, you will receive the right amount at the next disbursement.

What should I think about when it comes to sickness benefit qualifying income (SGI)?

Many parents of young children choose to reduce their working hours during and after parental leave. This can lead to lower income, which could affect your sickness benefit qualifying income (SGI).

Sickness benefit qualifying income (SGI) is an amount that Försäkringskassan calculates based on your income. Försäkringskassan uses this amount to calculate how much compensation you can receive if you get sick, stay home to care for a sick child, or are receiving parental benefit. You can protect your sickness benefit qualifying income (SGI) in different ways depending on the age of your child and your work situation.

When your child is under 1 year of age

 

If you are on parental leave full-time or part-time (or refrain from seeking work if you are a job-seeker), you do not have to do anything to protect your qualifying income (SGI). You keep the same qualifying income you had when the child was born, even if you are not collecting parental benefit.

 

Your qualifying income will be recalculated based on the salary you receive when working full-time. So, if you have the same salary as before, you will have the same qualifying income as before the child was born.

But, if you have a lower salary than when you were on parental leave (for example, if you work days instead of nights and no longer receive a supplement for inconvenient working hours), your qualifying income will be lower. This means that your parental benefit will be lower and you will receive lower compensation if you get sick or stay home to care for a sick child.

When your child turns 1 year old

 

If you are on parental leave full-time (or completely refrain from seeking work if you are a job-seeker), you can keep your previous qualifying income if you take at least five whole parental benefit days per week.

 

Your qualifying income will be recalculated based on the salary you receive when working. So, if you have the same salary as before, you will have the same qualifying income as before the child was born.

But, if you have a lower salary than when you were on parental leave (for example, if you work days instead of nights and no longer receive a supplement for inconvenient working hours), your qualifying income will be lower. You will then receive less compensation if you get sick or stay home to care for a sick child.

Your parental benefit is not affected if your qualifying income is lowered

Your parental benefit is not affected if your qualifying income is lowered. Your parental benefit is protected during the first two years of the child’s life. This means that even if your qualifying income is lowered (for example, if you reduce your working hours), you will receive the same amount of parental benefit as before if you take parental leave again before the child turns two years of age.

The same applies if you or your partner become pregnant with another child before the older child is one year and nine months old. You will also receive parental benefit calculated using the same qualifying income as before it was lowered.

How to protect your qualifying income if you have reduced your working hours

If you do not want your compensation for sickness benefit and benefit for caring for a sick child to be lower because you have reduced your working hours, you can protect your previous qualifying income by taking parental benefit for a time equal to your reduction in working hours.

Examples of how to protect your qualifying income:

  • If you reduce your working hours by half from full-time to 50 percent, you must take at least two and a half days of parental benefit per week.
  • If you reduce your working hours by half from 50 percent to 25 percent, you must take at least two and a half days of parental benefit per week.
  • If you reduce your working hours by one quarter from full-time to 75 percent, you must take at least one and a quarter days of parental benefit per week.

SGI guide

By answering a few quick questions, you will get answers to the following:

  • How you become entitled to an SGI.
  • How it is calculated from your income.
  • How your SGI affects the compensation you receive.
  • Why it is important to protect your SGI if you stop working or reduce your working hours.

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