Social insurance and brexit

In accordance with the agreement, different rules and regulations will be applicable in situations when a person moves between Sweden and the United Kingdom in order to live, work or study. Which rules that are applicable is governed by when the move was made.

The earlier withdrawal agreement

The earlier withdrawal agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom reglulates social insurance concerning individuals that have moved between Sweden and the United Kingdom to live, work or study before 1st January 2021. For these individuals, social insurance will remain relatively unchanged.

If you are a British citizen living in Sweden

If you are a British citizen you and your family members can retain the right to live, work and study in Sweden after 1st January 2021 if you applied for residence status before 1 January 2022.

The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) handles applications for residence status. You can find information about what applies for you on the Migrations Agency´s website.

Residence status for British citizens (migrationsverket.se) External link, opens in new window.

If you haven´t applied for, or if you are not granted residence status, it may affect your right to social insurance from Försäkringskassan.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will be valid even after the 31st December 2020, if you are visiting the United Kingdom as a tourist or for work.

Remember that the European Health Insurance Card does not cover costs like a flight home with an air ambulance. It is therefore important that you have a private insurance.

You can still apply for authorisation for costs to be met for health care in the United Kingdom.

However, you can no longer receive an advanced decision for health care in the United Kingdom.

If you have received health care in the United Kingdom before 1st January 2021, you can still apply for compensation retroactively, even if you send in your application after 31st December 2020.

If you lived in the United Kingdom before 1st January 2021 and receive activity compensation or sickness compensation in the form of guarantee benefit from Försäkringskassan, you may keep your benefit. You do not have to do anything in order to keep receiving your benefit.

If you are a British citizen and you move back to the United Kingdom after 1st January 2021, you will continue to receive activity compensation or sickness compensation in the form of guarantee benefit.

If you are a non-British citizen who receives activity compensation or sickness compensation in the form of guarantee benefit, and you move to the United Kingdom, you need to contact the Social Insurance Agency.

If you receive activity compensation or sickness compensation based on a former income, you can continue to receive the benefit regardless of which country you live in or what citizenship you have.

If you apply for benefit from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency you may have to prove that you have previously lived or worked in the United Kingdom. In order to do this you need a statement of your National Insurance contributions.

You can read about how you get a statement of your National Insurance contributions on gov.uk.

Get a statement of your National Insurance contributions (gov.uk) External link, opens in new window.

If you already have an A1-certificate the certificate will be valid during the period stated on it, even if the date is after 31st December 2020. This applies either if you are posted to Great Britain by a Swedish employer or if you work in two or more EU/EES-countries. In order for the certificate to be valid your terms of employment should not change.