Guide for expat parents
Sweden parental leave, explained
Swedish parental leave is one of the most generous systems in the world — and one of the most confusing when you have just moved here. This is the plain-English version: what you get, how Försäkringskassan pays it, and the details that catch expat families out.
480 days per child
390 days are paid at the sickness-benefit level (based on your income) and 90 days at the flat minimum level.
Split between two parents
With joint custody you get 240 days each. 90 of those days are reserved for you and cannot be transferred.
Around 80% of your SGI
Income-based days pay roughly 80% of your sickness-benefit qualifying income, up to a yearly ceiling.
Flexible until age 12
Days can be used until the child turns 12, but only 96 days remain available after the child's 4th birthday.
What föräldrapenning actually is
Föräldrapenning (parental benefit) is money paid by Försäkringskassan, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency — not by your employer. Your employer grants you the leave; Försäkringskassan pays the benefit. They are two separate things, and you need to arrange both.
Every child gives the family 480 days of paid parental benefit. Days are counted per child, not per year, and twins or a second child add more days.
How the 480 days are divided
- 390 days at sickness-benefit level — roughly 80% of your SGI (see below), up to a capped daily maximum.
- 90 days at minimum level — a fixed, low daily amount that everyone gets regardless of income.
- 240 days each if you and the other parent have joint custody. You can transfer days to each other, except for the reserved ones.
- 90 reserved days per parent — these cannot be signed over. If one parent does not use them, they are simply lost.
- Single parents can use all 480 days themselves.
SGI: the number that decides your payment
Your benefit is calculated from your SGI — sjukpenninggrundande inkomst, or sickness-benefit qualifying income. It is based on your expected annual income from work in Sweden.
This is the single biggest thing expat parents get wrong. If you stop working, leave a job, or move to Sweden mid-pregnancy, your SGI can be low or missing — which means low or minimum-level payments. Protecting your SGI (by working, being registered as actively job-seeking with Arbetsförmedlingen, or taking parental benefit) matters more than most people realise.
There is also a 240-day rule: to get the sickness-benefit level for the first 180 days, you generally need to have had an SGI-qualifying income for at least 240 consecutive days before the due date. Otherwise those days pay at the minimum level.
If you recently moved to Sweden
Parental benefit is tied to being covered by Swedish social insurance, not to citizenship. A few things usually need to be in place first:
- Personnummer from Skatteverket, and registration with Försäkringskassan so they know you are covered here.
- BankID, which you will use to apply and to report days on Mina sidor.
- Cross-border cases — if one parent works in another EU/EEA country, or you have moved partway through the year, which country pays can genuinely be unclear. Ask Försäkringskassan directly rather than guessing.
If you had parental benefit or a comparable benefit in another country for the same child, tell Försäkringskassan; it affects what you can claim here.
Applying, step by step
- Confirm you are registered with Försäkringskassan and have a personnummer.
- Tell your employer at least two months before you plan to start your leave — that notice period is set by the Swedish Parental Leave Act.
- Apply for parental benefit on Mina sidor with BankID once the child is born.
- Report the days you actually took, each month. Payment follows what you report, so late reporting means late money.
- Agree with the other parent who takes which days, and remember the 90 reserved days on each side.
Other things worth knowing
- Days off with a sick child (vab) — tillfällig föräldrapenning is a separate benefit for when your child is ill, and does not eat into your 480 days.
- Double days — both parents can take parental benefit for the same day during the child's first year, for a limited number of days.
- Employer top-up — many Swedish employers and collective agreements add a föräldralön on top of the state benefit. Check your contract; it is easy money to miss.
- Right to reduce hours — you can work reduced hours until your child turns eight, or finishes their first school year.
Where to get the official numbers
Amounts, ceilings and rules change every year, so always confirm current figures with the source before planning your budget:
- Försäkringskassan — Parents (English)
- Försäkringskassan — Sickness benefit qualifying income (SGI)
- Försäkringskassan — Contact and customer service
This guide is written by Circle for orientation only. It is not legal or financial advice, and Försäkringskassan decides your individual case.
Last reviewed September 2026