In this guide to parental leave in Sweden, we will walk you through what you need to know. Parent leave, maternity, and paternity leave in Sweden can be confusing. What are my rights? What is essential to know for parent leave?
How many days off should I plan for? What is it like to be a mom or dad in Sweden? Where should I go with baby when I am on leave? Where do I start? It can be hard to know what your rights are, or where to go to gather more information. To help you feel more prepared, we have created the Ultimate Guide.
How much parent leave in Sweden do I receive?
Parents are given 480 days of parental leave in Sweden (föräldrapenning in Swedish), divided between the parents as they wish. Ninety of those days each are given to both parents and they cannot be transferred, however, the rest remains to be divided as you wish. If you are a single parent, those 480 days are given solely to you. If you have twins (or more than one baby), you receive more days.
Parents generally receive 80% of their salary if they have been working legally in Sweden for at least 240 days and have paid taxes. However, there is a “ceiling” amount, where salaries that are higher than the ceiling will receive less than 80% of their salary. It is best to discuss with your employer, as some employers offer a percentage on top of the payout from försäkringskassan (they are the entity that pays parental leave in Sweden). This amount counts for the first 390 days. A reduced amount of 180 SEK is then paid out for the remaining 90 days.
Am I eligible for parental leave in Sweden?
The general requirements to receive parental allowance are:
- If you are the parent of the child or have custody of the child,
- If you are married or cohabiting with the child’s parents,
- if you are at home with your child instead of working, studying or looking for work,
- if you are insured in Sweden, which you usually are if you live or work here,
- if the child is resident in Sweden or lives within the EU/EEA or Switzerland.
If you have not worked for 240 days, you are still entitled to parental leave. In this case you get a reduced leave of 250 SEK/day for a period of 480 days.
You are also entitled to parental leave/other benefits while your child is under 8 years old. These include:
- taking consecutive leave,
- shortening working hours by up to a quarter of normal working hours,
- dividing the leave into a maximum of three periods each calendar year.
What is SGI?
The term SGI – Sjukdomsgrundande inkomst, translates to Sickness based income. SGI is the sum calculated by Försäkringskassan, based on your income, as the foundation of how much money you can get if you are sick, on parental leave, or home with a sick child.
Since January 2019, the second parent can take general parental leave from the sixtieth day before estimated delivery, to join his/her partner to prenatal visits at Mödravårdscentralen (MVC). Parental leave can also be used for school and preschool introduction (inskolning).
Simply put, your SGI is the same amount as your monthly salary x 12. However, there is an upper limit for SGI. Basically, if your salary is higher than the upper limit, you will not get 80% or your salary when you, for instance go on parental leave, but will instead receive 80% of your SGI.
EU citizens and parental leave in Sweden
EU citizens may have to right to receive their parental allowance if you fulfill the general requirements for parental allowance which we mentioned above. More find out more here (information in Swedish).
Family benefits for EU citizens in Sweden
The website Your Europe gathers information provided by the European Commission and tries to explain the often complex regulations and their effects. Worth a visit for all EU citizens that are planning to move or work in another EU country, like Sweden e.g. Read more here (information in most EU languages).
Parental leave if your child is born outside of Sweden
From the 1 of July 2017, children born outside of Sweden, will no longer have full parental leave rights.
- children residing in Sweden from their one-year birthday have the right to maximum 200 days of parental leave.
- children residing in Sweden from their two-year birthday have the right to maximum 100 days of parental leave.
- this also applies to children who became residents in Sweden after July 2010 and that were at the time older than one year and where the parents have not taken out parental leave before July 1 2017.
- this does NOT apply to children who are adopted or will be adopted.
How to Enjoy Parent Leave in Sweden
In Sweden, small children are a part of society, therefore special attention is made to things like playgrounds, areas to play, and elevators are available everywhere. Every museum and library, and many other public places, have a special area for kids of all ages. The playgrounds are all up-to-date. Being outdoors and letting kids play is such an important part of Swedish culture, most areas have lovely playgrounds, parks, and other green spaces for families to enjoy.
Libraries, museums, and other places to play
It can be a bit daunting when you are at home with your baby for months and you’re not sure where to go each day. Luckily, Sweden comes equipped generously with kids areas in all of their museums, libraries, etc. Playgrounds are widely spread out, with various options within short walking distances of your home. Museums and libraries have kids sections available for parents any time. Check out your local library for events and kids books, and museums for kids play areas and sections.
Parent groups in Sweden
Your barnvårdcentral (BVC) may set up a parent group of local parents that have children around the same age. These can be a great way to meet up with local parents for walks, fika, etc.. It is also nice to talk to others going through parent leave at the same time. Depending on where you live, it may be challenging to find other parents comfortable speaking another language other than Swedish, but it is always worth trying to see if you connect with anyone.
Barnvagns Bio
Barnvagns Bio or stroller cinema is a convenient way to watch a movie in an environment where it is okay for babies to cry. The movie will be on mute and the lights will be low/dim. In the middle of the movie, there is a break for diaper changes and eating. Microwaves and changing tables will be available as well as places for the stroller. Some cinemas even offer coffee.
Open Preschools in Sweden
Open preschool, or öppna förskolor in Swedish, is a setting available to babies and kids of all ages, but aimed at kids from 0-5 years old. They are “open” during the week and usually host a singing time, fika, etc. There will be a play area where your child can explore the toys, books, and arts and crafts with new friends, and somewhere you can get a snack. A simple fika (including coffee) is often available, and usually for a very reasonable price, perhaps 20kr. Sometimes the fika is even free for children. You can always bring food for your child along if you prefer.
You can meet other parents there, or socialise your baby with others. These preschools come in handy for a lot of parents on parent leave. They provide a safe space
for you and baby that is outside the home (and often very nearby). Often parents will go to open preschools every day, or part of their week, which means you might find other parents on the same schedule who you can get to know and make other plans with.
Some even offer special sessions including baby massage, Swedish conversation practice, first aid, parenting skills and information about applying for preschool. Weather-dependent, some open preschools have trips (for example to the forest or local farm), bbqs, and summer cafes.
In our next guide, we will explore the differences between open preschool and preschool, and what to do for toddlers after parent leave.
If you’re pregnant, or getting ready for a baby, check out the Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy in Sweden.
In order to create this ultimate guide to parental leave, we have combined content from posts originally written by Hayu Hamemayu, Sarah Campbell, Lisa Ferland and Tatiana Sokolova.
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