There are – apart from home insurance – a number of insurances that you can sign up for. Many Oldbies settle with just a hemförsäkring. Some choose to sign an additional “clumsy insurance” – drulleförsäkring if they are known to be a bit accident prone. Others decides to go all in and insure more or less everything.
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Home insurance – Hemförsäkring
This insurance usually covers:
- belongings in case of theft/fire/accidents
- liability and legal related expenses
- travel related costs
The home insurance is generally linked to your home and covers everyone who is registered – folkbokförd in that household. This is why you will need a Swedish personal number – personnummer, in order to sign up for a home insurance. Here we list some options for you:
- Hedvig* aims to disrupt the old insurance industry which they do by offering a fully mobile based insurance so that you get insurance that is fast, simple and fair. They also have options for rentals and students.
- ICA Försäkring* – Home and holiday house.
- Gofido* – Pay only for what you own, insurance amount is based on your accommodation, no fixed time.
Allriskförsäkring ”drulleförsäkring”
The allriskförsäkring – popularly called drulleförsäkring – is a complement to your home insurance – hemförsäkring. It provides added protection to your belongings and steps in, in cases of “sudden and unforeseen events”, for example, if your drop your camera in the lake when fishing. This insurance is a good complement if you tend to be a bit clumsy.
Private health insurance – sjuk-och olycksfallsförsäkring
Private health insurances have long been considered unnecessary in Sweden because the public welfare system covers more or less the same scenarios, as a private insurance.
However, private health insurances have become increasingly popular over the last five years. Large companies offer this type of insurances to their employees as work benefits. The privileges of a private health insurance are mainly a greater coverage and faster access to some medical examinations and interventions.
A private health insurance might, e.g. grant you a larger lump sum if you get injured or disabled due to illness. It might also offer financial compensation in case you become disabled and unable to work.
Not sure about your insurance status? Ask your employer about the conditions of your work insurance. Is it private? Public? What does it cover? And what are you supposed to cover by yourself? Pay special attention to the work/spare time coverage. Most work insurances don’t apply if you get sick or injured during your spare time.
Children- and youth insurance – barn-och ungdomsförsäkring
This is another type of insurance that partly overlaps with the coverage of the social security system in Sweden. Children who are seriously injured – becoming disabled for the rest of their lives – receive compensation from Försäkringskassan. This compensation, however, has limits. And this is where private insurance companies offer a more comprehensive insurance with a greater coverage.
If you choose a barn-och ungdomsförsäkring, make sure to check that the insurance applies in cases of illness as well as accidents and that it provides financial compensation for both medical treatments as well as financial disability. Some options that are generally considered top choices are:
Pet insurance
All children don’t have to be of the human variety. And it is not uncommon to insure our furry, scaly or feathered friends. There are a couple of pet insurance options you can check out:
- Lassie* – dogs and cats.
- FurryChamp* – dogs and cats. Super competitive pet insurance started by a newbie!
- ICA Försäkringar* – dogs and cats.
- Agria – dogs, cats, horses and small animals and birds.
If your pet does become sick, do a search for your nearest veterinarian (veterinär + the name of your town) or contact an online vet service. You talk to a veterinarian via video call and the service is free if you have a pet insurance with most Swedish animal insurance.
Unemployment Insurance – A-kassa
Signing up for unemployment insurance – a-kassa is a good investment for most Newbies as well as Oldbies. Unemployment might happen to any of us and when this happens it is nice to know that you are financially covered while you search for a new job.
There are many different types of unemployment insurances – make sure to find the one that suits you best. You generally pay a monthly fee for your membership and by doing so insure a percentage of your salary. More on unemployment insurances here.
Health and accident insurances for visitors
People traveling to Sweden generally need insurance in order to get a visa. A health and accident insurance for visitors should provide compensation for costs in cases of emergency dental care, accidents, medical transport as well as funeral expenses etc. The insurance can be bought in your home country or online at most Swedish insurance companies.
Don’t forget to purchase the insurance before you visit Sweden.
Swedish companies that offer insurances for visitors
- Europeiska ERV* specialise in travel insurance which is something most newbies should consider getting. Europeiska ERV also offers an insurance letter showing that you have the necessary insurance to obtain a visa to Sweden.
Final notes about insurances
- Make sure to check that your insurances don’t overleap – if you have several insurances. Overlapping insurances might lead you to pay more than you need to.
- Remember to keep a cold head and only sign insurances that you really think you need.
What if you get hurt?
If you would get hurt, your insurance kicks in. However, the insurance will not kick in unless you report it and follow all the procedures required by your insurance company. This can sometimes be a bit tricky to get sorted correctly and quickly when you are busy being – well hurt.
This is when Insurello* can help. If you don’t feel up to handling your insurance claim yourself, you can do the following:
- Head over to Insurello* webpage and start a claim.
- They will find out the necessary information.
- They will send in the claim and deal with the insurance company.
It doesn’t cost anything to start a claim but if you get a pay out from the insurance company, then Insurello* will take 25% of that OR a maximum of 25.000 SEK.