Questions and answers
SULF, the right choice for university teachers, researchers, professors, doctoral candidates, lecturers and senior lecturers.
FAQs about membership
SULF membership FAQs. Please feel free to contact the SULF Membership Register if you do not find the answers to your questions below, phone 08-505 836 00 or send us an e-mail medlem@sulf.se. Join us today!
University teachers, researchers, doctoral candidates and comparable staff at universities and research institutes. If you have questions concerning your possible membership, simply contact us at the SULF Membership Register. Please contact us on 08-505 836 00 or send us an e-mail medlem@sulf.se
SULF is the only union that is fully focussed on the academic world. You gain full access to our expertise on conditions specific to the university sector, including membership of one of our professional sections. You help SULF to promote higher education policy issues. SULF provides security, support and guidance through its fact bank, membership helpline and support to your local Saco-S and SULF association. You gain the opportunity to influence as well as access to membership benefits. Learn more about membership benefits, which also include SULF income insurance.
Please note that membership of the unemployment insurance fund Akademikernas a-kassa is not included. SULF recommends that you supplement your SULF membership with a membership of Akademikernas a-kassa.
If you are a member of another union you must cancel your membership there. Find out what date your withdrawal can be scheduled and use this for your admission application to SULF so you will be a member from the same date, provided your SULF application is received during the month you wish to enter.
If you have been covered by an income insurance scheme in another trade union, your period of membership in that scheme may be counted towards the qualifying period if the membership is valid at the time you join SULF. If you become unemployed before you have been a member of SULF for 12 months, you will require proof of membership from your previous union.
- Other Saco unions. If you are a member of another Saco union, you can (in most cases at no, or very small, additional cost), become a double member and join SULF so you get membership of the two unions for basically one fee. This provides access to two magazines, membership benefits from two unions etc. Learn more about our double-membership charges for professionals and doctoral candidates. Contact SULF Membership Register for further details.
- Swedish Association of Health Professionals. If you are a member of this union and work as a teacher of nursing science you may become a member of SULF only and at the same time remain as non-negotiable member of the Swedish Association of Health Professionals. Contact them for discussions on your continued membership and indicate that you are SULF member.
No, Akademikernas a-kassa, is an independent organisation and membership requires a separate application. SULF recommends that you become member of Akademikernas a-kassa. Apply for membership. The monthly fee for membership of Akademikernas a-kassa is currently SEK 130.
For questions about unemployment insurance, contact Akademikernas a-kassa.
SULF recommends that you supplement your SULF membership with membership of the unemployment insurance fund for academics, Akademikernas a-kassa. Please note that membership of Akademikernas a-kassa is not included in your SULF membership fee and that you must have been a member of both SULF and the unemployment insurance fund for at least one year in order to qualify for compensation from the income insurance included in your SULF membership.
If you are a member of another unemployment insurance fund and wish to change to Akademikernas a-kassa, please fill in the transfer application form and sign using your BankID. You can specify which account you would like to make the direct debit payment from.
If you are already a member of another unemployment insurance fund, you will continue to pay the membership fee to your current fund until you receive notification from Akademikernas a-kassa that the transfer is complete. You will then start paying the fee to Akademikernas a-kassa instead.
When you log in to My Pages, you can see you membership data and are able to update the information. You can also see your invoices and your membership number.
We update all members’ address information automatically through SPAR, a register linked to the Swedish Population Register. If you would like to receive your post an address other than the one at which you are officially registered, choose yes in the field marked other postal address.
It is your own responsibility to ensure that all your other membership data is correct. Reed SULF statutes here.
Contact medlem@sulf.se – we will assist you. As soon as you get your personal identity number or coordination number, let us know.
Log in to My Pages and then click contact us at the top of the page.
Many SULF-members work abroad during periods, SULF provides special benefits for you who are going to work abroad during a few years.
Membership service abroad
Member service abroad. If you are a member of SULF and work temporarily (maximum 2 years) in Finland, Norway, Denmark, or the UK, Canada or Irland, you are entitled to member service from SULF’s sister association in each respective country. Read more here.
Swedes Worldwide
SULF is a so called Silver partner in SW. As a member of SULF you will receive a 20 percent discount on membership in Swedes Worldwide. The membership fee is only 400 SEK after the discount. SW gives you advice on issues of interest to Swedes living abroad. As a member you have access to advisors who have special knowledge about pension, tax and legal issues. You can subscribe to their newsletter and magazine.
Through the web site, magazine and Facebook you will get information and create contacts between Swedes around the world.
Read more about Swedes Worldwide
Leaving the union
Request your exit from SULF by logging into My Pages. Login requires a Bank ID.
No Bank ID? Ordering a Bank ID differs between banks, usually they can be ordered directly from the relevant Internet bank, if not please ask your bank. More information about Bank ID.
When you are logged in, click on “Contact”. For our statistics, please fill in the reason for your leaving.
Membership ends on the last day of the month SULF receives your request.
Membership fees are charged as usual until the date of exit. Then SULF cancels invoicing or direct debit instructions. If you pay by direct debit, please remember that union fees are deducted in arrears.
Before you leave we would like to remind you about some of the membership benefits that will come to an end
Membership insurance cover
If you are unsure whether you are insured or not, please contact the relevant insurance company as you pay directly to them.
Life and accident insurance: Folksam Ring: 0771–950 950 business days 7.30–21.00, weekends 09.00–19.00
Home and non-life insurance: Trygg Hansa. Ring: 0771–111 667 business days 8.00-19.00, weekends 9.00-17.00.
SULF income insurance is included in your membership fee and will cease when you leave.
If you are changing union, the period you have been a member of SULF can be counted for qualification on the condition that your SULF membership ends directly before you join the other union.
Unemployment Insurance Fund
If you wish to leave the unemployment insurance fund, Akademikernas a-kassa, you have to request your exit directly to them. Remember that it takes twelve full months to gain full insurance cover if you leave the fund and then wish to join again.
Double membership
If you are a double member in SULF and any other Saco union, your double membership ceases and you must notify the other union yourself whether you wish to remain there or not. According to the double-membership agreements in place, you cannot be a retired member, a foreign member or a guest member and are solely a member of SULF.
Retiring?
You are welcome to stay as a member of the union even after retirement at a reduced fee of SEK 600 per year. You are then able to continue to influence the university world in the right direction. Membership also allows you to continue to follow developments in the union magazine Universitetsläraren and newsletters and you also enjoy discounted insurance and other membership benefits.
Moving abroad and perhaps returning to Sweden?
Instead of leaving SULF, take membership as a foreign member or guest member. Contact us and we can tell you more.
The Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers (SULF) respects your privacy and your right to control your personal data. This Personal Data Policy describes the aim and purposes for which we collect information, the legal basis for our processing of it, the way in which individuals can gain control over their own information and how to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about our processing of your personal data. This Personal Data Policy applies, for example, when you use our site or seek membership of the Association. SULF is the organisation responsible for your personal data in accordance with these conditions and is responsible for processing it according to current legislation. It is important that you read and understand this Personal Data Policy before, for example, applying for membership in SULF.
Read more here.
FAQs about insurance
Income insurance
One of the best income insurance schemes on the market is included in your membership. The insurance policy is specially adapted to the needs of SULF members. In order to be covered by this insurance, you must have been a member of SULF for at least 12 months and also a member of a Swedish a-kassa, for example Akademikernas a-kassa, for at least 12 months. Read more about the SULF income insurance here.
Health insurance from Folksam
The insurance, which covers all working members, is free of charge and you don’t have to do anything to add the cover. The health insurance gives you greater financial security in the event of incapacity for work, as it provides compensation for lost income in the event of long-term sick leave. It supplements the compensation you are entitled to receive from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan).
Read more about the health insurance benefit on Folksam’s website.
Folksam – Legal insurance
Life gives rise to more legal issues than you might imagine. Living together, marriage, children, divorce and drawing up a will: what exactly do you need to do?
With legal insurance from Folksam, you have access to experienced lawyers from Familjens Jurist. You will be entitled to 15 hours of legal advice a year, as well as help with writing legal documents. Feel confident that you have done things correctly when it matters the most.
The policy covers four areas:
- legal advice concerning family law,
- legal protection,
- peace-of-mind advice
- and assistance in the event of identity theft.
Frequently asked questions about Folksam Legal Insurance for members of SULF.
As a member of SULF, you can sign up for legal insurance with Folksam for only SEK 45 per month. Read more and sign up for our legal insurance.
Folksam – Group and Life Insurance
As a member of SULF you can get access to collective insurance at preferential rates through Folksam for you and the family:
- Life insurance
- Health endowment insurance
- Health and medical insurance
- Accident insurance
- Health insurance
As a new SULF member who is in employment, you are automatically covered by a number of insurance policies. These are free of charge for the first three months. If you do not cancel these insurances within the first three months of your membership, you can keep them at a discounted price.
For more information please see the Folksam website.
Folksam – Free insurance consultation
Folksam offers members of SULF a free one-hour consultation to help you go through your insurance coverage. This offer applies to all members, whether you have insurance from Folksam or not. Take advantage of this opportunity to review your insurance coverage to ensure that it is suitable for your current circumstances.
Read more and book your consultation.
Trygg Hansa
Home and car insurance from
As a member of SULF, you have access to special deals on insurance solutions. These include insurance for your home and holiday home, as well as for your car and boat.
A special insurance for guest researchers
Guest doctoral candidates and postdocs have access to the same terms and conditions in their home insurance. For members with smaller homes and few personal possessions in Sweden, there is a specially designed insurance with a lower insured amount of SEK 200,000 for the movable property, rather than the standard Trygg-Hansa terms of SEK 1.5 million.
Your benefits as a member of SULF:
- Always at least 10 per cent discount on your home insurance.
- A first-year discount of 10 per cent on your car insurance and 20 per cent on your home insurance. Additionally, you can receive extra discounts if you have more than one insurance through Trygg Hansa.
- In the event of involuntary unemployment, you will not need to pay for your home insurance and car insurance premium for up to 12 months following the 6-month qualifying period.
For more information, please see the Trygg Hansa website (in Swedish).
Yes, one of the best income insurance policies on the market with Folksam is included in SULF membership. This insurance is specifically tailored to the needs of SULF members: for example, a period on a post-doc scholarship or research studies full time without an employment position can be disregarded when calculating the time period for eligibility.
We also provide Additional insurance. Members can now take out an individual addition insurance policy on top of the basic insurance cover that is included in membership. This additional insurance must be taken out by each member individually and provides payments for an additional 150 days. Monthly premiums vary according to income from SEK 33 to SEK 198.
Read more about the income insurance and additional insurance here.
As a new SULF member who is in employment, you are automatically covered by a number of insurance policies. These are free of charge for the first three months. If you do not cancel these insurances within the first three months of your membership, you can keep them at a discounted price.
The cut-off age for Life Insurance, Sickness Benefit, Health and Diagnosis Insurance, Accident Insurance and Medical Insurance is 65. However, if you have not retired and are still working, you can report this to Folksam and retain the insurance cover until no later than the age of 69.
After that, you can take out insurance protection for seniors.
FAQs about fees and invoices
There are three ways to pay your fees: a bill sent to your home, direct debit (monthly) or e-invoice (quarterly/annually).
Please note that if you currently pay by direct debit and wish to switch to e-invoicing, let us know so we can remove your direct debit authorisation E-mail us then remove your direct debit authorisation at the bank.
Direct debit
Your membership fee is deducted automatically every month from your bank account.
Log on to your online bank to register direct debits.
E-invoicing
You receive a bill presented electronically to your online bank account and you just accept it. All the data concerning your payment is already complete. Log on to your online bank to register for e-invoicing.
Bill monthly/annually by post.
Doctoral candidates have a reduced membership fee up to and including the stated month of their thesis defence. If that information is not in our system, the fee is increased automatically every twelve months.
If you paid too much the extra amount will be deducted from the next invoice.
You will most likely get an invoice for two months next time we send out the invoices. Contact medlem@sulf.se if you have any questions.
When you log in to My Pages, you can see you membership data and are able to update the information. You can also see your invoices and your membership number.
No, job-seeking members pay the same fee as before, with the exception of full-time jobseekers who have not fulfilled the qualifying period for compensation from the unemployment insurance fund.
No, you still have the right to the membership benefits and insurance cover you have through your membership of SULF.
No, you still have the right to the membership benefits and insurance cover you have through your membership of SULF.
If you have recently applied for payment of your membership fee by direct debit, your invoice may have been created before your direct debit application was approved. If that is the case, we have sent a paper invoice.
You may also have an old unpaid invoice. The direct debit only deducts the fee for the current month, so any unpaid fees are invoiced separately.
FAQs about retirement
You are welcome to remain a member of the union even after retirement at a reduced fee, 660 SEK/year. You can then continue to exert influence on the university world. Membership also allows you to follow developments in higher education in the Universitetsläraren magazine, newsletters and you also get to retain discounted insurance and other membership benefits.
Log in to My Pages to update your details. Please note that we need to receive and process your membership, so the changes will not be shown immediately on your SULF pages.
You may choose to become an ordinary member in order to get access to our individual support. Please contact medlem@sulf.se.
The cut-off age for Life Insurance, Sickness Benefit, Health and Diagnosis Insurance, Accident Insurance and Medical Insurance is 65. However, if you have not retired and are still working, you can report this to Folksam and retain the insurance cover until no later than the age of 69.
After that, you can take out insurance protection for seniors.
No, you continue as an ordinary member until you let us know that you have retired. You may then choose to stay as a member with a reduced fee.
You are welcome to remain a member of the union even after retirement at a reduced fee, 660 SEK/year. You can then continue to exert influence on the university world. Membership also allows you to follow developments in higher education in the Universitetsläraren magazine, newsletters and you also get to retain discounted insurance and other membership benefits.
Log in to My Pages to update your details. Please note that we need to receive and process your membership, so the changes will not be shown immediately on your SULF pages.
SULF gets updated information from the popular registration monthly and we will then cancel his/her membership.