Benefits available to foreign nationals through the Swedish Social Insurance Agency

The Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) administers social insurance in Sweden. There are two types of benefit – residence-based benefits, which are assessed on the basis of whether you are resident in Sweden, and employment-based benefits, which are assessed on the basis of whether you are in employment.

If you are in employment, for example employed as a doctoral candidate, you are automatically entitled to residence-based benefits, including child benefit and dental care allowance, provided you are regarded as intending to reside in Sweden for more than one year.

Please note, however, that from 1 January 2027 you will be required to have been resident in Sweden, or within the EU, for at least five years in order to be eligible for certain residence-based benefits. Alternatively, you must have had a certain level of income for at least 12 months or an income at a certain higher level for at least six months. These provisions apply only to people arriving in Sweden on or after 1 January 2027.

If you are a doctoral candidate and not in employment, you will not normally be entitled to such benefits, even if you have been granted a permanent residence permit.

However, if you are a postdoctoral researcher with a scholarship, you may be entitled to residence-based benefits if you intend to settle in Sweden for more than one year.

In addition, if you are in employment, you are also entitled to employment-based benefits such as parental allowance, (although there is a qualifying period for this), and sickness benefit.

If you have applied for an extension to your residence permit in good time, you are entitled to retain both residence-based and employment-based benefits while waiting for a new decision on your residence permit.

Special rules may apply to EU citizens or people who have previously been resident in the EU. For further details, please see the link below.

For more information about the Swedish social insurance system, please see here.