Unemployment insurance

In order to qualify for income-related unemployment benefits, become a member of an unemployment insurance fund. Application for membership and payment is separate to your union membership fees. SULF recommends that you become a member of Akademikernas a-kassa.

On 1 October 2025, new rules for unemployment insurance will come into force. These new rules apply if you are granted unemployment benefit on or after 1 October 2025, regardless of whether your benefit period begins before or after 1 October. However, if you already have an ongoing benefit period that began before 1 October, you will continue to be covered by the rules that applied before 1 October for as long as that benefit period lasts. You can read more about the new unemployment insurance rules on the Akademikernas a-kassa website, New law on 1 October 2025 – Akademikernas a-kassa.

With the new unemployment insurance rules, it is even more important than before to join the unemployment insurance fund as soon as possible, as you will only be able to claim benefits for the period during which you have been a member.

Requirements for membership

To be eligible to join the Akademikernas a-kassa unemployment insurance fund, you must fulfil both the academic qualifications requirement and the work requirement.

You can meet the academic qualifications requirement either by having gained 180 higher education credits or the equivalent level through education outside Sweden; by currently being in education with the intention of acquiring 180 credits; or by working in a profession that is affiliated to one of the member unions of the Saco confederation or the Swedish Association of Health Professionals.

You meet the work requirement by working or having worked in Sweden. You can also become a member of the fund if your most recent employment was in another country within the EU/EEA or in Switzerland.

It is always important to apply for membership of Akademikernas a-kassa as soon as possible after moving to Sweden. It is then possible to add time as a member of the Swedish unemployment insurance fund to any time that you have been a member of, or covered by, the unemployment insurance in the other country. In some cases, you can also receive compensation by counting time spent working in the other country. Contact Akademikernas a-kassa for more information about the rules that apply.

Work refers only to employment. Time funded by a scholarship is not considered work by the unemployment insurance fund.

Registration at the Employment Service

If you become unemployed, it is important that you register as a jobseeker with the Employment Service no later than your first day without a job. Registration at the Employment Service is a prerequisite for being considered as unemployed by Akademikernas a-kassa and the Employment Service can also help you to apply for unemployment benefits. You may register at any Employment Service office you choose.

Be available to work

In order to be entitled to unemployment benefit, you must be available to work. This means that you may not be enrolled in any educational program and childcare must be arranged. If you combine doctoral studies with your own business, special rules may apply. Contact Akademikernas a-kassa for more information.

Residence and work permits

If you are not a Swedish citizen, you must also have a Swedish residence permit and a general work permit or be exempt from the work permit requirement in order to receive compensation. The latter may apply, for example, if you have applied for a new residence permit but not yet received a decision. Your work permit may not be valid for a specific university or college only.

If you are an EU/EEA citizen or a Swiss citizen, you and your immediate family are exempt from the requirement to have a work permit in order to work in Sweden, and you are entitled to receive unemployment benefit if you fulfil the other conditions. You can read more about this on the Migration Agency's website.

Compensation from the unemployment insurance fund

You are entitled to receive compensation from the unemployment insurance fund if you become unemployed and fulfil certain conditions. You can read more about this and about the SULF income insurance here.

Time that can be disregarded

If, for example, you have been in full-time studies, on parental leave or on sick leave during the qualifying period, this time is not included in the calculation. Doctoral studies count as studies, but only in the case of full-time studies. You must remain a member of the unemployment insurance fund during the time that is to be disregarded.

The unemployment insurance fund for SULF members

To keep things simple, the Akademikernas a-kassa unemployment insurance fund has gathered information relating to higher education issues in one place.

Supplementary insurance

You can receive supplementary compensation from the SULF income insurance or from a job transition organisation. You can read more about this here.