Parental allowance

If you are insured in Sweden you have the right to parental leave with compensation when you become a parent, it's called parents' allowance.

In connection to a child’s birth another person (another than the one who carried the baby) has the right to take time off with compensation for 10 days. Those days are called “10-dagar”.

When your child is at pre-school (or other kind of child care) and becomes ill, so that it needs to stay home, you as a parent or another related person have the right to take time off work with compensation to care for the child. This is called temporary parents’ allowance or care of child (VAB).

Here you can read about all of the parents’ allowance’s different parts.

“10-dagar”

In connection with a child’s birth a parent or other relative/loved one that hasn’t carried the child, can get compensation for 10 days off work.

The purpose of those days is that another parent or relative/loved one should be given the opportunity to attend the birth, get to know the child and/or care for other children in the family.

If the child has two legal parents the 10 days are reserved for the parent that didn’t carry the child. If the one who carried the child is the only legal parent (for example if you’re voluntarily single) the 10 days can be used by any relative/loved one, given that the person has a job.

Parents’ allowance

The Swedish Parents’ allowance consists of: parents’ allowance, 10 days that can be used when a child is born and temporary parents’ allowance (care of child, VAB) that can be used when the child is sick. RFSL sometimes get questions about the parental insurance. We have therefore gathered the most common questions and answers here.

Parents’ allowance is an allowance that you get for being at home with your child instead of working, seeking employment or studying. We who work with this website sometimes get questions about parents’ allowance. We have therefore gathered the most common questions and answers here.

Who can get parents’ allowance?

To get parents’ allowance you need to be insured in Sweden. You also have to be the legal parent or have custody of the child. It’s also possible to get parents’ allowance if you’re not the legal parent of the child, but then you have to be married to and live with one of the child’s legal parents, or earlier have been married to or have had a child with the legal parent.

How does it work with parents’ allowance before the related adoption is done?

If a same-sex couple with the same legal gender has a child through assisted fertilization abroad or through home insemination, the one who gives birth to the child is seen as the legal parent and can then relinquish days of parents’ allowance to the other parent. The one who isn’t the legal parent must fulfil at least one of the following terms in order to get parents’ allowance: Be married to the legal parent and live together with that person or be an especially appointed legal guardian who has custody of the child.

Can you get parents’ allowance if you’re not a legal parent?

Yes. The one who is the legal parent can relinquish days of parents’ allowance to the parent that isn’t a legal parent. If there are two legal parents they can both relinquish days. In that way four parents (two legal parents and two parents who aren’t legal parents) can get parents’ allowance, given that you care for the child and take time off work. A maximum of four people can get parents’ allowance for one child. This is because a child only can have two legal parents. The one who isn’t a legal parent needs to fulfil at least one of the following demands in order to get parents’ allowance: Be married to the legal parent and live together with that person or be an especially appointed legal guardian who has custody of the child.

How does it work with double days if we’re more than two parents?

Only two parents can take double days at the same time. If you’re four parents you can take turns taking double days. At most you can take 30 double days and these can only be used before the child turns one. The 90 days that are reserved for each legal parent can’t be used as double days.

Temporary parents’ allowance (VAB)

If you need to stay at home from your job (or can’t seek employment) to take care of a sick child you can get compensation. It’s called temporary parents’ allowance or care of child (VAB).

You who are a parent or relative/loved one to the child can get allowance for VAB if the child is between 8 months and 12 years and if you have to stay home from your work (or can’t employment) in order to care for the child when it’s sick. You can also get VAB allowance if you need to take the child to the doctor or dentist. It’s possible to get VAB allowance if the child’s ordinary caregiver is sick and therefore can’t care for the child.