Employee sick leave “Sjukskrivning” in Sweden – what you must do from the first day and afterwards
Note: Rules and procedures may depend on the collective agreement and the internal policy of the workplace. Always check what applies at your company.
Prerequisites and basic concepts
Qualifying deduction “karensavdrag” (colloquially: “qualifying day” – “karensdag”)
The qualifying deduction “karensavdrag” is a deduction from your sick pay on the first day when you are ill and stay at home instead of going to work. This means that you do not receive pay for the first day of illness. Many people say “karensdag”, but in Sweden the standard is the qualifying deduction “karensavdrag”.
Sick pay “Sjuklön”
Sick pay “Sjuklön” is a benefit paid by the employer at the beginning of the sickness period. In principle, it covers days 1–14 “dag 1–14”, and the payment level is usually about 80% “cirka 80%” of the salary (before tax). Note that the qualifying deduction applies to the first day of the sick-leave period. This means that the employer pays sick pay for a maximum of 13 days.
However, the method of calculation and the result may depend on the collective agreement.
Sickness benefit “Sjukpenning”
Sickness benefit “Sjukpenning” is paid by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency “Försäkringskassan” when the illness lasts longer than the period of sick pay funded by the employer. For employees, the benefit usually becomes relevant from day 15 “från dag 15”, after certain conditions have been met and the necessary information/documents have been provided.
What is worth arranging before you get sick (especially if you are new to Sweden)
1) Personal identity number “personnummer” or coordination number “samordningsnummer”
Having a personal identity number “personnummer” makes life in Sweden much easier, especially for digital services. You usually receive a personal identity number when you are registered in the population register “folkbokförd”.
If you do not intend to move to Sweden or work here for longer than 12 months, it may be sufficient to obtain a coordination number “samordningsnummer”.
However, you should remember that this entails limited possibilities for acting in Sweden and that you will not be able to accrue a pension for yourself in a simple way.
Therefore, we recommend that you always apply for a “personnummer” if you plan to work and live in Sweden for longer than 12 months.
Regardless of the decision you make, always obtain a digital identity (e-legitimation) in accordance with the point below.
2) Registration with Försäkringskassan and insurance status in Sweden
To receive benefits such as sickness benefit, you usually must be insured in Sweden “försäkrad i Sverige”.
This does not happen automatically at the moment you move to Sweden and start working here.
You must register with Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) yourself. This can be done on Försäkringskassan’s website. Do it even before you start working in Sweden. Therefore, it is important that you are able to contact “Försäkringskassan” and, if necessary, provide documents.
3) Digital e-identification “digital e-legitimation” (BankID or Freja+)
With a digital e-identification “Bank-ID” or “Freja+”, you can usually handle matters faster, for example via “My pages “Mina sidor”” at Försäkringskassan. If you do not have e-identification, you can often still handle the case, but it may require acting manually via forms, post, and phone calls.
4) Register a bank account with Försäkringskassan
For payments to run smoothly, it is a good idea to have a registered bank account “registrera bankkonto” with Försäkringskassan. If the account details are missing or incorrect, payments may be delayed.
More (internal link): Payments from authorities in Sweden – how the money reaches the account.
5) 1177 and contact with healthcare
1177 is a nationwide source of health information and a point of contact with healthcare in Sweden:
- Phone 1177: nursing advice (24/7).
- 1177.se: verified information about illnesses and treatments and e-services (e.g. viewing records, booking appointments, renewing prescriptions – depending on the region).
Digital e-identification also makes it easier to contact healthcare and use 1177. Note that logging in to 1177 may be limited if you do not have a personal identity number – personnummer.
6) Always update your address after moving
Always remember to update your new address after moving. In the case of a move within Sweden, the new address should primarily be reported to the Swedish Tax Agency “Skatteverket” via a change-of-address notification. The notification can be made before the move, but Skatteverket must receive it no later than one week after the moving date. The notification is free of charge. There is no general requirement to “update your salary every year”, but when you apply for a benefit or receive it, it may be important that the information about income “inkomst” and employment “anställning” is correct. If your situation changes (e.g. a new employer, changed working hours, or a major change in income), it is worth ensuring that the correct information is accurate in ongoing cases.
In the event of illness: step by step from day 1 to day 14
Day 1: report illness to the employer “sjukanmäl”
On the first day of illness, you are obliged to inform your employer “meddela din arbetsgivare” according to the procedure at work (e.g. phone, app, or email). This is important because the right to sick pay usually presupposes that the employer has received your report. The beginning of the period is also covered by the qualifying deduction “karensavdraget”, so this is a day when you do not receive any pay from the employer.
Practical tip: Write down a simple note with the date and the method of reporting the illness.
Days 2–14: the employer pays sick pay “sjuklön”
On days 2–14, the employer usually pays sick pay “sjuklön”. The payment is often about 80% of the salary (before tax), but the result may depend on deductions, the structure of your salary, and any collective agreement.
Medical certificate “läkarintyg”: general rule from day 7
In principle, you must provide a medical certificate “läkarintyg” to the employer if you are sick for longer than 7 calendar days “7 kalenderdagar” in order to receive sick pay. The certificate is intended to show to what extent your ability to work is reduced and for what period, but you usually do not need to disclose the diagnosis to the employer.
If you suspect that you will be ill for longer than a week, it is worth planning contact with healthcare already after about 4–5 days, in order to manage to obtain the document in time.
In certain situations, the employer may require a certificate earlier (e.g. a certificate from the first day “förstadagsintyg”), but special rules apply in this respect.
Day 15 and onwards: when Försäkringskassan takes over
Day 15: the employer should report your illness to Försäkringskassan
When you are ill for longer than 14 days, the employer must report your illness “sjukanmäla” to Försäkringskassan. Without this report (“illness report “sjukanmälan””), your application for sickness benefit may in practice be delayed.
Practical tip: Ask your manager (or “HR”) for confirmation that the report has been made, especially if you are new at the workplace or the employer rarely handles longer sick leaves.
Apply for sickness benefit “sjukpenning”: digitally via “My pages” / “Mina sidor” (or on a form)
When the employer has reported the illness, you can usually apply for sickness benefit “sjukpenning” via “My pages” / “Mina sidor” at Försäkringskassan. A digital application is usually the fastest and requires e-identification.
If you cannot apply digitally (e.g. you do not have e-identification), you can usually handle the matter in this way:
- contact Försäkringskassan and ask them to send a paper form FK 7446 – “Ansökan sjukpenning för anställd med sjuklön”,
- fill it in, sign it, and send it back by post,
- expect a longer processing time due to postage and manual handling.
More: Where to send certificates and forms to Försäkringskassan.
Medical certificate “läkarintyg” for Försäkringskassan
Försäkringskassan needs documents to assess your entitlement to sickness benefit. The medical certificate is often sent digitally by the healthcare provider, but if the document does not arrive, you may need to send it yourself according to the options relevant to your situation (digitally or by post). If you cannot submit the medical certificate digitally and must send it by post, on every page enter your Swedish personal identity number (personnummer) or coordination number (samordningsnummer) in the top right corner.
Please also provide the case number (“ärendenummer”) if you have it.
Prepare to confirm information (especially if you are new to Sweden)
If Försäkringskassan does not have enough information, you may be asked to submit documents, for example:
- an employment contract or a certificate of employment,
- pay slips,
- information about working hours, schedule, and type of employment.
While receiving sickness benefit “sjukpenning”: report changes
If you receive sickness benefit, you usually must report changes that may affect the benefit, for example when you start working part-time, change employer, or your working hours/income changes in a way that affects the payment.
Quick timeline (overview)
| When? | What you do | Who pays? | Typical documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Report illness to the employer according to the procedure | Employer (the qualifying deduction affects it) | – |
| Days 2–7 | Follow the employer’s procedures and, if needed, plan contact with healthcare | Employer | – |
| From day 8 to 14 | Provide a medical certificate to the employer if you are still ill | Employer | Medical certificate |
| Day 15 | Make sure the employer has reported your illness to Försäkringskassan | Försäkringskassan (if granted) | Medical certificate for Försäkringskassan |
| Day 15+ | Apply for sickness benefit (digitally or on a form) | Försäkringskassan | Application + documents + possibly payroll data |
Most common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
- Late reporting of illness “Sen sjukanmälan”: report the illness on the first day and follow the procedure.
- Missing the medical certificate on time “Missat läkarintyg i tid”: if you suspect an illness longer than a week, plan contact with a doctor early.
- The employer fails to report the illness on day 15 “Arbetsgivaren missar sjukanmälan dag 15”: ask HR/your manager for confirmation.
- No e-identification “Saknar e-legitimation”: prepare in advance for forms and postal correspondence.
- No bank account registered with Försäkringskassan “Bankkonto saknas hos Försäkringskassan”: register the account earlier to avoid delays.
Sources
Peter Piotr Straznyk
The author of the article has more than 30 years of experience advising business owners on complex matters relating to Swedish company law and cross-border business. As a financial advisor, he also provides strategic support in the establishment, structuring, and day-to-day operation of companies.
