Start a job in Sweden and someone will soon ask which a-kassa you are in. Here is what the system is, how the October 2025 reform changed it, what you would actually get, and what it means if you came from abroad.
When you need this
You have just started working in Sweden and a colleague or union rep asks about your a-kassa. Your contract is ending and you want to know what happens next. You worked elsewhere in the EU before moving here. Or you found a guide quoting an 80-hour “work condition” or a 1,200 SEK daily cap and wonder whether it still applies. It doesn’t, for new claims.
What an a-kassa is, and what it isn’t
An a-kassa (short for arbetslöshetskassa, unemployment insurance fund) is a member-run association that pays out unemployment benefit backed by state funding. Each fund must have at least 10,000 members and be registered with the state inspectorate IAF. Sweden has 24 of them, with about 3.9 million members between them. The law describes the insurance as income-loss cover that gives unemployed people financial support while they move between jobs.
Most funds are organised by occupation, and many sit alongside a trade union. That is where the confusion starts:
| A-kassa (fund) | Union (fackförbund) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Pays unemployment benefit under the law | Negotiates pay and conditions, advises members |
| Required for benefit? | No, but members get more | No |
| Can you join one without the other? | Yes | Yes |
| Typical cost | About 100–200 SEK a month (checked 2026-10-14) | Varies by union |
Nothing in the law ties fund membership to union membership. Alfa-kassan is open to everyone regardless of occupation, is linked to no union, and also handles claims from people who are not in any fund. If you want the union side explained, see unions and collective agreements.
The October 2025 reform
On 1 October 2025 the old act, Lag (1997:238), was repealed and replaced by Lag (2024:506). Much of what is still online describes the old system.
| Before 1 October 2025 | From 1 October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | Hours worked (the “work condition”) | Income reported by employers |
| Non-members | A flat basic amount | 50% of previous income |
| Members | 80% after a 12-month membership condition | 80% after 12 months, 60% after 6 months |
| Calculation | Per day, with a daily cap | Per month, base capped at 34,000 SEK |
| Waiting period | — | Two days |
Two things matter in practice. First, entitlement now rests on income your employer has already reported to Skatteverket in its employer declarations, so nobody needs to count your hours. Second, membership length sets your percentage. If your benefit period began before 1 October 2025, you stay on the old rules until those days are used up.
Good to know: older guides may still describe the hours-based work condition and the flat basic amount. Both belong to the repealed act. New claims follow Lag (2024:506).
Do you qualify? The income condition
Within the 12 months before the month you claim for (the ramtid, look-back period), you need:
- At least 120,000 SEK of earned income in total, and
- At least 11,000 SEK in each of at least four of those months.
Missing the 120,000 SEK total? Four consecutive months of at least 11,000 SEK still qualify you, for a short 66-day period, and only for two periods in a row.
Only income your employer pays employer contributions on counts, or self-employment income you pay contributions on. Cash-in-hand work gives you nothing. Months spent ill, on parental benefit, caring for a child under two or in military service can be skipped when the look-back period is set, up to 60 months.
The number of months with at least 11,000 SEK decides how long you can be paid:
| Qualifying months in the past 12 | Benefit days |
|---|---|
| 11–12 | 300 |
| 8–10 | 200 |
| 4–7 | 100 |
| Low-income route (four consecutive months) | 66 |
A month of full benefit uses 22 benefit days, so 300 days is roughly 13–14 months of payments. Besides income you must be at least 20, able and free to work, registered with Arbetsförmedlingen and available to the labour market. The right ends at the turn of the month before your pension “target age”. The self-employed are mostly excluded, unless the business was a side activity next to a job of at least half time.
How much you get
Your benefit base is one twelfth of your total earned income in the look-back period, capped at 34,000 SEK a month (as of October 2026). Membership decides the percentage:
| Membership | Level, days 1–100 | Days 101–200 | Days 201–300 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole look-back period, at least 12 months unbroken | 80% | 70% | 65% |
| At least the last 6 months, with 4 income months as a member | 60% | 50% | 45% |
| Shorter, or not a member | 50% | 40% | 35% |
At the top rate the most you can get is 27,200 SEK a month before tax. If you earn more than 34,000 SEK, your real replacement rate is well below 80%. Many unions sell inkomstförsäkring (income insurance) that tops up above the cap, but under the new rules those top-ups also step down over time.
Warning: Membership only counts from the day you join. Join in your first month of work and you reach 80% a year later; join after losing your job and you start at 50%.
Step by step: from first job to first payment
- Join an a-kassa when you start working. Anyone working when they apply has the right to join a fund whose occupational rules they meet, and you can only be in one at a time. If no occupational fund fits, Alfa-kassan takes everyone. Sveriges a-kassor’s fund finder helps you choose.
- Pay the fee every month. Breaks shorter than a month are ignored only if they add up to no more than eight weeks.
- Check your income is reported. Keep payslips and make sure each month’s pay appears in your Skatteverket records.
- Register with Arbetsförmedlingen on your first day without work. It is a condition for any benefit; see Arbetsförmedlingen explained.
- Apply to your fund, then send a månadsansökan (monthly application) reporting what you did that month.
- Expect two waiting days before the benefit period starts.
- Keep searching actively. A missed appointment or activity report brings a warning, then 1, 5 and 10 suspended days, and a fifth time ends the period. Turning down a suitable job costs 5 days the first time.
Leaving a job without a valid reason, or being dismissed for misconduct, means 45 days without benefit (20 days if the job had at most 10 days left). Severance pay that matches salary blocks benefit for the period it covers. You can appeal a fund’s decision within two months of receiving it.
Foreigners, EU movers and visitors
A-kassa insures income from work in Sweden, not residence or nationality. What it means for you depends on why you are here:
| You are | What applies |
|---|---|
| A tourist or visitor | Nothing to claim: the insurance covers lost income from Swedish work |
| Working in Sweden, any nationality | You can join a fund from your first day of work |
| An EU/EEA, Swiss or UK mover | Earlier work periods there can count, usually certified on a U1 form; you normally claim where you last worked |
| On a non-EU work permit | You can be insured, but benefit does not extend your stay (see below) |
| Leaving to job-hunt in another EU country | Benefit can usually be transferred for 3 months, extendable to 6 |
Two details catch EU movers. Membership time while you were covered by another EU country’s social-security law does not count toward the 80% or 60% levels. And if you work temporarily in Denmark or Finland, join a local fund there, because their insurance also runs through funds.
Warning for work-permit holders: if your job ends, Migrationsverket gives you three months after your last working day to find a new one, provided your permit is still valid. Otherwise you must leave unless you have another basis to stay. A-kassa days can outlast your right to stay; see work permits for non-EU citizens.
If you are setting up life here, add the a-kassa to your first-month list in moving to Sweden for work. Short summer contracts can qualify too: four months at 11,000 SEK or more opens a 100-day period (see seasonal jobs in Sweden).
Practical information
| Item | What to know | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Membership fee | About 100–200 SEK a month, depending on the fund | 2026-10-14 |
| Alfa-kassan membership | 170 SEK a month | 2026-10-14 |
| Non-member administration fee | 10 SEK per benefit day, deducted from payments | 2026-10-14 |
| Tax reduction on fees | 25% of fees paid, calculated automatically on your tax return | 2026-10-14 |
| Income condition | 120,000 SEK in 12 months, 11,000 SEK in at least four months | 2026-10-14 |
| Maximum benefit base | 34,000 SEK a month; 80% = 27,200 SEK before tax | 2026-10-14 |
| Appeal deadline | Two months from receiving the decision | 2026-10-14 |
The fee reduction appears on your annual return without any action from you; see filing a Swedish tax return. For how a-kassa fits the wider safety net, see Swedish taxes and welfare.
FAQ
What is a-kassa in Sweden?
A-kassa is Sweden’s unemployment insurance, paid out by 24 member-run funds called arbetslöshetskassor and backed by state funding. If you lose your job and meet the income condition, the fund pays a share of your previous income each month while you look for work. Joining is voluntary, and membership length decides how much you get.
Do I have to join a union to get a-kassa?
No. Union membership and a-kassa membership are separate, and you can join a fund on its own. Many funds work alongside a union, but Alfa-kassan is tied to no union and accepts everyone. Non-members of any fund can also claim, through Alfa-kassan, but they receive the lowest level, 50% of previous income.
How much does a-kassa pay under the new 2025 rules?
After at least 12 months of unbroken membership, 80% of your average monthly income over the past year, capped at 34,000 SEK, so at most 27,200 SEK before tax. Six to eleven months gives 60%, anything less 50%. The level falls 10 points after 100 benefit days and 5 more after 200.
How long do I need to work to qualify for a-kassa?
You need 120,000 SEK of reported earnings in the 12 months before you claim, with at least 11,000 SEK in four or more of those months. Four consecutive months at 11,000 SEK also qualifies, for a shorter 66-day period. The number of qualifying months sets 100, 200 or 300 benefit days.
Can a foreigner get a-kassa in Sweden?
Yes, if you work in Sweden: anyone who is working can join a fund, whatever their nationality. EU citizens can count work periods from other EU countries, usually with a U1 form. Tourists cannot claim. On a non-EU work permit, benefit does not extend your stay: you have three months to find a new job.
Is it worth joining a-kassa?
For most people working in Sweden, yes. The fee is about 100–200 SEK a month, a quarter of which comes back as a tax reduction, and twelve months of membership lifts a future benefit from 50% to 80% of your income. Since membership only counts from the day you join, the time to decide is when you start working.
Related guides
- Unions and collective agreements — the union half of the “union and a-kassa” package, and why Sweden has no minimum wage
- Arbetsförmedlingen explained — the jobseeker registration every claim depends on
- Moving to Sweden for work — the first-month checklist where joining a fund belongs
- Work permits for non-EU citizens — the three-month rule when a job ends
- Swedish taxes and welfare — what the state insures, and what it leaves to the funds
Facts verified 2026-10-14. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Lag 2024:506 om arbetslöshetsförsäkring, Förordning 2024:1350, Lag 1997:239 om arbetslöshetskassor), Regeringskansliet, Arbetsförmedlingen, Skatteverket, Migrationsverket, Sveriges a-kassor, Alfa-kassan, LO and the European Commission — full register in this topic’s source file. This is general information, not legal advice; your fund decides your claim. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.