Shared parental leave between Denmark and Sweden
If one parent works in Denmark and the other in Sweden, parental benefits must be coordinated between the two countries. Find out how days are deducted and what this means for your parental leave.
How parental benefits are coordinated between Denmark and Sweden
If you and the other parent are covered by social insurance in different countries, your parental benefits must be coordinated. Days taken in Denmark are deducted from the Swedish parental benefit days, and vice versa.
Swedish parental benefits, föräldrapenning, consist of 480 days. In Sweden, you can choose how many days per week you receive föräldrapenning. To receive the maximum benefit, you must claim 7 days per week.
Danish parental benefits, barselsdagpenge, are paid as a weekly amount if you take full parental leave. One week of parental leave in Denmark corresponds to 7 days of föräldrapenning in Sweden.
Example
If the parent working in Sweden takes parental leave first, the parent working in Denmark must be able to provide documentation showing how much leave has been taken in Sweden. The Danish authority, Udbetaling Danmark, uses this information to calculate how much leave remains in Denmark.
The full period covered by Denmark is deducted from the Swedish parental benefit days. This also includes periods when your Danish employer pays your salary and receives reimbursement from Udbetaling Danmark.
The Swedish Social Insurance Agency, Försäkringskassan, may also ask for documentation even if no parental leave has been taken in Denmark. The authorities then calculate how many days or weeks remain for each parent.
If you receive pay during parental leave in Denmark
Periods when your Danish employer pays your salary during parental leave also count when benefits are coordinated between the countries.
If your employer pays your salary and receives reimbursement from Udbetaling Danmark, this period counts as parental leave taken in Denmark.
Rules when one parent works in Sweden and one in Denmark
These rules apply to children born on or after 2 August 2022.
The birth mother is entitled to 4 weeks of pregnancy leave before the birth and 24 weeks of parental leave after the birth.
If she works in Denmark and lives in Sweden, she may be entitled to an additional 13 weeks of leave from Denmark if:
- the parent insured in Sweden receives no more than 9 weeks of föräldrapenning between weeks 11 and 46 after the birth
- the parents lived together when the child was born
If the parent covered by Swedish social insurance receives more than 9 weeks of föräldrapenning during this period, the additional 13 weeks are reduced accordingly.
Example
Mads and Andrea live together in Sweden. Mads works in Sweden and is covered by Swedish social insurance. Andrea works in Denmark and is covered by Danish social insurance.
Andrea may be entitled to an additional 13 weeks of leave if Mads receives föräldrapenning for no more than 9 weeks between weeks 11 and 46 after the birth.
If Mads receives föräldrapenning for 12 weeks, 3 weeks are deducted from Andrea's additional 13 weeks. Andrea can therefore apply for up to 10 additional weeks.
Read about additional parental leave at Life in Denmark
Applying for barselsdagpenge
At some workplaces, you may be entitled to receive your salary from your employer during part of your parental leave.
If you are employed, your employer must report your leave to Udbetaling Danmark through NemRefusion. You will then receive a letter from Udbetaling Danmark explaining how to apply for barselsdagpenge.
If you do not receive pay during your leave, you must apply within 8 weeks of your first day of leave.
If you receive pay during your leave, you must apply within 8 weeks after your pay stops. You cannot receive barselsdagpenge while your employer is paying your salary. Instead, your employer may receive reimbursement from Udbetaling Danmark.
If you apply after the deadline, you can generally only receive barselsdagpenge from the date Udbetaling Danmark receives your application.
How the Danish leave affects Swedish parental benefits
The parent working in Sweden may be entitled to up to 480 days of föräldrapenning. Days covered by parental benefits in Denmark are deducted from these Swedish days. This also includes periods when a Danish employer has paid a full salary during parental leave.
For example, 41 weeks of parental leave in Denmark correspond to 287 Swedish parental benefit days:
41 weeks × 7 days = 287 days
These rules apply to children born on or after 2 August 2022 whose parents lived together when the child was born.
The mother, who is covered by Swedish social insurance, may be entitled to all 480 days of Swedish föräldrapenning, minus the days taken in Denmark.
As a father or co-mother working in Denmark, you are covered by Danish social insurance and may be entitled to 24 weeks of parental leave. The first 2 weeks must be taken within 10 weeks of the birth. The remaining 22 weeks must normally be taken before your child turns 1.
There may be options to extend or postpone part of your leave.
Double days in Sweden
The 2 weeks of leave taken in Denmark after the birth are also deducted from the Swedish föräldrapenning days.
If the mother receives föräldrapenning in Sweden at the same time, these days count as Swedish double days. For example, 2 weeks of leave in Denmark correspond to 14 double days.
When you use a double day, 2 parental benefit days are deducted, one for each parent.
Read about taking leave at the same time at Försäkringskassan
Additional leave from Denmark
If you are covered by Danish social insurance, you may be entitled to an additional 13 weeks of leave if certain conditions are met.
Read about additional parental leave at Life in Denmark
Applying for barselsdagpenge
If you are employed, your employer must report your leave to Udbetaling Danmark through NemRefusion. You will then receive a letter from Udbetaling Danmark explaining how to apply for barselsdagpenge.
If you do not receive pay during your leave, you must apply within 8 weeks of your first day of leave. If you receive pay during your leave, you must apply within 8 weeks after your pay stops.
If your employer pays your salary during parental leave, you cannot receive barselsdagpenge at the same time. Your employer may instead receive reimbursement from Udbetaling Danmark.
If you apply after the deadline, you can generally only receive barselsdagpenge from the date Udbetaling Danmark receives your application.
To receive barselsdagpenge, you must meet the Danish employment requirement.
Different Danish parental leave rules apply if your child was born before 2 August 2022, including how the leave is divided between the parents.
If you still have parental leave or parental benefit days left, benefits received in Denmark and Sweden must still be coordinated.
Read about parental leave for children born before 2 August 2022 at Life in Denmark
Get help with parental benefit days
If you need help understanding how parental benefits are coordinated between Denmark and Sweden or calculating how many days you have left, contact Øresunddirekt, Försäkringskassan or Udbetaling Danmark.
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