Försäkringskassan at Emigration 2026: S1 Form, Child Benefits, and Pension Coordination
Quick answer: Permanent emigration ends most residency-based Swedish welfare. Within the EU/EEA the S1 form preserves Sweden-paid healthcare. Child benefits coordinate via EU regulation 883/2004. Pensions are paid globally — no withholding within the EU/EEA, treaty governs elsewhere.
Key takeaways
- Residency-based benefits end.
- S1 for EU healthcare.
- Child benefits via EU 883/2004.
- Pensions paid globally.
- Apply 2-3 months ahead.
Försäkringskassan and the residency principle
Swedish social security (allmän försäkring) is residency-based under the Social Insurance Code. Your right to most benefits depends on being a resident in Sweden — a status that aligns closely with the population register but is determined separately by Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency). Once you emigrate with the intent to stay over 12 months, Försäkringskassan reassesses entitlement under chapter 5 (insurability) and chapter 6 (residency) of the Social Insurance Code.
File the move-out notification (utflyttningsanmälan) via Mina sidor (the online portal; BankID required) or paper form FK 5456 within 7 days of departure. Försäkringskassan processes within 4-8 weeks and notifies you of which benefits stop, which continue, and any S1 form for healthcare transfer. Continuing to receive residency-based benefits without notification creates a debt to Försäkringskassan that must be repaid with interest under chapter 108 of the Social Insurance Code.
S1 form: healthcare transfer to EU/EEA + Switzerland
For pensioners and certain other categories moving to another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, Försäkringskassan issues an S1 form (formerly E121) under EU regulation 883/2004. The S1 transfers Swedish public healthcare entitlement to the destination country, which then provides healthcare on the same terms as residents. Sweden reimburses the destination state for actual costs.
Apply 4-8 weeks before departure via Mina sidor; S1 issuance takes 2-4 weeks. Register the S1 with the destination country’s health authority on arrival (in Spain SNS via INSS, in France CPAM, in Portugal SNS via the local health centre, in Finland Kela). The local card is then issued in 2-6 weeks. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers temporary stays only — it is replaced by the destination’s local card once you become permanently resident.
Benefit-by-benefit emigration impact
| Benefit | EU/EEA + Switzerland | Non-EU/EEA |
|---|---|---|
| State pension (allmän pension) | Continues, paid worldwide via Pensionsmyndigheten | Continues, paid worldwide |
| Guarantee pension (garantipension) | May continue under EU rules with pro-rata calculation | Generally ends — minimum residency required |
| Occupational pension (tjänstepension, ITP/PSA/SAF-LO) | Continues — paid by ITP, Alecta etc. | Continues |
| Pension housing supplement (bostadstillägg) | Ends — strictly Swedish residence | Ends |
| Sickness benefit (sjukpenning) | Continues for ongoing claims, ends for new claims | Generally ends |
| Long-term disability (sjukersättning) | Continues if entitlement established | Limited continuation |
| Parental allowance (föräldrapenning) | Continues for current claim under EU rules | Generally ends |
| Child benefit (barnbidrag) | Continues if Sweden is competent state | Ends |
| Housing allowance (bostadsbidrag) | Ends — strictly Swedish residence | Ends |
| Child maintenance support (underhållsstöd) | Limited continuation with EU coordination | Ends |
EU coordination under regulation 883/2004
For moves within EU/EEA + Switzerland, regulation 883/2004 designates one country as the competent state at any given time. The principle: insured in only one country, generally where you work or, if not working, where you have residence. Family benefits, sickness benefits and unemployment are coordinated; pension contributions accumulated in each country are calculated separately at retirement (pro-rata).
Cross-border workers (gränsarbetare) are special: working in one country and resident in another (e.g. living in Helsingborg working in Copenhagen, or living in Tornio-Haparanda working in Sweden). The competent state is the work country, but family benefits often follow the residence country with coordination top-up.
Bilateral agreements with non-EU countries
Sweden has bilateral social security agreements with: USA (1986, totalisation), Canada (1986), Quebec (1988), Israel (1981), Turkey (1981), Cape Verde (1991), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, India (2014, totalisation), Korea (2014), Japan (2022), Chile, the Philippines and others. Each agreement covers specific benefits — typically pensions and certain disability benefits, rarely full healthcare. Verify your destination’s specific coverage at forsakringskassan.se before relying on continuation.
For destinations without an agreement (most of Africa, Asia, Latin America), Swedish benefits generally end on emigration. Healthcare must be arranged privately at destination — costs vary widely from very low (Vietnam, Thailand) to extremely high (USA without insurance).
Pension coordination: Pensionsmyndigheten and equivalent agencies
The state pension consists of an income-based pension (inkomstpension) and a premium pension (premiepension) and is paid worldwide for life by Pensionsmyndigheten (the Swedish Pensions Agency). Apply for pension once via your country of residence at retirement; that authority forwards the application to all countries you contributed to. Each country pays its own pro-rata share. Processing takes 6-18 months for full coordination.
The minimum guarantee (garantipension) requires at least 3 years of Swedish residency for any entitlement and a full 40 years for full amount. For emigrants with limited Swedish residency, the guarantee may be reduced significantly or unavailable. Check the pension projection on minpension.se before relying on a particular monthly figure.
Occupational pension (tjänstepension): the second pillar
The occupational pension (tjänstepension) is contractual rather than statutory and is paid in full to non-residents under the relevant collective agreement. The four largest schemes are ITP (white-collar private sector), SAF-LO (blue-collar private sector), KAP-KL/AKAP-KL (municipal/regional), and PA 16 (state). Each is administered by different funds (Alecta, AMF, KPA, SPV).
Notify the relevant fund of your foreign address and bank details (IBAN/SWIFT) before pension start. SINK 25% withholding may apply unless treaty rate is lower (see pension guide). The fund administers the SINK; you do not file separately for occupational-pension SINK once it is set up.
Returning to Sweden: the 90-day rule and reactivation
If your stay abroad ends and you return to Sweden, file a move-in notification (inflyttningsanmälan) with Skatteverket within 7 days. Försäkringskassan reassesses your benefits: residency-based benefits restart from the date of return, but those with minimum residency requirements (guarantee pension, pension housing supplement, basic income support) may not be immediately available. The principle: benefits requiring qualifying period need qualifying period to be re-established.
Visits to Sweden during the emigration period under 6 months in any 12-month rolling window do not affect non-resident status. Longer visits can reactivate residency assessment with retroactive effect — Försäkringskassan may demand repayment of any non-resident-specific benefits paid during periods reclassified as Swedish residency.
FAQ
Keep EU health card?
Valid for temporary visits only.
Voluntary membership?
Limited under specific conditions.
Child benefits abroad?
If working for a Swedish employer, Sweden may be primary state.
S1 cost?
Free from Försäkringskassan.
Pension withholding?
None within EU/EEA; treaty-based elsewhere.
How long does the S1 form take and what does it cover in practice?
Apply via Mina sidor 4-8 weeks before move; issuance 2-4 weeks. The S1 transfers Swedish healthcare entitlement to the destination state. You register it with the local health authority and receive their card. Treatment is on the same terms as residents — patient fees apply per local rules (Spain SNS €0 standard visit, France CPAM 70% reimbursement, Portugal SNS minimal copay, Finland Kela 30-50% reimbursement). Sweden reimburses the destination state for actual costs.
Will my Swedish state pension be reduced if I move outside the EU?
The income-based pension and premium pension (the income portions of the state pension) are paid in full worldwide for life. The guarantee pension (the minimum guarantee top-up) may be reduced or eliminated for emigrants — it requires Swedish residency and is residency-based by nature. The occupational pension (ITP, SAF-LO, KAP-KL, PA 16) is paid in full worldwide. Run the projection on minpension.se before assuming a particular monthly amount.
Can I receive Swedish parental allowance if I move to Germany while on parental leave?
Yes — under EU 883/2004, current parental allowance claims can continue when you move to another EU/EEA state. Notify Försäkringskassan within 7 days of move. Germany may also offer Elterngeld; the competent-state principle means one country pays primary, the other tops up if its benefit is higher. Keep both Försäkringskassan and the German Elterngeldstelle informed during the transition. New claims after move follow the destination country’s rules.
What happens if I don’t notify Försäkringskassan when I leave?
Försäkringskassan continues paying residency-based benefits to your Swedish address based on the assumption you still live there. When the absence is later detected (often via Skatteverket data, population register update, or banking patterns), Försäkringskassan demands repayment of all wrongly paid benefits with interest. Penalty interest is currently 6-8% (2026 rate). The repayment claim has no limitation period in cases of intentional non-disclosure.
Apply for S1 ahead of move.
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See also: All Sweden moving guides.