International Programs
Totalization Agreement with Sweden
Introduction
For Sweden, the Agreement covers sickness compensation, activity compensation, guaranteed pension, income-based old-age pensions, survivors pensions and surviving children's allowance. The Agreement does not cover health insurance, unemployment insurance, work accident, occupational illness insurance, or family allowance benefits.
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Eliminating dual coverage for self-employment
For self-employed workers who would be dually covered under both countries’ systems absent the Agreement:
- Self-employed workers who reside in the United States are assigned U.S. coverage.
- Self-employed workers who reside in Sweden are assigned Swedish coverage.
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Swedish certificates for employees
To establish your exemption from coverage under the U.S. Social Security system, your employer in Sweden must request a certificate of coverage (form SW/US 101) from the Swedish Regional Social Insurance Office for the region in which the Swedish employer is located.
Please provide the following information:
- Full name of worker (including maiden name for a married woman);
- Date and place of birth;
- Citizenship;
- Country of worker’s birth;
- Country of worker’s permanent residence;
- U.S. Social Security number;
- Name and relationship of family members accompanying the worker;
- Address in Sweden, if known;
- Date of hire;
- Country of hire;
- Name and address of the employer in the United States and Sweden; and
- Date of transfer and anticipated date of return from Sweden.
Under the U.S. - Sweden Agreement, if you work as an employee in the United States, you normally will be covered by the United States Social Security system, and you and your employer will pay Social Security and Medicare taxes only to the United States. If you work as an employee in Sweden, you normally will be covered by the Agreement country, and your employer pay social security taxes only to Sweden.
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Swedish certificates for self-employed workers
- Self-employed workers who reside in the United States are assigned U.S. coverage.
- Self-employed workers who reside in Sweden are assigned Swedish coverage.
Workers normally self-employed in one country who transfer their trade or business to the other country for five years or fewer will remain covered under the country from which the worker transferred the self-employment activity.
If you reside in Sweden, to request a certificate, write to the Swedish Regional Social Insurance Office for the region in which you reside.
Be sure to provide the following information in your letter:
- Full name (including maiden name for a married woman);
- Date and place of birth;
- Citizenship;
- Country of permanent residence;
- U.S. and Swedish social security number;
- Name and relationship of all family members accompanying you;
- Address in Sweden, if known;
- Nature of self-employment activity;
- Dates the activity was or will be performed; and
- Name and address of your trade or business in both countries.
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Monthly benefits
Sweden has a new pension system that covers people born in 1938 or later. People born in 1937 or earlier will continue to receive their benefits only under the old system. People born between 1938 and 1953 will receive part of their benefits under the old system and part under the new system. People born in 1954 or later will receive their benefits only under the new system.
Since the new system applies only partially to people retiring today, the following table only explains the eligibility requirements for Swedish benefits under the old system. Under the old system, Sweden pays benefits through a two-tier program: the first tier pays a basic pension based on residence; and the second tier pays an earnings-related supplementary pension (ATP).
Under U.S. Social Security, you may earn up to a maximum of four credits each year depending on the amount of your covered earnings. For example, in 2022, you receive one credit for each $1,410 of your covered annual earnings up to a maximum of four credits per year. The amount of earnings needed to equal one work credit changes slightly each year.
Under the Swedish system, credits are measured in years. To simplify the information in the table, U.S. requirements are shown in years of credits.
|
Retirement or old-age benefits |
|
United States |
Sweden** |
Worker—Full benefit at full retirement age.* Reduced benefit as early as age 62. Required work credits range from one and one-half to 10 years (10 years if age 62 in 1991 or later). |
Worker— |
*Full retirement age for people born in 1942 is age 65 and 10 months. The full retirement age increases gradually until it reaches age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
**Sweden has a new pension system. People born in 1938 or later receive at least part of their benefits under this new system. People born in 1937 or earlier receive benefits only under the old system. The table shows the eligibility requirements for benefits only under the old system.
Disability benefits |
|
United States |
Sweden** |
Worker—Under full retirement age* can get benefit if unable to do any substantial gainful work for at least a year. One and one-half to 10 years credit needed, depending on age at date of onset. Some recent work credits also needed unless worker is blind. |
Worker— |
*Full retirement age for people born in 1942 is age 65 and 10 months. The full retirement age increases gradually until it reaches age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
**Sweden has a new pension system. People born in 1938 or later receive at least part of their benefits under this new system. People born in 1937 or earlier receive benefits only under the old system. The table shows the eligibility requirements for benefits only under the old system.
|
Family benefits to dependents of retired or disabled people |
|
United States |
Sweden |
Spouse—Full benefit at full retirement age* or at any age if caring for the worker’s entitled child under age 16 (or disabled before age 22). Reduced benefit as early as age 62 if not caring for a child. |
Spouse—No provision. However, a means-tested wife’s supplement to the basic pension may be payable for a spouse who is at least age 60. Certain residence requirements may apply. |
Divorced spouse—Full benefit at full retirement age.* Reduced benefit as early as age 62. Must be unmarried and have been married to worker for at least 10 years. |
Divorced spouse—No provision. |
Children—If unmarried, up to age 18 (age 19 if in an elementary or secondary school full time) or any age if disabled before age 22. |
Children—No provision. |
*Full retirement age for people born in 1942 is age 65 and 10 months. The full retirement age increases gradually until it reaches age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
**Sweden has a new pension system. People born in 1938 or later receive at least part of their benefits under this new system. People born in 1937 or earlier receive benefits only under the old system. The table shows the eligibility requirements for benefits only under the old system.
|
Survivors benefits |
|
United States |
Sweden** |
Surviving spouse—Full benefit at full retirement age* or at any age if caring for the deceased’s entitled child under age 16 (or disabled before age 22). Reduced benefit as early as age 60 (or age 50 if disabled) if not caring for child. Benefits may be continued if remarriage occurs after age 60 (or age 50 if disabled). |
Widow (worker died prior to 1/1/90 or widow born in 1944 or earlier)— |
Widower—No provision. |
|
Divorced Surviving Spouse—Same as surviving spouse if marriage lasted at least 10 years. |
Divorced widow— Same as widow if worker died prior to 1/1/90. No provision if worker died 1/1/90 or later. |
Divorced widower—No provision. |
|
| Children—Same as for children of retired or disabled worker. | Children— |
| Lump-sum death benefit—A one-time payment not to exceed $255 payable on the death of an insured worker. | Lump-sum death benefit—No provision. |
*Full retirement age for people born in 1942 is age 65 and 6 months. The full retirement age increases gradually until it reaches age 67 for people born in 1962 or later.
**Sweden has a new pension system. People born in 1938 or later receive at least part of their benefits under this new system. People born in 1937 or earlier receive benefits only under the old system. The table shows the eligibility requirements for benefits only under the old system.
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How benefits can be paid
If you have social security credits in both the United States and Sweden, you may be eligible for benefits from one or both countries. If you meet all the basic requirements under one country’s system, you will get a regular benefit from that country. If you do not meet the basic requirements, the Agreement may help you qualify for a benefit as explained below.
- Benefits from the United States - If you do not have enough work credits under the U.S. system to qualify for regular benefits, you may be able to qualify for a partial benefit from the United States based on both United States and Swedish credits. However, to be eligible to have your Swedish credits counted, you must have earned at least six credits (generally one and one-half years of work) under the U.S. system. If you already have enough credits under the U.S. system to qualify for a benefit, the United States cannot count your Swedish credits.
- Benefits from Sweden - Sweden provides survivors and disability benefits through two separate programs.
- A “basic” pension program pays flat-rate benefits to Swedish residents with at least three years residence or three years ATP coverage. The pension normally is payable outside Sweden only to Swedish nationals with at least three years of ATP coverage. However, under the Agreement, U.S. nationals residing outside Sweden can receive the basic pension on the same basis as Swedish nationals. In addition, U.S. credits can be counted to help meet the three-year ATP coverage requirement.
- A “supplementary” pension program for workers, known by the initials “ATP,” pays benefits based on how long you worked and the amount you earned. To be eligible for an ATP pension, you must generally have at least three years of ATP credits. If you do not meet this requirement, but have at least one year of ATP credits, U.S. credits may be counted to help you qualify.
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Claims for benefits
If you live in the United States and wish to apply for United States or Swedish benefits:
- Visit or write any U.S. Social Security office.
- Phone our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. any business day. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.
- Complete SSA-2490-BK (Application for Benefits Under a U.S. International Social Security Agreement) and mail to your local Social Security Administration office.
If you live in Sweden and wish to apply for U.S. or Swedish benefits, contact:
Federal Benefits Unit
United States Embassy
PO Box 4075 AMB
0244 Oslo
NORWAY - Any Swedish social security office to file for U.S. or Swedish benefits.
You can apply with one country and ask to have your application considered as a claim for benefits from the other country. Information from your application will then be sent to the other country. Each country will process the claim under its own laws—counting credits from the other country when appropriate—and notify you of its decision.
If you have not applied for benefits before, you may need to provide certain information and documents when you apply.
This will include the worker’s:
- United States and Swedish social security numbers;
- Proof of age for all claimants;
- Evidence of the worker’s U.S. earnings in the past 24 months; and
- Information about the worker’s coverage under the Swedish system.
You should consider calling the social security office before you go there to see if you need any other information.
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Payment of benefits
Each country pays its own benefit. U.S. payments are made by the U.S. Department of Treasury each month and cover benefits for the preceding month. Payments under the Swedish system are made by the National Insurance Board, generally between the 12th and 17th of each month, and cover benefits for that month. For more information, contact the Swedish authorities at the address in the section titled, “For more information.”
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For more information about Sweden's social security programs
For more information about Sweden’s social security programs, visit https://www.pensionsmyndigheten.se/ for old-age and survivor programs, or https://www.forsakringskassan.se/ for the disability program.
You may also write to:
National Social Insurance Board
Lagbyran
S-10351 Stockholm
SWEDEN