What happens if you get sick?

Overview of business support and rule changes due to the coronavirus

In this overview you will find the support and rule changes made for businesses due to the coronavirus. In the pdf you can see what applies to sole traders and limited companies, and what applies if you are an employer or not. The information will be updated continuously.

Overview of business support and rule in pdf

Sole trader and trading partnership/Limited partnership

1. The qualifying deduction for sick pay is temporarily abolished
2. The requirement for a doctor’s certificate is temporarily abolished
3. Quarantine allowance

Limited company

1. The state covers costs for sick pay
2. The qualifying deduction for sick pay is temporarily abolished
3. The requirement for a doctor’s certificate is temporarily abolished
4. Quarantine allowance

Sole trader and trading partnership/Limited partnership

The qualifying deduction for sick pay is temporarily abolished

Sole traders, trading partnerships/limited partnerships with waiting days or waiting time at the beginning of the sick period apply for compensation for the waiting days or waiting time. You receive compensation of SEK 804 per day. The Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) pays the compensation in the form of sickness benefit for up to 14 days. After those 14 days the usual rules for sick pay apply.

The Social Insurance Agency has an e-service on its website where you can apply for compensation.

Go the the e-service on The Social Insurance Agency's website (in Swedish)

The requirement for a doctor’s certificate is temporarily abolished

Sole traders are also covered by a doctor's certificate, which has been temporarily abolished. This means that if you are on sick leave from 13 March and onwards, you do not need to have a doctor's certificate until you have been sick for more than 21 days (compared to previously 14 days).

Information about the coronavirus at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Quarantine allowance

A doctor may decide that you are not allowed to work because you are – or may be – infected with a socially dangerous disease, such as the coronavirus. You may then be entitled to compensation in the form of a quarantine allowance.

This applies for sole traders at the Swedish Social Insurande Agency

Limited company

Entrepreneurs who run a limited company are counted as employees of their own company. Therefore the following rules apply to you:

The state covers costs for sick pay

It means that you will pay the sick pay via your limited company as usual. You wll then be credited for the sick pay costs you have reported in your employer declaration. The rules apply for the period April, May, June and July. A different calculation applies for the accounting period August–September, and the cost of sick pay is reimbursed according to different percentages, depending on the costs the you as an employer have had.

Information about the coronavirus at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency

The qualifying deduction for sick pay is temporarily abolished

The qualifying deduction for sick pay is temporarily suspended from 11 March. This means that you can apply retroactively for compensation for the qualifying period from 11 March onwards. The employer shall make a qualifying deduction as usual.

You can apply for compensation for the qualifying period in an e-service application on My Pages at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency's website (Försäkringskassan). The compensation will be paid within 3-5 working days. 

This was supposed to be valid until 31 May but the government now proposes to extend this to the 30 September 2020.

Information about the coronavirus at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency

The requirement for a doctor’s certificate is temporarily abolished

If you have reported sick on 13 March or later you do not need to have a doctor’s certificate until after you have been sick for 21 days (compared to previously 8 days for reporting to your comapny and 14 days reporting to the Swedish Social Insurance Agnecy). This means that the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) will be able to pay sickness benefit without doctor’s certificate for the first 21 days of a sick period.

Information about the coronavirus at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Quarantine allowance

A doctor may decide that you are not allowed to work because you are – or may be – infected with a socially dangerous disease, such as the coronavirus. You may then be entitled to compensation in the form of a quarantine allowance.

This applies for limited companies at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency