Can I take leave to care for a seriously ill relative in Sweden?
Yes — you have the right to take leave and receive carer's allowance when you care for a seriously ill close person. It applies only if the person is seriously, life-threateningly ill and you yourself are insured in Sweden. The allowance is around 80 % of your income at sickness benefit level, up to a cap of 10 price base amounts. There are 100 days in total per ill person — the days belong to the patient, not to you, and several people sharing the care draw on the same pot. You can take full, three-quarter, half or quarter allowance, for a maximum of five days a week. Two things surprise people: "close person" is broad and includes friends and neighbours, and no practical nursing is required — simply being there counts.
📋 The rules
- The person must be seriously, life-threateningly ill
- Benefit: about 80% of income (sickness-benefit level)
- 100 days in total per sick person
- Can be shared among helpers, at most 5 days/week
- "Relative" is broad — friends and neighbours too
🔓 Exceptions
- A person infected with HIV via blood in Swedish care need not meet the serious-illness criterion
- The support can be given outside hospital and also abroad
- It does not require hands-on nursing — companionship counts
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no penalty — carer's allowance is a benefit, not a permit you can breach. The heavy protection runs the other way: you have employment protection under the Act on Leave for Care of Close Relatives, the employer must grant the leave and may not disadvantage you for taking it. If the employer does so anyway, it can lead to damages. The only practical limit is the pot: 100 days per ill person is shared by everyone who helps, so the days run out collectively.
📎 Official sources
- Social Insurance Agency · Supporting a seriously ill relative →
- Carer Leave Act (1988:1465) · Riksdagen →
- Social Insurance Agency · Current amounts →
❓ Frequently asked
Who can I care for on carer's allowance?
A seriously, life-threateningly ill person. The concept of a close person is broad and includes friends and neighbours, so you do not have to be related to the person you support.
How much do I get?
Around 80 % of your income at sickness benefit level, up to a cap of 10 price base amounts. You can take full, three-quarter, half or quarter allowance, for a maximum of five days a week.
How many days are there?
100 days in total per ill person, not per relative. The days can be shared between several people who help out, which means you all draw down the same pot together.
Must I provide practical nursing?
No. Simply being there as support and company counts, and the support can be given outside hospital and even abroad. The condition concerns the patient's state, not what you do.
Must the employer grant the leave?
Yes. You have employment protection under the Act on Leave for Care of Close Relatives and may not be disadvantaged for taking it. If the employer disadvantages you anyway, it can lead to damages.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I get carer benefit sweden”
- “care for seriously ill relative leave”
- “carer benefit 100 days”
- “carer benefit amount 80”
- “who counts as relative carer”
- “carer leave sweden”