Financial support (maintenance)
Here you will find information about what concerns your livelihood in Sweden.
Own resources or compensation
You should at first hand be able to support yourself and your family. Parents with their own income are responsible for providing for their under-age children. Married and cohabiting couples share responsibility for the family's finances. This means that the Swedish Migration Agency will also take your partner's income into account when assessing whether or not you have the right to financial support.
Daily allowance
If you are unable to support yourself, you can apply for a daily allowance. In addition to food, the daily allowance needs to cover clothing and shoes, medical care and medicines, dental care, hygiene items, other consumable items and leisure activities.
For example, if you have a job, cash or things that can be sold, you will not receive a day allowance. The same applies if you receive a pension or any other type of benefit from your home country. If your own income is lower than the daily allowance level, you are entitled to the difference.
Also keep in mind (as you already read in the section on accommodation) that if you arrange your accommodation yourself, your choice of residential area may affect your opportunity to receive financial assistance. More information about this can be found in the section on accommodation.
The size of the daily allowance depends on whether food is included in the accommodation. It also depends on whether you are single or if you live with a spouse or cohabitant. To cohabitate with someone in this context means sharing household costs with someone. For children, the size of the daily allowance is also affected by the age and number of children in the family.
In accommodations where food is included, the daily allowance is
- 24 SEK/day for a single adult
- SEK 19/day per person for adults who live together with their partner
- SEK 19/day per person aged 18 - 20 who live together with their parents
- 12 SEK/day for children up to 17 years.
In accommodations where food is not included, the daily allowance is
- 71 SEK/day for a single adult
- SEK 61/day per person for adults who live together with their partner
- SEK 61/day per person aged 18 - 20 who live together with their parents
- 37 SEK/day for children aged 0–3 years
- 43 SEK/day for children aged 4–10 years.
- 50 SEK/day for children aged 11–17 years.
Families with more than two children receive full daily allowance for the two oldest children and half a daily allowance for the other children.
Special allowance
If you have a high need for something that is not covered by the daily allowance, you can apply for a special grant for it. You must then be able to demonstrate that you have both a very high need for the thing/service and for the money. It must be about an extremely urgent need, such as a pair of warm boots if you come to Sweden in the middle of winter. You can only receive grants for the cheapest option required to meet the need that you have stated that you have.
Bank card
Using a bank card, you can withdraw money that you receive from the Swedish Migration Agency from automated tellers (ATMs). You can also use the card to pay in stores and in healthcare. Each adult should have their own bank card.
This account can only be used for Swedish Migration Agency’s money. For example, it is not possible to have a salary deposited into it. It is important to block the card if you lose it.
Here you will find information about bank cards
Make sure to pay for sick and/or dental care directly on site so you do not get an invoice sent to your home, because that may result in an additional charge. If you receive an invoice, it is important that you pay it on time. The Swedish Migration Agency cannot pay it for you. If you wait too long to pay the invoice, you may have to pay a penalty fee. If you do not pay then either, the debt can be passed on to the Swedish Enforcement Authority and there will be a high interest rate with extra costs.
