As a Swedish, having insurance is a way of getting financial protection against some kinds of risks. Risks by their nature come knocking at the most unexpected of times. You never want to imagine getting involved in a road accident while the previous week lost a job and is the sole bread winner. These are sad realities that happen. If you haven’t been a victim then probably you know someone who has been through such, or has read about them. Better still, you never know when the tide may turn against you.
As much as everyone wishes and prays that adversity do not come their way, it can never be enough to do so. It is a personal responsibility to move ahead and get an insurance for every risk that you anticipate to come your way. In the unfortunate event that a risk occurs to you in Sweden, your insurance companies will come racing to bail you out. The nature and severity of risks in Sweden vary widely including theft to traffic accidents.
The common denominator in all the risks is if they occur, will set you off a couple of Swedish Kroner to get back, sometimes you don’t even have the money to begin with. The popular insurance in Sweden includes health, travel, unemployment, home, car, and pet.
Health Insurance Sweden
Sjukförsäkring, or rather the Swedish health insurance, pays treatment for any individual who lives and works in Sweden. However, one has to pay a small part of the costs referred to as patient charges. Through insurance, one may get assistance with patient transport, dental care, medical treatment, medicine, hospital treatment, and physiotherapy.
The Swedish municipalities oversee the health and healthcare services of their regions just like Denmark. Also, at the local level, the municipalities offer care for elderly and disabled patients after they come from the hospital. As a person who plans to stay for over 1 year in Sweden, you should have a personnummer. This is the Swedish tax identification number. It helps one in accessing the public health scheme.
Furthermore, the municipality provides coverage for dental care costs for residents below 23 years. Moreover, 70% of the nation’s healthcare services are funded by local government taxes. Although the public health insurance is good, the customers do experience long wait times. Thus, people opt for private health insurance.
In private hospitals, there are short wait times. Also, when you go to a private hospital, you will be able to see a specialist. One may also have the chance to choose a practitioner. As a foreigner, speaking Swedish may be hard; thus, getting to choose your practitioner is more advantageous.
Unemployment Insurance in Sweden
A Sweden resident who becomes unemployed can get unemployment benefits. It is done through ersättning från a-Kassa or the unemployment insurance scheme. The unemployment insurance is mainly applicable to the individuals who have worked or are currently working in Sweden.
In getting the benefits, you should fulfil the following conditions:
- Be at the labour market disposal
- Registered as a jobseeker at the Swedish Public Employment Service
- Has the capacity to work for at least 3 hours daily (17 hours weekly)
- Have worked for at least 6 months in the past 12 months or 80 hours monthly
After qualifying for the benefits, you will get them for at least 300 days. However, for the children who have children during that period, they may be granted 150 more days. The amount one is qualified for is 80% of the amount that was previously paid for the first 100 days. For the next 200 days, the level is 70% of the previous income. Even with that, it is important to note that the maximum is SEK 910 daily.
Car Insurance
Do you own a car in Sweden? Then it is mandatory for you to have insurance when driving it around or even when parked, the same case in Estonia. The minimum required car insurance is motor third-party liability insurance. The insurance offers compensation for damage or injury that you cause to another individual. It can also be a third party’s property or vehicle.
Apart from the third-party insurance, there is a third party, fire, and theft insurance. It covers damage that you cause to your car. Moreover, it covers roadside assistance, damage because of theft, glass repair, fire damage, breakdown, electronics, and legal expenses.
Lastly, in Sweden, we have comprehensive insurance. The insurance covers both the third-party, fire, and theft insurance as well as third party liability insurance. Besides, it indemnifies coverage for vehicle damage, external accidents, and damage to your own car because of a road traffic accident.
Home Insurance
Are you looking forward to protecting your home? The best step to take is taking home insurance. It is the best decision any homeowner can make as it offers economic compensation in case of an accident, sickness, fire, or burglary. Home insurance does not just cover the contents of the house. Instead, it also covers the structure of the house. The insurance further travel-related costs as well as liability and legal linked expenses.
Life Insurance in Sweden
At times it can be confusing on which insurance to take and which one to leave. While growing old, we marry, start businesses, and build families. During those moments is when we realize the importance of life insurance for having a sound financial plan. It is one of the best insurances to take as a Swedish resident because through it; you are assured that money is available to protect your family after passing on. Also, it might help you pay off some debts such as car loans or mortgages.
Travel Insurance
Planning to travel in or outside Sweden? Why not take travel insurance. Having travel insurance is so advantageous. First, it covers medical expenses as well as emergency assistance. This happens when you or even the person you are travelling with falls sick while on holiday. Secondly, it covers personal luggage and possession. For instance, you will be reimbursed when your luggage gets lost while travelling. Moreover, the insurance covers legal expenses, cancellation, and personal accidents. Travelling is usually memorable, and anything can happen when traveling, such as getting hurt during an adventure.
Pet Insurance in Sweden
Having a pet is good for any Swedish. In some way, they help us manage depression and loneliness as they are always around to provide us with unconditional love. Therefore, when they get sick or injured, we do not want to watch them suffer. Instead, we usually want them to get fast medical attention to be back to normal. Sickness can be inconveniencing at times, especially when you do not have money, and that is the reason you should take pet insurance. Pet insurance covers veterinary care, life insurance, breeding as well as rehabilitation insurance.
Popular insurance companies in Sweden
- AmTrust Insurance Services Sweden AB
- XL Insurance Company LTD
- Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG Filial Sweden
- Markel International Sweden
- Nordic Insurance & Benefits AB
- Crawford & Company (Sweden) AB
- Howden Insurance Brokers AB (Sweden)
- Byggindustriell Riskmanagement Brim AB
- If insurance company
- Hedvig
