Handle everything that relates to your membership,
your benefits and your payment online. Forms in English here
Apply for benefits and fill in your timesheet
View your payments and change your contact details.
To sign in to our online services you need a valid e-identification (BankID) on your computer, smartphone or tablet. You use it to authenticate yourself and make electronic signatures. You obtain e-identification via your internet bank or at Telia.
Being a member of the unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa) is a given for anyone who works – it's a future insurance that provides financial security if you become unemployed. No one can predict what will happen in the labour market, and for many, unemployment comes unexpectedly. By joining the unemployment insurance fund from the start, you insure your income and ensure that you can receive benefits if you find yourself between jobs. Here, we go through why membership is important and what you need to think about.
These rules come into effect on 1 October 2025.
The unemployment insurance fund is a future insurance that provides economic security throughout your working life. The idea is that you become a member when you start working to insure your salary, as no one can know exactly what the future holds – in fact, for half of the unemployed members of Akademikernas a-kassa, unemployment was very or somewhat unexpected.
Membership is important for determining what level of benefits you can receive if you were to become unemployed. To receive the highest benefits from the unemployment insurance fund, you need to have been a member during the so-called "ramtid" (qualifying period).
The qualifying period is made up of the 12 months before the month in which you registered as unemployed. If you haven’t been able to work due to illness, caring for children, or full-time studies, the qualifying period can be extended by as many months as you were unable to work. Learn more about what can extend the qualifying period here.
Being able to join the unemployment insurance fund when you work in Sweden is a right. Even if you're not working right now, you have the right to join if you have worked before. It's enough to have worked for at least one hour (for which you paid taxes). As a member of the unemployment insurance fund, it’s important that your membership period is continuous, meaning you pay your membership fee each month.
To become a member of Akademikernas a-kassa, you need to be an academic. To join our specific fund, one of the following requirements must apply.
It’s important for your basic financial security to be covered by a system for unemployment benefits. In Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, membership in the unemployment insurance fund is voluntary, and you need to make sure you join yourself. In other EU/EES countries and Switzerland, unemployment benefits are part of the general social security system, and you are automatically covered when you work, earn wages, and pay taxes. Please note that different rules may apply for self-employed individuals.
In Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, the unemployment insurance system is fully or partially tied to membership in an unemployment insurance fund, and it is voluntary to join. If you start working in any of these countries, you must apply for membership and pay the membership fee to be insured for unemployment.
Membership of an unemployment insurance fund in another country cannot be replaced by membership of a Swedish unemployment insurance fund. If you’ve worked in Denmark or Finland and haven’t been a member of the right unemployment insurance fund, it can affect your ability to claim unemployment benefits in Sweden if you return here to look for work. Example: If you start working in Finland, you should apply for membership in a Finnish unemployment insurance fund right away, and once you've received confirmation of your membership, you can cancel your membership with Akademikernas a-kassa.
