Pensions in Sweden and from two countries

The parts of the Swedish pension

A pension in Sweden is not a single payment. It is made of several parts that add up.

Part	What it is	Can you take it abroad?
Inkomstpension (public)	Part of the public pension (allmän pension)	Yes, in any country
Premiepension (public)	Part of the public pension (allmän pension)	Yes, in any country
Tilläggspension	Supplementary public pension	Yes, in any country
Garantipension	For people with a low or no public pension; based on residence in Sweden	No: only if you live in Sweden
Tjänstepension	The pension from work, through your employer	Ask your employer or pension fund

The orange envelope and minpension.se

If you have earned public pension during the year, the Swedish Pensions Agency (Pensionsmyndigheten) sends you an annual statement: the orange envelope (orange kuvert). It arrives from mid-January to mid-March and you can also find it on Mina sidor.

Read it: it shows what you have earned so far. To see everything in one place, use minpension.se, which gathers your Swedish pensions (public, workplace and private). But remember that pension you earned in another country usually does not show up there. You have to ask the authority in that country.

At what age can you retire?

There is no single age at which the pension "kicks in". For the public pension you choose when to start, within limits.

What	Age
Riktålder (guiding age)	67, from 2026 to 2032
Earliest for the public pension (inkomst- and premiepension)	64 in 2026, that is 3 years before the riktålder
Garantipension	From the riktålder, so 67

The age depends on the part: the public pension can be taken three years before the riktålder, the guarantee pension only from the riktålder.

What changed in 2026

For 2026, inkomstpension and tilläggspension went up by 1.9 %. The garantipension changed slightly, by between −94 and −3 kr a month depending on the level (Pensionsmyndigheten, Så blir pensionen 2026). Always look at the figure in your own orange envelope.

Pension from two EU countries

If you have worked in Sweden and in another EU country, you are entitled to a pension from each country: the periods are counted together, but each country pays only its own part.

How to apply

1. Apply in the country where you live. That country forwards the application to the other. You do not need to file two separate applications.
2. Apply in good time. The Swedish agency says up to a year ahead; minpension.se says six months ahead is usually enough.
3. Expect 4–6 months for a decision.

What to have ready

• the countries where you worked and the periods, from age 15;
• your foreign social security numbers for each country where you worked.

Example: Italy and INPS

Italy is only an example: the same pattern applies to other EU countries. Italy's INPS uses totalizzazione: periods of contributions in other EU countries count towards qualifying for a pension, with at least one year of contributions. Then each institution pays pro quota, that is, in proportion to the periods in its own country.

For other countries, ask the country's pension authority how Swedish periods are treated. If you plan to retire to Italy after living in Sweden, read our sister site's guide Italia Pratica, pensioners.

Living abroad with a Swedish pension

What you keep in any country:

• inkomstpension;
• premiepension;
• tilläggspension.

If you live abroad you must send a levnadsintyg every year, a certificate that you are alive.

Tax on a pension paid abroad

Swedish pensions paid to people living abroad are normally taxed under SINK, the special income tax for non-residents: 22.5 % in 2026 and 20 % from 1 January 2027, with an allowance of 3,799 kr a month in 2026. How to apply is on the Skatteverket website: see also Tax and tax return. The full picture for people leaving Sweden is in Leaving Sweden.

What to do, in order

1. Open the orange envelope every year (or check Mina sidor).
2. Check minpension.se to see all your Swedish pensions.
3. Write down your work periods in each country, with the foreign insurance numbers.
4. Apply 6–12 months ahead, in the country where you live.
5. If you may move away, first check what happens to the guarantee pension and to SINK.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the Swedish pension is a single payment. It is several parts with different rules.
• Not opening the orange envelope. It is your yearly check: errors and gaps show up there.
• Believing minpension.se shows foreign pensions. Usually it does not.
• Filing two separate applications when you have pension in two EU countries: you apply in the country where you live.
• Waiting until the last month. A decision takes 4–6 months.
• Assuming the guarantee pension follows you abroad. It is paid only to people who live in Sweden.
• Forgetting the yearly levnadsintyg if you live outside Sweden.
• Forgetting tax. A pension paid abroad is normally taxed under SINK; also look at the treaty between the countries.