Which Is the Best Insurance Company In Sweden?
The best insurance company in Sweden all around for newcomers in Sweden is Hedvig. They offer all different types of insurances you need, have full English support and website, along with a no-lock in period policy.
Toplist Insurance Companies in Sweden 2025
These 4 insurance companies stand out for expats in Sweden:
Insurer | Mutual? | English Support | Digital claims | Speciality | Insurance types |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hedvig | No | Yes (full English site and app) | Yes (in-app) | No lock-in periods | Home, car, pet, student, accident |
Gofido | No | Yes (English-speaking customer service) | Yes (24/7 digital claims) | Highly customizable home insurance | Home (rental, villa, apartment) |
Sensor Försäkring | No | Yes (English-speaking customer service) | Partial (digital backend but no app) | Personalized advice | Home, car, health, personal |
Lassie | No | Yes (English app and website) | Yes (in-app) | Only pet insurance | Pet (dog and cat) |
It’s important to choose the right insurance company when arriving in Sweden, to have that small peace of mind.
How Do You Choose the Best Insurance Company in Sweden?
Picking the best insurance company in Sweden is different for everybody, as one company isn’t the best for everyone. Therefore, you should setup your own priority list for what is most important for you. Here is a list of things that are important to think about when choosing insurance company:
- Coverage: The most important part of any insurance policy is the coverage. If you for example rent a furnished apartment, you want to include their furniture on your cover. If you also know you are a mediocre driver, a car insurance covering “vagnskada” is essential. It all comes down to your personal needs, but looking over the coverage and also comparing it to the other options is strongly recommended.
- Compare total cost: Look at what changing the deductibles (“självrisk”) does on the final price. Also make sure you are fine at the level you pick. A higher deductible means you need a larger money reserve yourself, while a lower one means you need to pay more per month.
- Language support: Make sure the company you choose has support available in English. Also, you should make sure the company has a translated version of their policies and the agreements you sign. You have to actually understand what you are buying, not just go with your gut feeling.
- Get quotes: It’s important to get quotes from multiple companies before going with one. This is typically done by just contacting them directly, over the phone or via a live chat. Compare the policy documents as well as the price, not just the price.
Which Types of Insurances Are There in Sweden?
The Swedish insurance market offers both a wide spectrum of “insurance of things” (“sakförsäkring” in Swedish) and personal insurances (“personförsäkring” in Swedish). Here are the most common categories you will encounter as an expat:
- Motor insurance (“fordonsförsäkring”)
- Home insurance (“hemförsäkring”)
- Health insurance (“personförsäkring” or “sjukvårdsförsäkring”)
- Accident insurance (“olycksfallsförsäkring”)
1. Motor Insurance (“fordonsförsäkring”)
Motor insurance in Sweden can be taken out on all types of vehicles. These include the following:
- Cars
- Motorcycles
- ATVs
- Boats
- Campervans/RV’s
- Mopeds
- Moped cars
- Trailers
- Water scooter
- Snow scooter
- Tractors
- Electric vehicles (can sometimes be covered by the home insurance)
If a vehicle is driven on public roads, it’s required to at least have traffic insurance (“trafikförsäkring”) by law. All other insurance types however, are not required by law but highly recommended for your economical situation.
2. Home Insurance (“hemförsäkring”)
Home insurance is the most important insurance except for car insurance. It covers your home, no matter what type it is (villa, rental, or apartment). Beyond the home, Swedish home insurance also covers a variety of other things. These typically include:
- Basic travel insurance (up to 45 days)
- Liability insurance
- Glass breakage
- You and the people living with you (this includes things like robberies, stolen items, lost items etc.)
3. Health Insurance (“personförsäkring” or “sjukvårdsförsäkring”)
Sweden’s public system is universal but many people still choose to get private policies. Even some swedes themselves get so called illness insurance (“sjukvårdsförsäkring” in Swedish). Important to note is that there is a gap of coverage in the public healthcare system for foreigners during visa or citizenship applications. It’s therefore recommended to get health insurance as an expat.
4. Accident Insurance (“olycksfallsförsäkring”)
Accident insurance (“olycksfallsförsäkring” in Swedish) provides financial support in case you can’t work during the recovery period or gives financial support to beneficiaries. In case of disability, you can also get a large payout from the accident insurance. Keep in mind though this is often already included by your employer under collective agreements (“kollektivavtal”).
There are also several other types of insurances, which are not really needed for the average person just moving to Sweden. They can come at a later stage, once you are settled in and perhaps bought a house or apartment. Here is a list of other types of insurances in Sweden:
- Travel insurance (“reseförsäkring”, standalone policies are not that common)
- Life insurance (“livförsäkring”)
- Liability insurance (“ansvarsförsäkring”)
- Pet insurance (“djurförsäkring”)
- Business insurance (“företagsförsäkring”)
Do You Need Insurance in Sweden?
Only car insurance is required by law in Sweden. Even though the other types of insurances are not legally required, it’s a key part for you to uphold your personal finance.
Home insurance, is pretty much a must when living in Sweden. 97% of Swedes hold home insurance and is often mandatory in rental contracts. Even when you buy an apartment you can be required according to the buying agreement to get home insurance yourself.
What Governmental Insurances Are There in Sweden?
Most known governmental “insurance” in Sweden is the free healthcare, but there is also unemployment insurance (“A-kassa”), which is very popular by the citizens. Here are how they work and what they cover:
- Healthcare: As a registered resident with a personal identity number, you automatically access the entire healthcare system with super subsidized rates. For short-term stays at the hospital or non-EEA nationals awaiting registration, private medical/travel cover is essential. If this is you, get external travel or health insurance.
- Unemployment insurance: Known as “A-kassa” in Sweden is an optional income insurance for all citizens. You pay a very small fee per month to join an “A-kassa” and if you lose your job, you are paid monthly for multiple months. This is especially valuable for those in high paying careers.
Which Insurances Are Required By Law in Sweden?
For regular people, the only insurance required by law in Sweden is motor insurance. All vehicle owners must hold at least TPL cover under the Motor Insurance Act (Trafikförsäkringslagen) before driving on public roads.
There are though some other insurances required but only in certain circumstances. Here are the special circumstances of which insurance is required:
- Employer insurances (if under “kollektivavtal”): Companies bound by collective agreements must provide group life insurance (Tjänstegrupplivförsäkring, TGL) and occupational injury insurance (Tjänstegrupplivs- och TFA-försäkring) as part of employee social benefits.
- Construction contracts: Under standard contract conditions (AB 04, ABT 06), contractors are legally obliged to maintain all-risk and third-party liability cover throughout the build phase and for two years post-completion.
How Much Does Insurance Cost in Sweden?
Insurance costs varies depending on the type of insurance you get, coverage and insurance company. The average person in Sweden pays approximately 8000 SEK per year for all insurance policies according to Svenskforsakring’s numbers from 2023. Here are some average figures from our own research:
- Home insurance: Rental apartments are 150 SEK per month on average. While owned apartments are on average 211 SEK per month. Depending on location, dwelling type and coverage level, you might pay anywhere from 150 to 600 SEK per month.
- Car insurance: Third-party liability only (“trafikförsäkring”) is about 6000 SEK per year for a standard car. A more comprehensive cover though is on average 14 000 SEK per year.
Is Insurance More Expensive for Foreigners in Sweden?
People moving to Sweden often face higher insurance premiums initially, primarly because of no claims history, lack of credit and residency records as well as language barriers.
- No claims history: Swedish insurers heavily weight your “no-claims bonus” when setting their automatic premiums. You as a newcomer to Sweden therefore start with no discount, leading to higher rates until you build up your claim-free years.
- Lack of credit and residency records: Underwriters use credit and address history to assess risk. Without a Swedish footprint, you as an expat may be rated as higher risk, especially for home insurance.
- Language barriers: Since the language barrier for you might make it hard to communicate with local insurance companies, you are left with just a select few to choose from. Therefore the cost of the insurance company you choose might be higher than if you knew Swedish.
Once you have lived in Sweden for a few years though, your premiums typically fall in line with those of native Swedes.
How Do You Save Money on Insurance as an Immigrant?
The most important part to save money on insurance as an immigrant is to compare insurances. The premiums can differ 10-60% between companies, even though the terms are similar. Other factors also affect the price of the insurance, such as bundle discounts, the deductible, and negotiations.
- Compare insurances: Comparison sites is the way to go to save money on your insurance policy. These also allow you to play around with the coverage, look at different options easier and actually view the different options side by side.
- Bundle discounts: When signing up for multiple insurance policies, most companies offer you a bundle discount. This is most well-known at Länsförsäkringar, who offer up to 15% discount in total. We suggest you still compare this though, since the discount might not always make up the difference in price to other companies.
- The deductible: Opt for a higher deductible to reduce premiums. Each 1000 SEK increase in the deductible can cut your rate by 5-10%.
- Negotiations: It’s important to negotiate with the insurance company, and also do it regularly. We recommend renegotiating annually, or switching insurance company. A simple phone call will do!
Can You Get Insurance if You Are Not a Swedish Citizen?
Yes, you can get insurance even if you are not a Swedish citizen yet. Swedish insurers base eligibility on your residency status and local ties, not your nationality. As long as you have a valid Swedish personal identity number (“personnummer”) or a coordination number (“samordningsnummer”), you can purchase most standard policies. These include home, auto, health and liability insurance policies, and your terms will then be the same as those of a citizens.
Some specialized products like certain life or income-protection plans may have additional underwriting questions though, but you won’t be categorically excluded for lacking citizenship. Keep in mind though, insurance companies in Sweden are private companies, which means they do have the right to reject you as a customer.
What Is Required to Get Insurance in Sweden?
Only a personal identity number (“personnummer”) or “samordningsnummer” is needed in order to get insurance in Sweden. If you want to get auto insurance you also need a valid EU/EEA license, and proof of address if you get home insurance.
Is it Hard to Get Insurance in Sweden?
It’s very easy to get insurance in Sweden, even if you don’t have your citizenship accepted yet. For most newcomers, the process is straightforward by just signing the agreement online and it usually doesn’t take more than 10 minutes total.
Most home and motor insurance policies even provide immediate proof of insurance upon payment, enabling you to do what you want without delay.
Why Is Insurance so Important to Have When Living in Sweden?
Insurance is important when living in Sweden because of financial protection. Sweden’s high cost of living means even minor claims (for example auto repairs, water damage, vet bills) can run into tens of thousands of SEK. A small premium of a couple hundred kronor per month is then well worth it.