THE SHORT ANSWER
The name funeral insurance describes what the money is meant for, but the terms show what is paid. According to Konsumenternas, some life policies with small amounts are sometimes called funeral insurance. The amount is paid on death, provided the policy is in force at that time.
Part of the cost of a funeral is already paid through the burial fee, which everyone registered as resident in Sweden pays. Death cover may also exist through work, a union or other personal policies. This guide helps you see what is already in place before reading a new offer. [2][1][3]
Keep these points in mind
- Funeral insurance is often life insurance with a smaller amount.
- The burial fee pays for a grave, burial and cremation, among other things, but not everything.
- Death cover may already exist through work, a union or other policies.
STEP BY STEP
How to check your cover
Read what your policy actually pays
Find the policy document and look for the death benefit, premium, policy period and recipient. Note when the policy ends. According to Konsumenternas, most life policies end when you are between 67 and 90.
According to Konsumenternas, life policies with small amounts have deteriorated in recent years: they pay less and cost more. Add up what you pay per year and put the total beside the amount in the statement. This helps you understand the agreement; it is not a verdict on keeping or ending it.
[1][2]See what the burial fee already pays for
Everyone registered as resident in Sweden pays the burial fee. Under the Burial Act, the body responsible for burials must provide, at no cost to the estate, a grave for 25 years, burial, cremation and certain transport. This also includes a room for keeping and viewing the deceased and a room for a ceremony without religious symbols.
The fee does not pay for everything. According to the Church of Sweden's overview, the estate pays for items such as the coffin, shroud, funeral director, death notice, flowers, refreshments at a memorial gathering and the headstone. According to Efterlevandeguiden, whoever orders the funeral is responsible for making sure the funeral director is paid.
[3][4][5][6]Ask work and the union about death cover
According to Konsumenternas, many group policies through an employer or trade union may include a death benefit, but the amount is often quite low. Ask for the current insurance statement and who receives the money. A general benefits leaflet alone does not show what applies to you personally.
People working for a company with a collective agreement have occupational group life insurance, known as TGL. According to Avtalat, TGL for manual workers includes funeral assistance: 29 600 kr in 2026, always paid to the estate. Ask your employer which agreement applies to you and what it contains.
[1][8][6]Go through your other personal policies
Read the section on death in each personal policy. According to Konsumenternas, sickness and accident policies often include a smaller death benefit. Loan protection and survivor cover in an occupational pension can also work like life insurance.
If you hold several such policies, Konsumenternas says the benefit is paid to survivors from each one. If a death occurs abroad, also check travel and home insurance. According to Efterlevandeguiden, the estate otherwise pays for bringing the coffin or urn back to Sweden.
[1][7]
Funeral insurance, life insurance and group life cover
According to Konsumenternas, life insurance is risk cover and not savings. Survivors receive a lump sum if the policy is in force when you die. A policy called funeral insurance is often this kind of life insurance, with a smaller amount.
Group policies through work or a union, and TGL, are tied to employment or membership. Read how long the cover lasts and what happens if either changes. Konsumenternas also warns about life policies mistakenly seen as savings for your own funeral.
[1][2][8]Keep your own statements together, without drawing conclusions
Keep your policy documents and statements from work or a union in My Forsio. You then have amounts, periods and recipients in one place when reading which death cover exists. If a statement from work is missing, the cover is Unverified, not confirmed absent.
Forsio does not decide who receives a payment, what a funeral costs or whether cover is enough. My Forsio is your own overview and gives no access to a deceased person's insurance. After a death, the estate contacts the insurers, employers and authorities concerned directly.
Fictional example
Three sources of cover, one open question.
Maja wants to understand what already exists before reading an offer of funeral insurance.
- Burial fee
- Grave, burial and cremation
- Group policy through the union
- Death benefit in the statement
- TGL through work
- UnverifiedAsk the employer for the current statement.
There is already cover in the documents. The statement from work needs confirming before Maja knows what exists in total.
Common questions
What does the burial fee pay for?
Under the Burial Act, the body responsible must provide, at no cost to the estate, a grave for 25 years, burial, cremation, certain transport up to the burial, a room for keeping and viewing the deceased and a room for a ceremony without religious symbols. The estate pays for the coffin, funeral director, headstone and memorial gathering. [4][5]
What is a death benefit?
It is an amount paid when the insured person dies, under the policy terms. According to Konsumenternas, death benefits exist in life policies, in many group policies through an employer or trade union and often in sickness and accident policies. If someone holds several such policies, the benefit is paid from each one. [1]
Does insurance through work include funeral assistance?
It may. Efterlevandeguiden says the employer may have a policy providing funeral assistance if the deceased was under 70 and still working. According to Avtalat, TGL for manual workers with a collective agreement includes funeral assistance of 29 600 kr in 2026. Ask the employer what applies under your agreement. [6][8]
Who pays for the funeral if the estate's money is not enough?
The estate's money must first be used for the funeral, and that cost comes before rent and household electricity, for example. If the money is not enough, the estate can apply for financial support from the social services office in the municipality where the deceased was registered. The application is made before the funeral is ordered. [6][7]
Do I need funeral insurance?
Forsio does not decide that. Start with what already exists: the burial fee, cover through work and a union, and death benefits in your other policies. Then read the amount, premium and policy period in any offer. Konsumenternas points out that life policies with small amounts are sometimes mistakenly seen as savings for your own funeral. [2][1]
MY FORSIO
Bring the documents together when life changes.
Keep insurance documents in one place in My Forsio. Read periods, limitations and details that need confirmation. Free for individuals.
Sources and references
Sources checked
This guide explains general principles of Swedish insurance. Your policy schedule and terms set out what applies to you.
- Konsumenternas: death benefits in different policies
- Konsumenternas: small life policies called funeral insurance
- Swedish Tax Agency: the burial fee
- Swedish Parliament: Burial Act, Chapter 9, Section 6
- Church of Sweden: the costs of a funeral
- Efterlevandeguiden: planning a funeral, costs and funeral assistance
- Efterlevandeguiden: transport after a death
- Avtalat: occupational group life insurance and funeral assistance for manual workers