THE SHORT ANSWER
In Sweden, home insurance is one contract that bundles several types of cover. It normally includes your belongings, liability, legal expenses, assault and travel cover. According to Insurance Sweden, nearly 97 per cent of the population has home insurance.
What needs insuring depends on your housing: a rental, a tenant-owned apartment or a house you own. Start with the policy letter. It shows the address, the type of housing and the people the contract covers. Population registration and social insurance are separate questions from home insurance. [1][2]
Keep these points in mind
- One contract, five parts with their own terms.
- Your type of housing determines what else needs insuring.
- Check that everyone who should be covered appears on the letter.
STEP BY STEP
How to check your cover
Describe your housing
Note whether you rent first-hand, sublet, rent a room in someone's home or own the property. According to Konsumenternas, anyone with a first-hand rental contract needs their own home insurance. Anyone subletting or renting a room also needs their own, and is normally not covered by the landlord's policy, because you do not share a household.
When you rent, the landlord insures the building itself. Your home insurance covers you and your belongings. No law requires home insurance, but some landlords require it before they let the home to you. Read your rental contract.
[3][9]Find out what else needs insuring
If you own a tenant-owned apartment, Konsumenternas says you need both home insurance and insurance for the apartment itself. That insurance pays for damage inside the apartment. It can be bought as a supplement to the home policy, or the housing association may offer a collective solution. If so, read the association's statement separately.
If you own a house, you need buildings insurance for the house and home insurance for you and your belongings, or a combined house and home policy. The bank lending you money usually requires a purchased home to be insured. Check that the building appears on the letter, not just your belongings.
[4][5][9]Check who the letter covers
According to Konsumenternas, one home policy can cover everyone registered at the address who shares the household. Some insurers instead require each family member to be named on the policy letter. Read which people your letter lists.
If you or a family member does not yet have a personal identity number, ask the insurer whether the policy also covers that person. Someone moving into the home does not by itself make that person part of the contract.
[6][7]Read the limits on the policy letter
Look for the policy period, the sum insured for your belongings and the excess. Then read liability, legal expenses, assault and travel cover separately. According to Konsumenternas, travel cover usually applies to trips of up to 45 days, and 60 days in a couple of policies.
Note the add-ons actually listed on the letter. A missing add-on is not automatically a gap. If something is unclear, ask the insurer to explain that specific point in writing and keep the reply with the letter.
[1]
Without a personal identity number, the route can look different
Stockholm University writes that people with a personal identity number can take out home insurance with most Swedish insurers, while it may be harder without one. Some insurers offer home insurance for international students and researchers without requiring one. Others require a coordination number from the Swedish Tax Agency.
If you rent housing provided by a university, home insurance may be a condition of the lease. Stockholm University, for example, requires the policy to cover the entire lease period. Other universities and landlords may have other requirements, so read your own contract.
[8][7]Bring the letters together, keep decisions separate
Keep policy letters and terms in My Forsio, which you sign in to with BankID. There you can see policy periods and open the documents. In About you, you can answer questions about your housing. The answers add context but do not change the contract.
Forsio does not determine which insurance you need or whether a person is covered. The overview uses the documents it can read; it does not guarantee support for every foreign document or language. If a person, address or limit is not shown, the insurer needs to confirm it.
Fictional example
One letter, three things to check.
Noa has moved to Sweden and sublets an apartment with a partner. A policy letter has been added.
- Housing type on the letter
- Rental, sublet
- Belongings in the home
- 250 000 kr
- Partner covered
- Unverified
The letter shows the housing type and amount, but not that both people are included. The insurer needs to confirm who the contract covers.
Common questions
Is home insurance mandatory in Sweden?
No law requires it. Some landlords require home insurance before letting a home, and the bank usually requires a purchased home to be insured. According to Insurance Sweden, nearly 97 per cent of the population has home insurance. [9][2]
What is the difference between home insurance and house insurance?
Home insurance covers you, your belongings and the personal types of cover. Buildings insurance for a house covers the house itself, including fixtures and the plot. Homeowners need both, or a combined house and home policy. Check that the building appears on the letter. [5]
Do I need home insurance as a student?
According to Konsumenternas, you need your own home insurance when you move away from your parents' home to study. Insurers often sell student policies with lower sums insured. If you rent student housing, the lease may also require you to have home insurance. [3][8]
Does home insurance cover the whole family?
It can cover everyone registered at the address who shares the household, but some insurers require each person to be named on the letter. Children under 18 who split their time between your home and another parent's home may also be covered. Check what your letter says. [6][3]
I am staying with a host family. Does their home insurance cover me?
According to Konsumenternas, someone who arrived as a refugee and is staying with a host family is commonly included in the family's home insurance. Once you are in the population register, some insurers may require you to take out your own policy. Ask the host family to check with their insurer. [7]
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: what does home insurance include?
- Insurance Sweden: almost everyone in Sweden has home insurance
- Konsumenternas: home insurance for different types of housing
- Konsumenternas: insurance for tenant-owned apartments
- Konsumenternas: buildings insurance and combined house policies
- Konsumenternas: who home insurance covers
- Konsumenternas: insurance for people new to Sweden
- Stockholm University: home insurance when relocating to Sweden
- If: home insurance, legal requirements and who is covered