What are the Annual Leave entitlements in Sweden?

In Sweden, annual leave is a fundamental employee right, designed to provide adequate time for rest and recuperation. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the annual leave entitlements and regulations in Sweden for 2024:


Annual Leave Year:

  • The annual leave year runs from April 1st to March 31st of the following year.


Minimum Leave Entitlement:

  • Employees are entitled to a minimum of 25 days of annual leave per year.


Summer Leave:

  • Employees have the right to take 4 weeks of continuous leave between June and August. Employers cannot refuse this request.


Accrual of Leave:

  • During the first annual leave year (the qualifying year), employees accrue leave at a rate of 2 days per month.
  • Employees can be offered leave days in advance during the qualifying year. If an employee leaves the company before completing 5 years of service, the employer may reclaim these advance days by deducting them from the final salary.


Leave Accumulation and Carry Over:

  • From the second annual leave year onward, employees accrue the full number of days.
  • Employees can carry over up to 5 days of unused leave into the next year. Any additional unused leave days from the first 20 days of the total annual leave can also be carried over if the total leave entitlement exceeds 25 days.
  • Accumulated leave is capped at 50 days over a rolling 5-year period. Leave exceeding this cap expires after 5 years.


These provisions ensure that employees have sufficient time to rest and recharge while also accommodating flexibility in how they manage their leave entitlements. For more detailed information, you can refer to the Swedish Annual Leave Act here.

Was this article helpful?

That’s Great!

Thank you for your feedback

Sorry! We couldn't be helpful

Thank you for your feedback

Let us know how can we improve this article!

Select at least one of the reasons
CAPTCHA verification is required.

Feedback sent

We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article