You can apply for a pension from the month when your application is submitted to the Swedish Pensions Agency. Pension cannot be applied for retroactively. You apply for a pension on our website with an e-ID that is approved in Sweden. Under the heading Apply for a national public pension if you live in another country, you can read about other rules that may apply to you if you do not live in Sweden. Apply for a national public pension on My pages (in Swedish)
You can also use the form to apply for a pension
Withdrawal of a national public pension
At the earliest, you can withdraw your national public pension from the month during which you turn 63. From 2026, the age limit will gradually be increased in line with increasing life expectancy. You can work while you withdraw your national public pension. You have the right to work until the age of 69, although if you and your employer are come to an agreement, you can work even longer.
When you apply, you decide whether you want to withdraw your full pension, or a part of it, per month. You also decide whether you want to receive your premium pension at the same time as the rest of your national public pension.
A later retirement may give you a higher pension
The later you retire, the higher your pension may be. The reason for this is that you have more time to earn towards your pension if you continue working, and that you are expected to be a pensioner for a shorter period of time.
Apply well in advance
Please apply for your pension three months before you wish to start withdrawing it. If you have lived outside Sweden, you should apply six months before you want to start withdrawing it. When you submit your application, you will receive a decision from us around the 20th of the month before the first month of payment.
How the pension is paid out
The Swedish Pensions Agency pays your national public pension once a month. If you are receiving a survivor’s pension, housing supplement or financial support for the elderly, these benefits are paid at the same time.
Please keep in mind that some occupational pensions are paid out automatically when you reach the age of 65, while you need to apply for other occupational pensions. Please contact your occupational pension company to find out what applies to you.
Tax and pension
If you withdraw your entire national public pension from the Swedish Pensions Agency, we will make a tax deduction according to the tax table that applies to your municipality. If you withdraw your occupational pension at the same time, 30 percent will be deducted from your occupational pensions.
If you only withdraw part of your pension, we will deduct 30 percent tax because we then estimate that we are not paying out the majority of your total income. Your employer or other payer should then deduct tax according to the table.
From the year you turn 67, you will pay less tax on your pension than when you are younger. The lower tax from the age of 67 applies regardless of when you choose to receiving your pension. For pensioners
Apply for a national public pension when you live in another country
If you have worked and paid taxes in Sweden, you have earned a Swedish pension. You are entitled to an income pension, premium pension and supplementary pension even if you settle in another country as a pensioner.
The income pension complement can be paid if you live in Sweden or within the EEA or Switzerland (EEA is the EU countries as well as Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein) or a country which Sweden has signed social security agreements with.
If you are resident outside Sweden, in an EEA country or in Switzerland (the EEA is the EU countries as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), you must apply to the pension authority in the country where you reside.
If you live outside the EEA or Switzerland, you must apply for a Swedish pension yourself by using an application form. You also need to include a life certificate as we only have access to Swedish population registers. Sweden has signed social security agreements with a number of countries outside the EEA, these agreements can affect which pension you receive and which country you should apply from. Please contact customer service if you have questions regarding what applies to the country you live in. Form for applying for a Swedish pension if you live outside Sweden
You should apply for the Swedish pension at least six months before you want to receive your first monthly payment. More about pension when you move from or live outside Sweden