Certificate U2 - Certificate for applying for work in the EU/EEA

If you are unemployed, you can take your Swedish unemployment benefit with you to look for work in another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. To do this, you need a Certificate U2 from IAF. With the support of this certificate, your Swedish unemployment insurance fund pays unemployment benefit for three months when you are looking for work in any of these countries.

Flagpoles with flags from EU-countries

Flagpoles with EU-flags

Do you wish to apply for Certificate U2?

Here you can find the application for Certificate U2!

This is how it works

To obtain a certificate, it is a requirement that

you are entitled to unemployment benefit,
you have been completely unemployed and registered at the Swedish Public Employment Service for at least four weeks before your departure,
you have applied for a Certificate U2 before your date of departure.

Exporting unemployment benefit to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland

The withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) and Northern Ireland from the EU affects your right to get a U2 certificate, if you intend to look for work in the UK or Northern Ireland and at the same time continue to receive Swedish unemployment benefit. Below, we explain the rules that applies from 2021 and onwards.

New rules from 2021

On 1 January 2021, the UK and Northern Ireland's Withdrawal Agreement with the EU will take effect.

This allows people who are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement to apply, subject to certain conditions, to export their unemployment benefit when they wish to apply for a job in the UK or Northern Ireland.

Cross-border situation gives entitlement to apply for a U2 certificate

With effect from 1 January 2021, only those who were in a cross-border situation before the end of the transition period and are still in such a situation thereafter will, subject to certain conditions, be able to apply for work based on a U2 certificate in the UK or Northern Ireland for three months.