Daily allowance and financial support for asylum seekers

This guide is based on the Migration Agency’s (Migrationsverket) information for people who have applied for international protection (asylum). It explains in broad terms how financial support works. It is general information – the Migration Agency decides in each individual case.

What is financial support?

If you have no money or other assets of your own you can apply for financial support from the Migration Agency. It has two parts: daily allowance (dagersättning) and special grants (särskilt bidrag). To receive support you must be able to show who you are and where you come from. If you have no passport or ID card you must help to establish your identity.

If you live in your own accommodation you generally receive no daily allowance or special grants from the Migration Agency. Exceptions can be made, for example if you live with your closest family who already live in Sweden, or if there are other exceptional reasons.

Daily allowance

When you apply for international protection you must tell the Migration Agency how much money and other assets you have. Married couples and cohabiting partners have a joint responsibility for the family’s finances, so the partner’s money and assets are also taken into account.

The amount of daily allowance depends on whether you live in your own accommodation, in one of the Migration Agency’s accommodations where food is included or one where it is not, and on whether you live with a spouse or partner. Current amounts are on the Migration Agency’s page. The allowance is meant to cover, among other things, food, clothes and shoes, healthcare and medicine, dental care, hygiene products, other consumables and leisure activities.

How to apply

Fill in the form for daily allowance, sign it and hand it in or send it to the Migration Agency reception unit where you are registered. In the application you give your personal details, your case number and a financial declaration: income, cash and financial assets for you and any partner. If information is missing the Migration Agency may need to ask you to complete the application, which can make the decision take longer.

By signing you certify that the information is correct. You also undertake to report changes that may affect your right to support, for example a new address or new income.

Special grants

Special grants are for needs that daily allowance does not cover. You must show that you have a strong need for the item or service and that you cannot pay for it yourself. The Migration Agency mentions, among other things, standard packages for infants, school attendance and winter clothes, as well as a pram and glasses. You can also apply for grants for healthcare, medicine and medical travel. The Migration Agency always makes an individual assessment and contributes only to the cheapest alternatives required.

Payment card

The money is paid onto a payment card from the Migration Agency. All adults in the family are entitled to their own card. You receive a PIN code and a customer ID. Keep the information, but never keep the PIN code together with the card. The card can be used in physical shops in Sweden that accept Mastercard, but not for online shopping. If you lose the card or it is stolen you must block it immediately by calling Paygoo on 070-328 64 00 (you give your customer ID and PIN code), report to the police that the card is gone and contact your reception unit to get a new one.

What can affect the allowance

The daily allowance can be reduced or withdrawn, for example if you misbehave in the accommodation, if you make the investigation more difficult by hiding, if you do not follow instructions (for example not to leave a restricted area or to report at certain times) or if you do not cooperate in preparing a journey home after a return decision. According to the Migration Agency more situations can lead to reduced allowance from 1 October 2026.

If you give incorrect information about your finances you can be required to repay and the Migration Agency can file a police report for benefit fraud. Always report if your financial situation changes, for example if you or your partner get a job.

New rules from 1 October 2026

If you need daily allowance after 1 October 2026 you must apply again. Read more in the guide New rules for asylum seekers from 1 October 2026.