VAB now has a 30-day clock

Who this may affect

This affects parents and other eligible people who claim temporary parental benefit for VAB, the 10 days connected to a child's birth or adoption, or kontaktdagar. Försäkringskassan is the responsible agency.

The rule is final, not a proposal. Försäkringskassan says Riksdagen has shortened the application time from 90 days to 30 days for days that happen from and including 1 April 2026. The agency's rule page was last updated on 11 May 2026 and was checked for this article on 12 May 2026.

What the 30 days cover

For a child who becomes sick on or after 1 April 2026, the application should be sent no later than 30 days after the first day you were home with the child. The same shorter clock applies when VAB is used for other qualifying reasons, such as taking a child to a doctor or attending certain school or social-services meetings.

The 10-day benefit at a child's birth or adoption has the same 30-day application rule for days from 1 April 2026. Kontaktdagar also fall under the shorter window; Försäkringskassan gives examples such as parent education or being with the child at preschool or school.

There are important exceptions. VAB for a seriously ill child has no application time limit while the serious-illness situation applies. Sorgedagar after losing a child are also outside the 30-day rule.

How to apply or check

The ordinary VAB route is to apply when the child is well again. If the illness lasts longer, Försäkringskassan says you can apply before the child is healthy and back at work, for example every few weeks, as long as the application still reaches the agency within the 30-day window for the days being claimed.

Most people apply on Mina sidor or in the Försäkringskassan app. A paper form can be needed when someone else, such as a relative, friend, or neighbour, has VAB instead of the parent. A late application after the 30-day line also has to use the form route, and Försäkringskassan says payment is then possible only in exception cases, such as serious illness or injury that prevented the application.

Details to gather before submitting

• Exact VAB dates: the first day matters because it starts the 30-day clock.
• Hours missed: match the claim to the hours you would have worked or searched for work.
• Child and care details: check that the right child, preschool, school, and other pre-filled information still match reality.
• Other benefits or work status: part-time sickness absence, a-kassa, study support, or program participation can change what should be entered.
• Longer illness evidence: if the child is sick for more than 7 days, Försäkringskassan says a certificate from a nurse or doctor is needed.
• Coordination with the other parent: use Föräldrakalendern or another shared check so the same child, day, or hour is not claimed twice by mistake.

Payment timing

Försäkringskassan's payment page says VAB cases are usually decided within 30 days from the application reaching the agency, though the time can be longer if more investigation is needed. VAB is paid on the 25th of each month.

That timing makes the application window and payment month feel like two separate clocks. The 30-day rule is about whether the claim is on time. The 25th is about when approved money is normally paid.

Common traps

1. Remembering the old 90-day habit. For days from 1 April 2026, the ordinary rule is now 30 days.
2. Waiting for a long illness to end. Longer VAB periods can be claimed in parts, and a certificate is needed after more than 7 sick days.
3. Double-claiming the same hours. Försäkringskassan specifically flags checking with the other person who has VAB for the same child.
4. Mixing VAB with your own sickness. If you are sick and have reported sickness to your employer, Försäkringskassan says you do not have the right to VAB for that time.
5. Assuming study or a-kassa days work like normal workdays. Students with study support should report VAB to CSN, and unemployed parents need to handle the a-kassa/time-reporting side too.

Bottom line

The practical change is small but sharp: write down the first VAB day, check the hours and child details, and submit while the dates are still easy to reconstruct. A claim that used to feel comfortably within 90 days can now be late.

If a day sits near the 30-day edge, the safest next step is the official application or Försäkringskassan contact route, because exceptions depend on the facts of the case. This article is a map of the current rule, not a decision on any individual claim.

Source frame: final 30-day rule, 1 April 2026 effective date, VAB, 10-dagar, kontaktdagar, serious-child-illness and sorgedagar exceptions, and 11 May 2026 source date from Försäkringskassan's rule page on the shorter VAB application time; ordinary VAB application route, long-illness certificate, paper-form and late-application caveats, duplicate-day checks, study/a-kassa notes, and 4 May 2026 source date from Försäkringskassan's VAB page; handling time and the 25th payment date from Försäkringskassan's payment and handling-time page; calendar cross-check feature from Försäkringskassan's Föräldrakalendern page. Accessed 12 May 2026. This is educational benefits context, not personalized legal, tax, financial, medical, pension, or benefits advice.