FAQs about membership

In order to become a full member of Engineers of Sweden, you must have earned one of the following qualifications:

• Master of Science in Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering of at least 180 higher education credits
• Degree as Master or Bachelor of Technology
• Have completed at least 165 higher education credits (110credits) within any of the above programmes
• Academics with other technical-natural scientific degrees of at least 180 higher education credits (120 credits) may also become full members of Engineers of Sweden.

To become a student member you must:

Study at a Swedish university/university college on an engineering programme that will lead to either a Master or Bachelor of Science in Engineering of at least 180 higher education credits.

For applicants with other qualifications the following applies:

Other Swedish degrees within natural sciences or technology and/or qualifications from overseas universities/higher education institutesare also entitled to full membership. State the overseas university/higher education institute and the qualification you have in the online application or the application form. If we need any further information, we will contact you. If you are unsureofwhether your qualificationsentitle you tomembership, or if it is not available for selection in the application, please contact our membership service.

We are there for engineers and we know more than any other union about your industry, education and work environment. Members have tools to strengthen them in their professional lives - whether they want to enter the labour market, develop in their current roles or take the next step in their careers. We safeguard your interests and provide you with support when you need us to negotiate for you. We sign collective bargaining agreements that cover everything from general working conditions to parental leave. Naturally, we also provide support for members who work at companies without collective bargaining agreements. Members also have access to many benefits. Read more about our membership benefits here.

Full membership of Engineers of Sweden costs SEK 240 per month. Student membership costs SEK 180 per year. See all membership fees here.

Membership fees are deducted the last workday every month and monthly from your bank account automatically.

1. Apply for membership of Engineers of Sweden and, if you intend to change unemployment insurance fund at the same time, apply to join Akademikernas a-kassa. Akademikernas a-kassa can help you change unemployment insurance fund if you fill in their change of fund application (In Swedish).
2. Apply to leave your current union.
3. Notify us of your exit date from your current union. You pay no membership fee during the transfer period, i.e. the time it takes to conclude membership of your previous union.

If you are unsure whether you fulfil the conditions for membership of the Engineers of Sweden, please wait before you leave your current union and unemployment insurance fund. By all means apply for membership with us but please note on your exit application that you are waiting for a decision from us on whether you may join or not.

If you already have income insurance with another union, your membership period there can generally be counted in the qualification period for our income insurance. As there are exceptions, we recommend that you contact Akademikernas inkomstförsäkring at Folksam at 0770-78 20 50 to confirm the specifics of your situation.

To change your membership from student to professional, upgrade membership  (In Swedish) and fill in your details to upgrade your membership.
You pay a reduced membership fee for your first two years as a full professional member.

We work to ensure that everyone has secure employment. An employer without a collective bargaining agreement usually provides a weaker safety net with poorer working conditions for employees. If you work for an employer without a collective bargaining agreement, you usually have no right to an annual salary review, no income supplement if you become ill and whether the employer pays occupational pension, overtime compensation or offers extra benefits for parental leave varies. In order for you to get any of these benefits - without a collective bargaining agreement – they must be included in your contract or in their personnel policy. 

If you are working for an employer with no collective bargaining agreement, there are many reasons to become a member of Engineers of Sweden: 

It is not easy to keep track of all your rights and what should be included in your contract, but members can get help from our in-house experts on labour law and employee rights. They help you check what you need in your particular position and review your contract to make sure that you get as much as possible of what a collective bargaining agreement would automatically entail. You will also receive expert help and advice on holiday issues, salary and general pension issues. 

A company without a collective bargaining agreement does not have an employers’ organization to turn to for legal expertise if questions or problems arise. These may involve anything from dismissal to salary levels. In such situations there is a risk that the employer will not be aware of the relevant labour law and may make the wrong decision. It is therefore vital that you contact our advisory services at the earliest possible stage when you feel that something is not right in your workplace. 

We know from experience that it is more common for those who are not members of unions to be let go first if there are redundancies and cutbacks, because they do not have the support of a union representative with labour law knowledge. One year of membership fees in the union corresponds to approximately one hour of legal fees - something members get at no extra cost through their membership.

Members also gain access to unique and exclusive benefits, such as engineer-specific salary statistics, CV assessments and LinkedIn profile reviews, seminars, discounts on insurance, individual advisory services and legal consultation with an engineering focus.

Working internationally can be an exciting and developing element in working life. But there is a lot to think about before going abroad. Labour law varies from country to country, as well as salary levels and other conditions. Members receive help and support, for example an assessment of your employment contract. If you are going to work in the Nordic region or in Australia, you can apply for a guest membership of the engineering union in the country you are working in. This is included in your regular membership fee to us. If you are working as an employee of a company outside the Nordic region, report this to us so you can get your union fees reduced.

To our membership information concerning working abroad and overseas membership (In Swedish)

When you retire, contact us to become a retired member (SEK 456 per year). Retired members receive the same general information as full members. The magazine Ny Teknik is included in this membership. Advisory services concerning pensions and other union issues are also included. 

You can become a retired member after written notification to the membership helpline via letter or e-mail. State your personal registration or membership number and the date of your retirement.

The month you become 65, you will automatically be excluded from the unemployment insurance fund. If you would like to leave Akademikernas a-kassa earlier you must notify them in writing, either via letter or e-mail.

Log in using your mobile BankID. Order your mobile BankID from your bank and download the BankID secure ap to your mobile or tablet. If you already have a mobile BankID, log in directly. 
See FAQs on logging in. (In Swedish)

Update your data by logging in. The information concerning your qualifications and employer is especially important if you are to receive good-quality, correct information, help and support when you need it. 
Log in  and select My pages (Mina sidor). All your data is there.

To leave Engineers of Sweden, fill in and submit the exit request form (utträdesanmälan). Your membership will be concluded at the end of the month that your request is received.

Find the cancellation form here.

Membership fees paid previously will not be returned. Feel free to contact the membership service if you have any questions about how to handle invoices you have received.

Fill in the application form to become a member of Akademikernas a-kassa. The form can be downloaded from akademikernasakassa.se (In Swedish).

You may only be a member of one unemployment insurance fund at a time. If you change fund you may count your previous membership period as long as there is no gap between the two periods.

How to avoid a gap in membership:

1. Apply for membership of Engineers of Sweden and, if you must change unemployment insurance fund at the same time, also apply to join Akademikernas a-kassa. Akademikernas a-kassa will help you change fund if you fill in their form entitled Application for change of fund. You can find all necessary information at www.akademikernasakassa.se (In Swedish)
2. Request exit from your current union.
3. Notify us of your exit date from your current union. You will pay no membership fees during the transfer period i.e. the time it takes for you to conclude membership of your previous union.

If you are unsure of whether you fulfil the conditions for becoming a member of Engineers of Sweden, delay leaving your current union and unemployment insurance fund. Please apply for membership with us but note on your exit application that you are waiting for notification from us about membership.
For members of Engineers of Sweden who are also members of Akademikernas a-kassa, income insurance is included in membership fees. If you already have income insurance cover in another union, this period can usually be counted towards qualifying for our income insurance.

No, it is possible to remain outside the Akademikernas a-kassa and only be a member of Engineers of Sweden. However, you will not be covered by our income insurance. This applies only to members receiving benefits from Akademikernas a-kassa. 

If you are not a member of Akademikernas a-kassa (or any other unemployment insurance fund) you will receive only the basic amount if you become unemployed. Read more at  www.akademikernasakassa.se

Engineers of Sweden pays the fees to Akademikernas a-kassa in advance. No member will be de-registered without first having been issued with a reminder concerning unpaid fees. If you are uncertain whether you have paid your membership fee, please contact our membership service on
08-613 80 00.

The fees paid to Akademikernas a-kassa are unchanged even if you are a jobseeker, however your union fees may be reduced. Read the conditions and apply for reduced fees. 

You are granted an automatic exit from the unemployment insurance fund from the month of your 66th birthday. If you wish to leave before your 66th birthday you must notify the union in writing via letter or e-mail. Don’t forget to include your personal registration number or your membership number.

If you are retiring, please contact us to start up a pensioner’s membership (SEK 456 per year).

No, you do not have to be a union member, you can be a member of Akademikernas a-kassa only. However, if you wish to be covered by our income insurance, you must be a union member.  

Direct application for membership can be made at www.akademikernas.se.

Very favourable income insurance is included in the union fees of those of you who are a full member of Engineers of Sweden and Akademikernas a-kassa. You may also supplement your income insurance with two voluntary supplementary insurance policies which extend benefits by 180 days or extend the ceiling amount to SEK 160.000 per month gross.

If you have been covered by income insurance in another union, the period you have been covered can normally be credited towards the qualification period with us, if there is no gap in membership before joining. 

As there are exceptions, we recommend that you contact Akademikernas inkomstförsäkring at Folksam at 0770-78 20 50 to confirm the specifics of your situation.
 
Under certain conditions, you may be credited with your insurance period in private income insurance as membership period in Engineers of Sweden and as an insurance period for supplementary insurance.

Contact Folksam for more information at 0770-78 20 50 or by web form.

You apply for income insurance payments from  Akademikernas Income insurance (In Swedish).

If you become unemployed, you can only receive compensation from Sveriges Ingenjörer’s income insurance if are a member of both Sveriges Ingenjörer and the Akademikernas a-kassa unemployment insurance fund. One of the insurance conditions in our income insurance is that you must be entitled to income-related compensation paid by Akademikernas A-kassa in order to be able to apply for compensation from Sveriges Ingenjörer’s income insurance.

You can find out more about how our income insurance works and how much compensation you can receive here.

In order to qualify for the income insurance, you need to have been a member of Engineers of Sweden for at least 12 months and be registered as a working member. You must have been in employment for at least 12 of the previous 18 calendar months and be entitled to income-related benefit from the AEA unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa). During these 12 months, you must have worked at least 80 hours per month.

Compensation is paid for 150 days and only applies in cases of involuntary unemployment. The insurance expires at the end of the month before you turn 65.

More information and a calculation of what you would receive if you became unemployed can be found here.