Hemförsäkring Coverage: What Swedish Home Insurance Actually Pays For

Most guides describe hemförsäkring as one protection: "insurance for your home." In practice, a basic policy is a bundle of five to eight separately-limited protections. Knowing which one applies, and where it stops, matters more before a claim than after one.

Assume "it's covered" without checking which component applies, and you're the person most likely to be surprised at claim time. This guide names each component of a standard hemförsäkring package, what it actually pays for, and its stated limits. It also covers what a basic policy leaves out entirely, sourced to Konsumenternas' own guidance and an insurer's own coverage page.

This guide sits alongside the site's broader look at insurance in Sweden generally and covers the specific components inside one product's basic package.

What "Grundskydd" Means, and the Five to Eight Parts Inside It

Grundskydd (basic protection) is not one cover. Per Konsumenternas' own guidance, every hemförsäkring bundles egendomsskydd, ansvarsskydd, rättsskydd, överfallsskydd, and reseskydd as standard — five components guaranteed on every policy. Most insurers add krisskydd, ID-skydd, and merkostnader (extra living costs) on top, for eight components in total on a typical package (Konsumenternas, "Vad ingår i en hemförsäkring? Alla ger ett basskydd," live page, checked 2026-09-01).

Each component is triggered by a different event. A break-in triggers egendomsskydd. A lawsuit triggers rättsskydd. And each is limited separately, so a high payout on one component says nothing about the limit on another.

If the loss is property damage or theft, egendomsskydd applies. If it's a legal dispute or an assault, a different component applies instead, with its own trigger and its own limit. Treating "hemförsäkring" as one flat cover is where most confusion at claim time starts.

The first five are guaranteed on every basic policy, per Konsumenternas. The last three are included by most insurers but aren't a universal guarantee; check your own policy wording to confirm all eight are present.

Property Protection (Lösöre) and How Belongings Are Actually Valued

Egendomsskydd covers movable belongings, furniture, clothes, a bicycle, home electronics, against fire, water damage, and theft. But per Konsumenternas' own valuation guidance, compensation is based on market value immediately before the loss, not replacement price (Konsumenternas, "Så värderas och ersätts dina saker i hemförsäkringen," live page, checked 2026-09-01).

Why Electronics Lose Value Fastest

That distinction matters most for electronics, which depreciate fastest. Konsumenternas' own worked example shows a TV losing roughly 70% of its value after five years, before further deductions are applied. Categories like jewelry and art are commonly assumed to depreciate more slowly, but check your own insurer's värderingstabell rather than assuming this. Insurers use their own age-interval valuation tables, so the exact percentage varies by company and item category. Konsumenternas notes explicitly that specific percentages vary between insurers; check your own insurer's värderingstabell rather than assuming a universal schedule.

Nyvärdesskydd: An Add-On, Not Part of the Basic Package

Some insurers offer "nyvärdesskydd" (new-value protection) as an add-on that reduces early depreciation on categories like TVs and appliances. Exact terms, eligible categories, and exclusions vary by insurer, so check your own policy wording rather than assuming a specific item is included. Either way, it's an upgrade on top of the basic package, not part of it.

Liability, Legal, and Assault Protection

Ansvarsskydd pays out if the policyholder is held liable for damaging someone else's property or injuring them through negligence. Rättsskydd covers legal representation costs in a court dispute. Överfallsskydd compensates for assault or a sexual crime. Three separate triggers, three separate limits (Konsumenternas, "Vad ingår i en hemförsäkring?," live page, checked 2026-09-01).

Rättsskydd's Threshold and Exclusions

Rättsskydd only applies once the disputed amount exceeds half a prisbasbelopp, per Konsumenternas, and generally excludes disputes with a spouse or cohabitant except custody or residence cases after separation.

If the claim is a legal dispute below the prisbasbelopp threshold, rättsskydd doesn't apply. Above it, rättsskydd applies. That threshold is the whole test, not a judgment call on how serious the dispute feels.

Överfallsskydd's Fixed-Amount Payout

Överfallsskydd pays a fixed, schematic amount rather than actual damages, and is reduced or refused if the policyholder's own actions contributed to the injury.

Travel Protection (Reseskydd)

Reseskydd covers acute illness, accidents, and lost or damaged luggage while traveling. But per Konsumenternas' own guidance, it generally applies only for the first 45 days of a trip; a small number of policies extend this to 60 days, which is the exception rather than the rule (Konsumenternas, "Vad ingår i en hemförsäkring?," live page, checked 2026-09-01).

A trip that runs longer than the policy's stated window loses reseskydd cover from that point on. That matters more for a policyholder planning an extended stay abroad than for someone on a short holiday, since the cover doesn't renew or reset mid-trip; it simply stops once the window closes.

Check your own policy's stated window before assuming an extended trip abroad is covered by default; the 45-day figure is a general rule, not a guarantee that applies to every product on the market.

Crisis Support and ID Theft Protection

Krisskydd covers psychological therapy after a traumatic event such as assault, burglary, or fire, typically up to 10 treatment sessions per Konsumenternas' own guidance. ID-skydd, included in most policies, provides advice and legal assistance if someone uses the policyholder's personal details without consent (Konsumenternas, "Vad ingår i en hemförsäkring?," live page, checked 2026-09-01).

ID-skydd generally does not cover debts left behind by the identity theft itself. It covers the process of disputing and clearing the fraudulent use, not the financial loss caused by it. That's a narrower guarantee than "identity theft is covered" suggests, and it's worth knowing before assuming ID-skydd will make a fraud victim financially whole.

ID-skydd and personnummer-linked fraud sit close together for a newcomer to Sweden; see the guide on personnummer, ID and BankID for how the identity chain works.

What a Basic Hemförsäkring Policy Does Not Cover

Allriskförsäkring (cover for accidental damage the policyholder causes themselves) and olycksfallsförsäkring (personal accident/injury cover) are both separate, add-on products. Per Konsumenternas' own guidance and confirmed independently on Hedvig's own coverage page, neither is part of a basic package (Konsumenternas, "Vad ingår i en hemförsäkring?"; Hedvig, "Vad ingår i hemförsäkring?," checked 2026-09-01).

This is the gap most likely to surprise a policyholder who assumes hemförsäkring is comprehensive by default. A dropped phone or a fall at home isn't automatically covered without buying the relevant add-on. If a claim gets refused on exactly this basis, the guide on disputing a rejected claim covers what to do next.

Renters are often asked to prove hemförsäkring cover without being told what it excludes; see signing a lease in Sweden for where that requirement sits in the rest of the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a basic hemförsäkring in Sweden actually cover? Property, liability, legal, assault, and travel protection as standard, per Konsumenternas' own guidance, each with its own trigger and limit.

Does hemförsäkring pay full price for damaged or stolen electronics? No. Compensation is based on market value at the time of loss, and electronics depreciate quickly; a five-year-old TV can see roughly a 70% age deduction, per Konsumenternas.

How many days does hemförsäkring travel protection last? Generally the first 45 days of a trip, per Konsumenternas. A few policies extend to 60 days.

What does a basic hemförsäkring policy not cover? Allriskförsäkring (accidental damage) and olycksfallsförsäkring (personal accident) are separate add-on products, not part of the basic package, per Konsumenternas and Hedvig's own coverage page.

Hemförsäkring Is Eight Separate Protections, Check Each One's Limit, Not Just Its Name

Hemförsäkring bundles five to eight distinct protections rather than one blanket cover. Belongings are valued at market price, not replacement price, so electronics depreciate fast. Travel, legal, and assault protection each have their own trigger and limit. Accidental damage and personal accident cover are add-ons, not part of the basic package.

Before assuming a component applies to your situation, check the insurance in Sweden guide for how hemförsäkring fits alongside other Swedish insurance types, and the personnummer, ID and BankID guide for how ID-skydd connects to personnummer-linked fraud.