Who inherits without a will in Sweden?

The spouse inherits first. Children and grandchildren of both spouses wait and inherit when the second spouse dies. A child who is the deceased's alone (not the spouse's) can claim their share immediately. The surviving spouse is also entitled to a minimum amount set by law if the estate is large enough.

If the person was married, the estate goes to the surviving spouse. The statutory minimum amount rule also applies.

Heirs form three classes, sharing equally within each: first, children or grandchildren; second, parents and siblings, only if no one in the first class is alive; third, grandparents and their children, only if no one in the first or second class is alive. If there are no heirs, the estate goes to the General Inheritance Fund.

A cohabiting partner (sambo) does not inherit by law, but is a party to the estate and the couple's home and household goods are normally divided between them. A will is needed to leave more.

Children and grandchildren are entitled to a statutory portion of half their intestate share, which a will cannot reduce.

In this EU country the Succession Regulation applies to people who die after 16 August 2015: the whole estate is generally governed by the law of the country where the person had their habitual residence at death, unless they chose the law of their nationality in a will. A foreigner living here, or a citizen living abroad, can therefore be governed by a different law than the one described on this page.

• A Swedish will often has to be drawn up carefully if the aim is to leave the estate to the children first rather than the spouse.

Sweden belongs to the Civil law family. Succession law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Sweden legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Who owns what in a marriage in Sweden? →

• European e-Justice Portal: succession in Sweden