Posting abroad with URA

The Agreement on Contracts Abroad and Guidelines for Terms of Employment for Serving Abroad (URA) is a central collective agreement with guidelines for terms of employment when serving abroad and applies to employees who are to be posted abroad while serving abroad.

URA or business trip

Whether the service is to be regarded as a posting abroad according to the URA or as a business trip depends on the nature of the assignment, the conditions at the place of employment and the employee's situation.

If you are going to stay at a hotel and eat your meals at a restaurant, it is normally considered a business trip.

If, on the other hand, you will live "like at home", i.e. live in an apartment or house, take care of shopping and preparing food yourself, etc., it is to be seen as a posting abroad.

It is your manager/head of department who, in consultation with an HR specialist, makes the assessment and decides whether it is business trip or URA that is most appropriate in the individual case.

Was out in good time

Before you as an employee travel, a URA contract must be drawn up stating the terms and conditions that apply throughout the period of service abroad. Examples of this can be compensation for additional cost supplements, housing costs, compensation for moving and travel, etc.

Accompanying family members may also be covered by benefits and conditions linked to the worker's service abroad, which are regulated in the contract.

Remember to be out in good time, no later than one month before departure. A prerequisite for you and any accompanying persons to be insured is that the international contract is completed and the URA insurance taken out before departure. The URA contract cannot be drawn up retroactively.

Must be covered by social insurance and registered in Sweden

An employee who is posted abroad by a Swedish authority is considered to be resident in Sweden and is covered by Swedish social insurance, which means that sickness benefit, parental benefit and child benefit are retained. An expatriate employee must therefore be covered by social insurance and registered in Sweden.

Salary and any other remuneration are paid from Sweden and taxed according to Swedish law.

A certificate of social insurance (A1 certificate) from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency must be received by HR when the contract is signed. The A1 certificate at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency has a very long processing time, so apply for this well in advance. 

Insurance

In connection with the signing of the contract, a URA insurance is taken out for the entire stay abroad for the employee and for any accompanying persons. The insurance is mandatory and is taken out by an HR specialist. It is also possible to take out supplementary property insurance.