An MRE who has worked in Sweden and contributed in Morocco can combine the Swedish pension paid by Pensionsmyndigheten and the Moroccan CNSS, CMR or CIMR pension. The social security convention signed in Stockholm on 4 January 1980 between Sweden and Morocco, applicable from 1 June 1982, allows period totalization for entitlement in either country. The tax convention concluded between Sweden and Morocco on 30 March 1961 ceased to apply on 1 January 2008; the list of conventions published by the Moroccan tax authority includes none with Sweden. The Swedish system has three structured pillars: public pension in two parts (inkomstpension + premiepension), occupational pension (tjanstepension) and optional individual savings. This guide details the procedure.
Costs & fees
| Swedish pension statement (minPension.se) | Check with Pensionsmyndigheten | Access via BankID or postal code |
| Tjanstepension statement (Mintjanstepension.se) | Check with Mintjanstepension.se | Aggregator of Swedish 2nd pillar |
| CNSS Morocco contribution statement | Check with the CNSS | Via cnss.ma online portal |
| Cross-border SEK to MAD transfer fees | Check with the bank | Depending on the bank and Pensionsmyndigheten payment arrangements |
| Possible fees of a professional consulted | Check with the professional | Set by each professional |
Timeline
Check your statement on minPension.se
The minPension.se portal aggregates all Swedish pensions: public pension (allman pension = inkomstpension + premiepension), employer tjanstepension (2nd pillar) and individual savings (3rd pillar). Access via BankID or by post if you are outside Sweden. The portal projects monthly amounts at every target age between 63 and 70. In Morocco, cnss.ma shows your contribution history. Save both statements in PDF. For MREs who left Sweden without BankID, Pensionsmyndigheten offers postal access.
💡 Tip: Without BankID after leaving Sweden, request a paper statement from Pensionsmyndigheten via their non-resident form.
⚠️ Warning: Tjanstepensions from small employers or old periods may not be fully captured by minPension.se. Identify every former employer and its pension fund.
Verify the Sweden-Morocco convention and totalization
The Sweden-Morocco social security convention signed in Stockholm on 4 January 1980 applies from 1 June 1982. It allows period totalization to open pension entitlement in either country, without merging amounts. For Swedish public pension (allman pension), there is no strict minimum duration to receive inkomstpension (contributions yield proportional pension), but garantipension requires residence years. For CNSS, Swedish years can be totalized to reach Moroccan thresholds.
💡 Tip: Mention Moroccan periods explicitly on the Pensionsmyndigheten claim.
⚠️ Warning: The residence conditions for garantipension (minimum duration, duration for the full amount) should be checked with Pensionsmyndigheten.
Understand inkomstpension and premiepension
Swedish public pension (allman pension) has two parts. Inkomstpension is funded by social contributions (16% of salary) on a notional defined-contribution basis: each contribution year credits a virtual account that grows. Premiepension is funded by 2.5% of salary, placed in an individual account where you choose the funds (default: AP7 Safa fund). At claim, premiepension can be paid as a lifetime annuity or as a temporary annuity.
💡 Tip: Premiepension can be placed in funds chosen by the insured person; the conditions are on pensionsmyndigheten.se.
⚠️ Warning: Once the premiepension annuity is activated, the choice between traditional (low guaranteed yield) and fund-based (higher potential but variable) is final.
Claim the 2nd pillar tjanstepension
Tjanstepension is the Swedish occupational pension, governed by sectoral union agreements (SAF-LO for blue-collar, ITP for white-collar, KAP-KL for public sector, PA16 for state). Each tjanstepension is managed by a different pension fund. The claim is filed directly with each fund. Payment arrangements (life annuity, temporary annuity, lump sum) depend on the fund; check with each fund.
💡 Tip: Each former employer and its pension fund can be found via minPension.se.
⚠️ Warning: Payment of tjanstepension abroad may incur bank fees depending on the fund; check with each fund.
Choose retirement age
The Swedish system is flexible: the earliest age for drawing inkomstpension and premiepension depends on the year of birth (63 for people born in 1961 and 1962; 64 from 2027 for those born in 1963). The riktålder is 67 from 2026 to 2032, and garantipension opens at the riktålder, i.e. 67 for people born from 1960 (Pensionsmyndigheten). Deferring the start increases the pension.
💡 Tip: Pensionsmyndigheten offers an online simulator (Min framtida pension) to calculate net amounts at several retirement ages.
⚠️ Warning: A pension claimed early with reduction cannot be cancelled: the reduction is permanent for life.
Claim the Moroccan CNSS pension
The Moroccan CNSS pension opens from age 60, before the Swedish retirement age, provided all salaried activity has ceased (CLEISS). The claim is filed with the CNSS within 6 months of ceasing work. The 1980 Sweden-Morocco convention allows totalization to open entitlement if you contributed little in Morocco. Since Decree No. 2.25.265, insured persons with at least 1,320 days and fewer than 3,240 days of insurance may receive a minimum pension of 600 to 1,000 dirhams (maroc.ma).
💡 Tip: Attach your minPension.se statement to the CNSS claim to trigger the bilateral convention verification.
⚠️ Warning: The CNSS pension is calculated on the average salary of the 96 declared months preceding the last month before retirement age (ACAPS).
Allocate taxation of pensions between Sweden and Morocco
The tax convention concluded between Sweden and Morocco on 30 March 1961 ceased to apply on 1 January 2008, and the Moroccan tax authority's list includes no convention with Sweden. The taxation of a Swedish pension paid to a resident of Morocco therefore depends on the domestic law of each country, to be checked with Skatteverket (skatteverket.se) and the DGI (tax.gov.ma).
💡 Tip: According to Skatteverket, SINK (special income tax for non-residents) is a final tax of 22.5% on pensions from income year 2026; the payer withholds it before payment. It cannot be reduced by the 1961 convention, which no longer applies.
⚠️ Warning: The payer withholds SINK before paying the pension. For the procedure and current rates, see skatteverket.se.
In depth
The Swedish system is built on transparency (minPension.se is a unique aggregator) and flexibility of the retirement age. The earliest age for drawing allman pension rises gradually by year of birth (63 for people born in 1961 and 1962; 64 from 2027 for those born in 1963); the riktålder is 67 from 2026 to 2032 (Pensionsmyndigheten). The system rests on three structured pillars, with employer tjanstepension (2nd pillar) based on sectoral union agreements. The 1980 bilateral convention applies from 1 June 1982.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕Claiming allman pension at the earliest age without having checked the consequences for the pension amount.
- ✕Neglecting the 2nd pillar tjanstepension.
- ✕Assuming that a Sweden-Morocco tax convention still applies: the 1961 one ceased to apply on 1 January 2008.
- ✕Choosing the wrong premiepension format between traditional and fund annuity: the decision is final.
- ✕Believing garantipension is exportable to Morocco: it is conditioned on Swedish residence at the claim date with restrictions for non-residents.
🔗 Official links and resources
Pensionsmyndigheten
Swedish pension agency, claims, statements, simulators
minPension.se
Aggregator of 1st + 2nd + 3rd Swedish pillars
Skatteverket - SINK
Swedish tax authority, non-resident SINK regime
Forsakringskassan
Swedish social insurance agency (health, disability)
CNSS Morocco - Member portal
CNSS statement and pension claim in Morocco
❓ Frequently asked questions
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