Care for foreign students - rights and fees

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland 

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland who are studying in Sweden for a period of less than 12 months are entitled to emergency and necessary medical care subject to the same terms and conditions as those who are resident in Sweden. You must present your EU Health Insurance Card and pay the applicable patient fee. If you do not have an EU Health Insurance Card you must pay the full cost.

In the case of students resident in the Nordic countries, it is sufficient that you present some form of identification and give your address in your home country.

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland can also apply in their home country for retroactive reimbursement of their medical costs.

Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland

If you come from a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you must pay the full cost of medical care. 

Sweden has a health care agreement (known as a convention) with certain countries. What has been decided under these agreements could differ from what is stated above. The countries in question are Algeria, Australia, Israel, Turkey and Quebec.

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland must pay the full cost of any planned medical care unless advance authorisation can be presented. Advance authorisation is issued by the social insurance agency in your home country.

Students from the EU/EEA can also apply to the social insurance agency in their home country for retroactive reimbursement of their medical costs.

Students outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland

If you come from a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you must pay the full cost if you require planned medical care in Sweden.

Sweden has a health care agreement (known as a convention) with certain countries. What has been decided under these agreements could differ from what is stated above. The countries in question are Algeria, Australia, Israel, Turkey and Quebec.

If you are a student and you become registered in Sweden, you are entitled to medical care subject to the same terms and conditions as other people who are resident in the country. To become registered in the country, you must study for more than one year. It is not sufficient to study for two terms. You will be registered in the town or city where you live.

To be registered you must visit a Swedish Tax Agency service office in person. There you must apply to immigrate to Sweden. You must then prove that you have a residence permit or right of residence.

Read more about civil registration

Healthcare Service Guide

You pay the same fees regardless of whether you receive medical care from a facility run by the Västra Götaland Region or by a private care provider with which the region has an agreement.

Further information about patient fees in Västra Götaland (in Swedish).

If you do not understand Swedish, you are entitled to an interpreter when you visit a health care facility. When you make an appointment, tell the staff that you require an interpreter. The staff will then arrange for an interpreter to be present during your visit.
The service is free of charge.

Interpretation into my language

If you are in Sweden on a temporary visit and you come from a country in Scandinavia or the EU, or from Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you are entitled to emergency dental care at the same cost as those who are insured in Sweden. Unless you are from Scandinavia, you will need an ‘EU card’ to get this dental care. Moreover, children and young people from the countries mentioned above are entitled to free emergency dental care up to and including 31 December of the year they turn 19.

Citizens of countries outside the EU who visit Sweden must usually pay for the entire cost of dental care themselves. However, Sweden has special agreements with some countries, whose citizens can get dental care at a reduced cost.

If you have any questions regarding when you can receive financial support for dental care, please contact Försäkringskassan.

Public Dental Service (Folktandvården)