Healthcare in Sweden if you come from another country

You always have the right to receive care in urgent situations. In other words, emergency care that you need urgently, such as if you get a serious infection or if you break a bone and need to be fitted with a plaster cast.  

Necessary care 

Another type of care is called necessary care. This includes care for conditions such as a chronic disease that you have your whole life.  

You have the right to necessary care if, for example, you are insured in a country that is part of the EU. Being insured in a country means that you are covered by that country's social insurance system.

The cost of healthcare services depends on which country you are insured in. There are different rules for different countries.  

The Nordic countries 

If you are insured in a Nordic country, you pay the same amount for healthcare services as people insured in Sweden. The Nordic countries are:

• Denmark
• Finland
• Norway
• Faroe Islands
• Greenland
• Iceland.

You will need to show an ID card and provide your home address. 

European Health Insurance Card = EU card 

If you are insured in any of the following countries, you pay the same amount for healthcare services as people insured in Sweden:

• an EU country
• Liechtenstein
• Switzerland. 

You will need to show a European Health Insurance Card. This may also be called an EU card.  

You order the European Health Insurance Card, EHIC, from the country in which you are insured. Children must also have an EU card.

Apply for reimbursement of the money afterwards

You can also pay the full cost of the healthcare services yourself, and then apply for reimbursement of the money you have spent from your home country.

When you travel to Sweden for planned treatment, different rules apply.  

If you come from a Nordic country 

If you are insured in a Nordic country, you need a special certificate. You will then pay the same fees as people insured in Sweden.  

You can apply for the certificate from your country's equivalent to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan).  

Some people may need to apply for reimbursement of the money afterwards 

If you are insured in an EU country, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you can apply for planned treatment in Sweden. In such case, you will pay for the treatment at the time it is provided, but can then apply for reimbursement of the money from your home country.  

The rules for how much you can be reimbursed differ from country to country. 

Most people who come from a country outside of the EU, EEA or Switzerland will have to pay the full cost themselves if they need healthcare services in Sweden. This applies to emergency, necessary, and planned care. The EEA includes Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. 

Sweden has an agreement with some countries

Sweden has a special agreement with some countries regarding healthcare. Under this agreement, people from the countries in question pay the same amount for certain types of healthcare services as people insured in Sweden. This applies, for example, if you break a bone and need to be fitted with a plaster.

Countries with an agreement are:

• Australia
• Algeria
• Israel
• Turkey
• the state of Quebec in Canada. 

You can get help from an interpreter if you do not speak Swedish. Let the clinic know you need an interpreter when you book your appointment.