Right to healthcare services in Sweden

Municipalities and regional health authorities are responsible for healthcare in Sweden. Healthcare is the care  you are entitled to and can make use of when you live in Sweden. You normally pay a patient fee for healthcare services when you visit the healthcare system.

For dental care, there is a state dental care subsidy administered by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan). If you have special needs for dental care, you may also be entitled to dental care from your regional health authority.

Healthcare insurance in Sweden

You are covered by healthcare insurance if you live in Sweden and, in many cases, also if you work in another Nordic country and work in Sweden. 

When you have reported your move and are living in Sweden, you are covered by social insurance in Sweden and are entitled to healthcare and dental care like everyone else living in Sweden. You can only be covered by social insurance in one country at a time. Social insurance gives financial protection for families and children, for people with disabilities, for elderly people, and in the event of sickness and occupational injury.

If you are covered by social insurance in Sweden, you are entitled to the blue EU health insurance card from Sweden. The card entitles you to healthcare and dental care services whenever you are in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland.

What do healthcare services cost, and can I receive financial support?

In Sweden, every healthcare region decides the fee you must pay for examinations by a doctor and other healthcare services. The size of the patient fee therefore depends on the region in which you live. There is a ceiling for how much you can pay in one year - this is called high-cost protection (högkostnadsskydd).

If you are covered by social insurance in Sweden, you are entitled to dental care without paying a patient fee until the end of the year in which you become 23. From the start of the year in which you become 24, you are entitled to state dental care subsidy (tandvårdsstöd). How much you receive in dental care subsidy depends on how old you are and how much your treatment costs. If you have certain illnesses or a disability, you can receive a larger subsidy.

Where am I covered by healthcare insurance if I live in Sweden but work in another country?

If you live in Sweden and commute to work in another Nordic country, you are generally covered by social insurance in the country in which you work.

If you become ill, you are entitled to healthcare and dental care in the country in which you work, but you may also have access to healthcare and dental care in Sweden.

Apply for the certificate on right to healthcare benefits in Sweden (‘Intyg om rätt till vårdförmåner i Sverige’) from Försäkringskassan.

Where am I covered by healthcare insurance if I am living temporarily in Sweden?

If you are resident in another Nordic country and travel to Sweden for a temporary stay, and are not registering in Sweden, you are entitled to necessary health care and emergency dental care. Necessary health care means treatment that cannot be put off until you return home. You are entitled to health care on the same conditions as people who live in Sweden.

You must be able to present a valid proof of identity, such as a passport or driving licence. You must also give your address in your country of residence.

Can I receive planned treatment in another country?

You can arrange planned treatment in another Nordic country. This can be, for example, an appointment with a specialist, an operation, or treatment for a certain illness.

If you live in Sweden and want to plan treatment in another country, you can apply for advance authorisation (förhandstillstånd) or an advance decision (förhandsbesked) from Försäkringskassan in Sweden. You can also pay for the treatment in the other country during your stay and apply for reimbursement later.

Can I receive planned treatment in Sweden?

If you live in another Nordic country and are applying for planned treatment in Sweden, you must have an advance authorisation from the country in which you live before you arrange your treatment in Sweden. Alternatively, you should contact the authority in your country of residence to find out what regulations apply regarding reimbursement for expenses relating to treatment you plan to receive in Sweden.

Can I receive Swedish healthcare when I am living temporarily abroad?

If you are studying in another Nordic country for less than a year, you are entitled to healthcare and dental care in Sweden in the same way as if you lived in Sweden.

If you are studying in another Nordic country for more than a year, you may be entitled to healthcare and dental care in Sweden in the same way as if you lived in Sweden, but you must first have applied for and received the certificate on the right to care in Sweden, ‘Intyg om rätt till vård i Sverige’, from Försäkringskassan.

You are also entitled to essential care in the country in which you are studying. If you studying in a Nordic country, it is sufficient for you to prove your identity and give your home address to receive the necessary care.

If you want healthcare that could wait until you come home, you must pay for this yourself. However, you can apply for compensation from Försäkringskassan. In some cases, you can also apply for an advance authorisation (förhandstillstånd) or advance decision (förhandsbesked) for planned treatment abroad.

Am I entitled to Swedish healthcare services when I live in Sweden and work in several countries?

If you live in Sweden and work in at least two other Nordic countries, you must report this to Försäkringskassan. Försäkringskassan will then assess whether you satisfy the requirements for continued cover from social insurance in Sweden.

If you are a posted employee, have been granted exemption, or work in two or more countries simultaneously, you must have form A1 with you to Denmark and Finland or E101 with you to Iceland and Norway. You get the form from Försäkringskassan. The form shows the country in which you are covered by social insurance.

Can I be reimbursed for healthcare services for which I paid abroad?

To receive compensation for dental care carried out in another Nordic country, the following requirements apply:

• you are covered by social insurance for healthcare services in Sweden.
• the dental treatment you are planning must have been paid by the state or you would have been entitled to state dental care subsidy had you been treated in Sweden.
• the dental treatment is performed by professional healthcare personnel.

You can never receive more in compensation than what the dental treatment would have cost in Sweden, or what you paid. This means that, if the dental treatment is more expensive in the country in which it was carried out than in Sweden, you must pay the difference.

To receive compensation for healthcare carried out in another Nordic country, the following requirements apply:

• you are covered by social insurance for healthcare services in Sweden.
• the healthcare you are planning would have been paid by the state had you been treated in Sweden.
• the treatment is performed by professional healthcare personnel.
• you have paid more than the patient fee that applies in the country of treatment.

You can never receive more in compensation than what the treatment would have cost in Sweden, or what you paid. This means that, if the treatment is more expensive in the country in which it took place than it would have cost in Sweden, you must pay the difference.

Look on the Försäkringskassan website for more information. You can also call the Försäkringskassan Customer Centre, +46 (0)771-524 524.