The Swedish Healthcare system is decentralised and run by the regions, local authority or municipality.
Where can you seek medical care?
- 1177.se: Call 1177 if you are unsure where to seek care. They provide advice on call in English and share what is the best way ahead and where you should seek care. There is no charge except for the cost of the call. If your phone does not have a Swedish subscription or SIM card, call 0046 771–11 77 00.
- Healthcare centers are usually called Vårdcentral, Hälsocentral, Husläkarmottagning or Familjeläkarmottagning in Swedish. They are open during the weekdays and require you to book an appointment in advance.
- Emergency centres called Akutmottagning in Swedish are located at your nearby hospitals, are open 24 hours and can be visited without an appointment.
- Emergency number: 112. Call this number when your or someone else’s life is in danger.
- Child healthcare centres called barnavårdscentraler in Swedish are available for children up to the age of 6.
- Specialist clinics: To visit a specialist doctor, you may need what is known as a referral (remiss in Swedish). A referral contains information about the examination or treatment you require. The healthcare professional you see at the healthcare centre prepares this based on your initial visit.
- Dental care is called tandvård in Swedish. You can seek dental care by booking an appointment at any dental clinic folktandvården.
What are the costs associated with the healthcare system?
Patient fees
- Patient fees are set by each region and vary across the country. They are a set fee per visit and can be found at the local healthcare clinics website. What you pay per visit depends on whether it is primary care, specialist care or emergency care.
- In Stockholm, adults aged 18–84, pay 250 SEK in patient fees for primary care and 400 SEK for emergency care. Head on here to find more information on patients fees in Stockholm and other regions.
- There is a high-cost protection (högkostnadsskydd in Swedish) that sets a limit for what you maximum pay in primary care over a period of 12 months. For 2023, this limit is 1 300 SEK and can vary by region. Find more information on this here.
Visits to certain healthcare centres is completely free of charge and below are a few examples of such:
- Visits to childcare centres,
- Visits to midwife clinics for pregnant women
- Mammography examinations for women over 40
- People who are 85 or older do not pay a fee for outpatient care.
- In most regions, children and young people up to the age of 20 do not pay a fee for outpatient care. The age limit varies by region.
- Examinations, care and treatment for public health diseases that reduce the risk of the spread of infection.
Dental care fees
- Dental care is free of cost until the age of 23.
- After that, the majority of the dental cost is borne by the patient themself and you can find the price list for different treatments here.
- There are a few different economical supports available for dental care, information on those can be found here.
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