Travel or receive medical or dental treatment abroad
On this page you can order the European Health Insurance Card. You will also find information here about what applies if you live or work in Sweden and
- temporary stay abroad and need to seek medical or dental care
- are planning to travel to another EU/EEA country or Switzerland for treatment
- are planning to travel to another EU/EEA country to receive dental care.
If you live in Sweden and are going to work abroad or move abroad, you will find information that applies to you on the page Move, study or work abroad.
The European Health Insurance Card entitles you healthcare and dental care abroad
The European Health Insurance Card entitles you to necessary medical and dental care while you are temporary residing in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. Children must have their own European Health Insurance Card.
Order a European Health Insurance Card well in advance of your trip, as it can take up to ten working days before you receive it. The card is sent to the registered address of you or the child.
Information about the European Health Insurance Card
The European Health Insurance Card only covers necessary medical and dental care that
- cannot wait until you return to Sweden
- you receive from a care provider connected to the public healthcare system in the country where you are temporarily residing.
Healthcare that cannot wait until you return to Sweden refers not only to necessary care, but also care related to a chronic illness. Such care includes collection of samples and medical checks. The purpose of necessary care is to enable you to continue your stay under safe medical conditions.
With the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you pay the same amount for medical and dental care as those who live in the country. This is why you pay the patient fee yourself. In some countries, you must first pay the entire healthcare cost yourself and then request reimbursement from that country's equivalent of Försäkringskassan. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, you must both have an EHIC and be a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland in order for you to be able to receive care.
The EHIC does not entitle you to compensation for travel home, e.g. on an ambulance plane. It is therefore important that you have private travel insurance. Within the Nordic countries, there is a special agreement that under certain circumstances covers extra expenses for travel home.
If you do not have a European Health Insurance Card and need healthcare or dental care
If you fall seriously ill while abroad but do not have your European Health Insurance Card with you, you or your care provider can contact us at 0771-524 524, to obtain a provisional replacement certificate. You or your care provider must provide your Swedish personal identity number.
Apply for reimbursement for healthcare or dental care
You can also choose to pay for the care yourself and apply for reimbursement from us. You apply for reimbursement in our e-service
Longer processing times
At the moment we have longer processing times than usual. We apologise for this and are doing our utmost to shorten them.
If you are travelling outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland
The European Health Insurance Card is not valid outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. It is therefore important that you have private insurance. Find out what is included in your home owner’s insurance and whether you need supplementary travel insurance.
Planned medical treatment abroad
Planned medical treatment abroad is when you are covered by Swedish social insurance and travel to another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to receive planned medical treatment.
Who can be eligible for planned medical treatment abroad?
You can choose from several options when you apply for reimbursement for planned medical treatment abroad. All options are subject to the condition that:
- you must be insured for healthcare benefits in Sweden
- the medical treatment would be paid for by the public healthcare system if you received it in Sweden.
You are insured for healthcare benefits in kind in Sweden if you live or work here, or if Sweden is the authorized Member State for you. There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you live abroad, you can contact the Swedish Social Insurance Agency to get more information about what applies to you.
Medical treatment paid for by the public system is treatment that you receive within the public healthcare system in Sweden, for the patient fee, for your illness or diagnosis.
The regions are responsible for healthcare in Sweden. Which medical treatment may provide entitlement to therefore depends on the region in which you are registered.
What options are there for planned medical treatment abroad?
You can choose to apply for
- an authorization for costs to be met (S2) to receive a certificate to take with you
- a prior authorization, and then apply for reimbursement afterwards
- reimbursement without obtaining certificate S2 or a prior authorization.
Apply for a certificate S2 or a prior authorization to be sure that the medical treatment you wish to receive is approved by your home region and can entitle you to reimbursement. Apply well in advance since we have long processing times.
National contact points
Each country has one or more national contact points that provide information on opportunities for treatment within the EU/EEA.
Planned dental treatment abroad
Planned dental treatment abroad is when you live or work in Sweden and travel to another EU/EEA country to receive dental treatment. If you want to apply for planned dental treatment abroad, you can choose to apply for
- a prior authorization and then apply for reimbursement
- reimbursement without having a prior authorization.
A prior authorization is a decision regarding how much money you can receive for the dental treatment and when you can receive it. You receive the authorization before you leave for the trip. You then apply for reimbursement once you have received the treatment.
If you received planned dental care without having a prior authorization, you can apply for reimbursement afterwards.
