Detailed guide: Healthcare for UK nationals living in Sweden

You need to be registered as a resident in Sweden to access state healthcare. You may still have to pay for some medical care.

UK nationals usually access the Swedish healthcare system in one of these ways:

• registering as a resident and then registering for healthcare
• using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for temporary stays
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with one of the insurance funds

Healthcare if you live and work in Sweden

Anyone who is registered as a resident in Sweden can register for state healthcare.

This is the same if you’re employed, self-employed or not working.

You can register your dependants for healthcare at the same time as you.

You may be entitled to a Swedish EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension.

How to register

Apply for a residence permit.

Register with your local Swedish tax office (Skatteverket). They will give you an ID card and personal identity number (personnummer). This takes 1 to 2 weeks.

Show your ID card and personal identity number when you use healthcare services.

How much you’ll pay

Patients have to pay towards their medical care and the cost varies in different parts of Sweden.

Example costs include:

• GP appointments: 100 to 300 Swedish krona
• paediatric appointments: 200 to 350 Swedish krona
• hospital stays: 100 Swedish krona

Some healthcare services have a price limit so that you do not have to pay more than 1,150 Swedish krona per year. This does not include dental care and hospital stays.

Prescription costs depend on the medicine, but you will not have to pay more than 2,300 Swedish krona per year.

If your UK employer has sent you to Sweden temporarily (‘posted workers’)

A posted worker, also known as a ‘detached worker’, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in Sweden using an EHIC, GHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

If you’re a posted worker, your employer must first register you at the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

You must then register your S1 form with:

• the Swedish tax authority (Skatteverket)
• a social insurance agency (Försökringskassan)

UK-funded healthcare: using an S1 form in Sweden

There’s different guidance if you have an S1 as a posted worker.

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you’re a Swedish resident and receive a UK State Pension.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you’re a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you’re eligible.

If you started living in Sweden before 1 January 2021, you may also be entitled to an S1 if you receive some other ‘exportable benefits’.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Swedish system.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in Sweden on the same basis as a Swedish citizen.

You’ll also get:

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Sweden than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services.

How to use an S1 form in Sweden

You must register your S1 form with:

• the Swedish tax authority (Skatteverket)
• a social insurance agency (Försökringskassan)

Once registered, you will be entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Swedish citizen.

Studying in Sweden

You can use an EHIC or GHIC to get medically necessary healthcare until the end of your study period.

You should also register as a resident if your course is longer than a year to get state health insurance.

Getting treatment in the UK

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes UK nationals who started living in the EU before 1 January 2021.

Read more about healthcare when you no longer live in the UK.

If you return to live in the UK you’ll be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.

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