Healthcare info

(Information on this page contributed by Dr. Franziska Liesecke)

Where to go when you are sick

Something not urgent, a follow-up, or prescription renewal: get listed in a vårdcentral where you can meet a GP. The physician will write a remiss if you need to see a specialist. If you need to meet a physician, don’t wait, the waiting time is long and can exceed several months. The healthcare giver is obliged to give you an appointment and begin a treatment if necessary within maximum 90 days.

An alternative is “digital healthcare” like Kry for example (only possible with a PN and BankID) . You can download the app and get an appointment (often within a few minutes). You can often choose a GP that speaks your language. They can do everything that doesn’t require a physical examination (they can’t for example write a remiss for an ultrasound examination or X-ray). The cost is the same than if you would go to a vårdcentral.

Something that can’t wait until the next day but is not life-threatening: Visit a Närakuten.

Uppsala Närakut Aleris

Dragarbrunnsgatan 72 A, 6 tr, Uppsala

Open 07-23 7/7

If you get seriously ill and you need to go to the emergency room: Visit an akutmottagningen.

Akademiska sjukhuset

Ingång 60, bv

75309 Uppsala

If you are not sure where to go, you can ring 11 77; they speak English and will tell you where to go. You can always require a translator if needed but most physicians and nurses speak English. If you don’t show up for an appointment or cancel it less than 24 hours before, you will have to pay a fee of 470 SEK (not covered by the high-cost protection).

If you are struggling with mental health: You should also contact your vårdcentral where you can meet a psychologist/be referred to a psychiatrist if needed. You can also get therapy sessions with a psychologist through an app called Mindler. 

High-cost protection - Högkostnadskydd

If you are seeing a physician, a nurse or a psychologist for example you will pay a fee (avgift ) of 200-250 SEK.

Once you have paid 1 300 SEK for medical appointments, you will get a frikort and not pay anything more for a year (counting from the day you made the first payment).

The same system exists for medication that was prescribed to you and it has a limit of 2 600 SEK.

For more details, see the pricelist Uppsala län: https://www.1177.se/Uppsala-lan/sa-fungerar-varden/varden-i-uppsala-lan/patientavgifter-i-uppsala-lan/patientavgifter-i-uppsala-lan/

Mental health is also covered by the high-cost protection (including the Mindler app). 

Medication availability

If you are already taking a treatment prescribed in your home country the prescription will not be valid in Sweden (this is most often the case even for prescriptions from other EU countries). Moreover, it is possible that your medication is not available in Sweden.