Country guide — Europe
Expat insurance and health insurance in Sweden
In short
In Sweden, no law requires taking out private health insurance: the system, funded through taxation, is organised on three levels (the State, 21 regions, 290 municipalities), with each region setting its own co-payment amount due at each consultation (patientavgift, roughly 150 to 300 SEK for a GP, 200 to 400 SEK for a specialist), capped by an annual protection scheme (högkostnadsskydd, 1,450 SEK in 2026 for outpatient care). Access to this reduced rate requires being registered in the Swedish population register (folkbokföring, Skatteverket) — a process reserved for a planned stay of at least one year — then affiliated to the Försäkringskassan, as the French embassy recommends to any long-term resident. During the processing time for this registration, or for any shorter stay, only the EHIC or private insurance provide effective protection. No fine is provided for in case of non-affiliation, unlike in the Netherlands: the risk remains purely financial, with a night of hospitalisation capped at 130 SEK for a covered patient potentially being billed at the full rate, without this cap, to a non-affiliated patient. Seconded workers (form A1) and retirees (form S1) avoid local procedures thanks to European coordination.
Key figures
- 9,378 French nationals registered with the consular register in 2025 (9,157 in 2024, +2.41%).
- Life expectancy at birth: 84.06 years in 2024 (World Bank).
- Health spending: 11.22% of GDP in 2024 (World Bank), one of the highest rates in Europe.
- Annual cap on outpatient care co-payments (högkostnadsskydd): 1,450 SEK in 2026, beyond which care remains free (frikort) for the rest of a rolling 12-month period.
Local healthcare system
Sweden does not have a single national social security system for health in the French sense: the system operates on three levels — the State sets the legal framework, the 21 regions (renamed as such since the reform of the former « landsting ») organise and fund, through regional taxation, almost all somatic and psychiatric care, both outpatient and inpatient, while the 290 municipalities manage home help and elderly care. For highly specialised care, regional councils are grouped into six healthcare cooperation regions.
The local health centre (vårdcentral) is the entry point to the system: each region freely sets the amount of the co-payment (patientavgift) due at each consultation, roughly 150 to 300 SEK for a GP and 200 to 400 SEK for a specialist. A national protection scheme (högkostnadsskydd) caps this total at 1,450 SEK over a rolling twelve months for outpatient care, beyond which a frikort (free-care card) is issued; a separate cap exists for reimbursed medicines, with no reliable 2026 amount identified in the sources consulted. A night of hospitalisation is capped at 130 SEK per day at national level, with some regions applying a lower rate. Dental care is free up to age 20 and then subject to reduced partial coverage for adults; optical care remains largely outside the tax-funded care basket.
Legal and visa obligations
- EU citizen: no visa required, free movement. Sweden issues neither a residence permit nor a resident card to EU citizens.
- Folkbokföring (population registration): to be requested from the Skatteverket (the tax agency, also the population register) once the stay is planned for at least one year. It triggers the allocation of a personnummer, the ten-digit identity number used for any administrative procedure, including access to the patientavgift rate at a vårdcentral or a regional hospital.
- Affiliation to the Försäkringskassan: the French embassy recommends that any long-term resident register with the Swedish authorities, including the Försäkringskassan, the body that manages the various insurance schemes and benefits of Swedish social security, including health insurance, with a regional office in each region.
- Without a personnummer or EHIC: care is billed at the full rate set by the region, without benefiting from the högkostnadsskydd cap or the reduced patientavgift rate reserved for affiliated people.
- Student: the EHIC is enough for a temporary stay (such as Erasmus); beyond one year, folkbokföring becomes necessary and supplementary student insurance remains recommended during the transition period.
- Seconded employee : for up to 24 months (extendable), remains attached to the French scheme via form A1, exempt from folkbokföring and affiliation to the Försäkringskassan.
- Retiree: form S1 from their French pension fund before departure, for coverage by the Swedish regional system with no new contribution of their own.
No fine is provided for in case of missing folkbokföring or affiliation, unlike in the Netherlands: the risk is purely financial, particularly during the processing time for registration or for any stay of less than one year, with no help from the French embassy.
Cost of some medical procedures
Orders of magnitude from specialised sources, not official fee schedules.
| Procedure | Public sector | Private sector |
|---|---|---|
| GP consultation (vårdcentral), affiliated patient (personnummer) | 150 to 300 SEK depending on region (patientavgift) | — |
| Specialist consultation, affiliated patient | 200 to 400 SEK depending on region (patientavgift) | — |
| Emergency room visit (akutmottagning), affiliated patient | Rate set by each region, counts towards the högkostnadsskydd cap, not harmonised nationally | — |
| Night of hospitalisation, affiliated patient | 130 SEK/day maximum (2026 national cap, some regions apply less) | — |
| Annual cap on outpatient care co-payments (högkostnadsskydd) | 1,450 SEK/year (2026), free thereafter over a rolling 12 months | — |
| Consultation without a personnummer or EHIC (non-affiliated patient) | Full rate billed by the region, generally several times the patientavgift rate, not uniformly publicly available | — |
| Consultation at a private clinic outside the regional system | — | Rate varies by facility, not publicly available |
Social security agreements with France
As Sweden is an EU member, there is no classic bilateral agreement with France: coordination runs through EU regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009, as for other member states.
- Temporary stay: the EHIC gives entitlement to the same cover as a local insured person (patientavgift of 150 to 300 SEK for a GP, 200 to 400 SEK for a specialist); an advance payment remains possible depending on the facility, with a certificate of entitlement (CPR) in case the card is forgotten or lost.
- Secondment: form A1, staying on the French scheme for up to 24 months (extendable), exempt from folkbokföring and affiliation to the Försäkringskassan.
- Long-term move: folkbokföring with the Skatteverket then affiliation to the Försäkringskassan; form S1 for a retiree, covered by the Swedish regional system with no new contribution of their own.
- The EHIC covers neither repatriation, nor planned care, nor a long-term move.
Which insurance for my profile
General matrix — does not recommend any specific product or insurer.
| Profile | Regulatory constraint | Points of attention |
|---|---|---|
| Working holiday visa | Not applicable (France-Sweden = EU free movement) | — |
| Student | EHIC for a temporary stay (such as Erasmus) | Beyond one year, folkbokföring and a personnummer must be requested to move to the patientavgift rate; supplementary student insurance recommended during the transition |
| Seconded employee | Stays on the French scheme via form A1, for up to 24 months | Exempt from folkbokföring and affiliation to the Försäkringskassan; supplementary cover useful for quick access to care during the secondment |
| Local employee / settled resident | Folkbokföring with the Skatteverket (stay ≥ 1 year) then affiliation to the Försäkringskassan | Without a personnummer, care is billed at the full rate; a bridging cover should be anticipated during the registration processing time |
| Retiree (form S1) | Covered by the Swedish regional system, with no new contribution of their own | Adult dental care and optical care remain largely at the patient's expense, outside the högkostnadsskydd outpatient cap |
Hospitals and care network
- Stockholm: Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset (Solna and Huddinge sites), one of the largest university hospital centres in Europe, affiliated with the Karolinska Institute.
- Gothenburg: Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset, the largest hospital in the Nordic countries.
- Malmö / Lund: Skånes universitetssjukhus (SUS), the main university hospital centre in southern Sweden.
Practical steps
- Before departure: notify French agencies of your departure (CPAM, CAF, France Travail, pension funds).
- Seconded employee: request form A1 from your French fund before departure.
- Retiree: request form S1 from your pension fund before departure.
- Before departure or on arrival: request the EHIC to cover the transition period.
- On arrival, for a stay planned for at least one year: request folkbokföring from the Skatteverket, to obtain a personnummer.
- Once the personnummer is received: register with the Försäkringskassan for affiliation to Swedish social security, as recommended by the French embassy.
- Register with a vårdcentral (health centre) in your area, the entry point to the regional care system.
- Register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (French embassy in Stockholm).
Frequently asked questions
Is it mandatory to take out private health insurance to move to Sweden?
No. No Swedish law requires private insurance: the system is funded through taxation and organised by the 21 regions. Access to the reduced rate (patientavgift) does, however, require being registered in the Swedish population register (folkbokföring) and affiliated to the Försäkringskassan, which the French embassy recommends to any long-term resident.
What is folkbokföring and why does it determine access to care?
It is registration in the Swedish population register, managed by the Skatteverket, reserved for a stay planned for at least one year. It triggers the allocation of a personnummer, the identity number used for any administrative procedure, including access to the patientavgift rate at a vårdcentral or a regional hospital.
Is the EHIC enough to settle in Sweden long-term?
No. It gives entitlement to the same cover as a local insured person for a temporary stay, but a long-term move requires folkbokföring and affiliation to the Försäkringskassan, or the transfer of rights via form S1 for a retiree.
What is the risk without a personnummer or EHIC in case of care?
Care is billed at the full rate by the region, without benefiting from the annual högkostnadsskydd cap (1,450 SEK in 2026) or the reduced patientavgift rate reserved for affiliated people. No fine is provided for, but the financial risk remains entire, with no help from the French embassy.
Does a French employee seconded to Sweden need to register with the Swedish system?
No, if they hold form A1 confirming they stay on the French scheme, for a period not exceeding 24 months (extendable under conditions). They remain exempt from folkbokföring and affiliation to the Försäkringskassan during this period.
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Written by Expavy
Sources
- France Diplomatie — Sweden, Health
- France Diplomatie — Sweden, Entry / stay
- France Diplomatie — Global register of French nationals living abroad (2025)
- French Embassy in Sweden — Health (Försäkringskassan affiliation, EU-kort)
- CLEISS — The Swedish healthcare system
- CLEISS — Holidays in Sweden: what health cover?
- 1177.se — Patientavgifter och högkostnadsskydd (co-payments and the protection cap)
- SKR — Patientavgifter i hälso- och sjukvården i alla regioner 2026
- World Bank — Life expectancy at birth, Sweden
- World Bank — Current health expenditure (% of GDP), Sweden