MHayes

Hello all, my name is Martin and I've been living in Sweden since Jan 14th 2009.

I've searched on the site for the information I'm looking for with no success so now I must ask for help!

I will shortly be going on vacation and I wondered what the situation was with medical insurance, I have lived in sweden almost 3.5 years and I've been back to England once in that time.

I'm obviously a resident in sweden (uppehållstillstånd) my question is do I still qualify for NHS treatment when going abroad? (I was a taxpayer for some years before I moved to sweden) and if not do I qualify for medical help from Sweden instead?

If neither does this mean I'm forced to purchase medical insurance?

Blackladder

Hi Martin,

If you've lived in Sweden that long and are employed (or self-employed), all you have to do is apply to the national insurance office (Försäkringskassan) for a European Health Insurance Card. You can do this on the Internet (just google Försäkringskassan to get the correct e-mail address). All you have to do is key in your civic identity number (födelsenummer) and they will send you a card in the post. It's like a small violet and white coloured credit card, but you don't have to sign it. I think they're valid for a few years and on the back there is a list of the countries where the card is valid. Then you are entitled to the same medical care, including of course emergencies, as the local population. It costs nothing.
Have a nice trip!
Blackie

MHayes

Thankyou very very much for the answer Blackladder, that was the feeling that I had but as you know the beaurucracy in sweden makes it hard to get a straight answer sometimes!

Blackladder

Hi again Martin,

Ain't it the truth?

Anyway, just a reminder that you only get the same health care cover as the locals, which means you're ok in the UK, but for example in France, you would only get 70% of the medical charges reimbursed - unless it's for emergency and lifesaving treatment, which is 100%.

If you're going to the US of A, you have to take your last 150 years of tax returns to the inland revenue services - or prove that your grandpappy's grandpappy was killed in Longstreet's charge at the battle of Gettysburg - if you are to get any medical cover at all!
Blackie

MHayes

Yeah I already made a personal rule for travelling to the US of nothing less than full medical coverage on a private policy, luckily this time round the trip to Barcelona went without a hitch despite my run in with a couple of pick pockets!

Blackladder

Yeah,
Barcelona's getting almost as dangerous as Malmö (they don't go for drive-by shootings in Barcelona tho')