Posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

Sweden is a popular destination for international students – last year over 25,000 international students studied in Sweden. High-quality English language instruction, a high standard of living, and free tuition have all contributed to Sweden’s popularity with foreign students. Although Sweden has announced plans to begin charging tuition fees to non-EU students no later than January 1, 2010, Sweden is likely to remain a popular destination.

One item that all foreign students in Sweden must address is health insurance – in Sweden, medical care is very expensive if you do not have health insurance. Here are the Swedish health insurance requirements for different categories of international students:

Non-EU/EEA Students Staying Less Than 3 Months

International students or travelers in Sweden staying less than 3 months will not need a residence permit and will not qualify for public health benefits. Therefore students and visitors should purchase travel health insurance that meets all Schengen Visa insurance requirements (as Sweden is a Schengen country). For these travelers and students, the Atlas Travel Plan is the best insurance solution and will offer travel health benefits such as hospitalization, doctors visits, evacuation, repatriation and much more….

Non-EU Students Staying More Than 3 Months and Less Than One Year

Students planning to stay in Sweden for more than 3 months but less than one year must apply for a residence permit before they arrive; however, they will not be eligible for Sweden’s public health insurance benefits. In this case, a student should purchase comprehensive international travel medical insurance or international student health insurance that meets Sweden’s requirements. In both these cases, the Atlas Travel Medical plan and Student Secure plan would be ideal and can be purchased from 5 days up to 12 months (depending on the plan choice) and will provide a range of travel and student health benefits.

Non-EU/EEA Students Staying More Than a Year

Students staying in Sweden for more than a year must apply for a residence permit before arriving, and they are entitled to Sweden’s public health benefits. Immediately upon arrival in Sweden, you should apply for civil registration at your local tax office. Upon application, you will be eligible for public health benefits even while waiting for your registration to be complete. However, your travel to and from Sweden would not be covered, and the time you spend in Sweden before applying for registration would also not be covered. To fill those gaps, and for the comfort of having additional coverage anywhere you may travel to while studying in Sweden, many students purchase a supplemental travel medical insurance policy. In this case, the Atlas Travel Series would be the best plan.

Students from Nordic and EU/EEA countries

As a student from a Nordic or EU/EEA country, you must register beforehand at a social insurance office in your home country and obtain a European health insurance card, or a FormE128 or E111. When seeking medical care in Sweden, you simply need to bring that card or form with you.
Students from Nordic or EU/EEA countries that do not register with their social insurance office in their home country will need to purchase health insurance, just as non-EU/EEA students do.

To learn more about our plans for students and travelers visiting or studying in Sweden please see:

– Atlas International Travel Medical Insurance
– Student Secure International Student Health Insurance