Can I see a doctor for free in Sweden?
Not entirely free, but low-cost and capped. You pay a patient fee per visit: in Stockholm an ordinary doctor visit costs 275 kr and an emergency visit 400 kr. Once you have paid 1,450 kr within a rolling twelve-month period you get a free card, and the rest of the period is free — the ceiling does not follow the calendar year. Children aged 0–17 and people aged 85 and over get outpatient care free. Prescription medicines have their own cost ceiling, separate from visits, so they do not count towards the 1,450 kr. One fee catches even the free groups: a missed appointment costs if you do not cancel in time. Asylum seekers pay reduced fees.
📋 The rules
- Stockholm: doctor visit 275 kr, A&E 400 kr
- Cost ceiling: 1,450 kr per 12 months, then a free card
- Free for children 0–17
- Free outpatient care for 85 and over
- Medicines have their own cost ceiling
🔓 Exceptions
- Asylum-seeking adults pay reduced fees for care that cannot wait
- Children of asylum seekers get full care like residents
- A missed-appointment fee applies even to otherwise-free groups
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no penalty here — this is about fees, not offences. But one charge does exist: a missed appointment costs if you do not cancel in time, and it is charged even to those whose care is otherwise free, meaning children aged 0–17 and people aged 85 and over. It is the one bill the free card does not protect you from. Two more things cost more than people expect: the 1,450 kr ceiling runs over a rolling twelve-month period and not a calendar year, and medicines have their own ceiling — the pharmacy and the clinic are not added together.
📎 Official sources
- 1177 Stockholm · Patient fees →
- 1177 · Cost ceiling outpatient care →
- SKR · Patient fees in all regions →
❓ Frequently asked
What does a doctor visit cost in Stockholm?
275 kr for an ordinary doctor visit and 400 kr at the emergency department. Both count towards the cost ceiling, so once you have paid 1,450 kr within twelve months you get a free card.
What is the cost ceiling?
A cap of 1,450 kr per rolling twelve-month period. Once you pass it you get a free card and outpatient care is free for the rest of the period — the ceiling does not follow the calendar year.
Is care free for children?
Yes. Children aged 0–17 get outpatient care free, and so do people aged 85 and over. A missed-appointment fee can, however, still be charged to them.
Do prescription medicines cost extra?
Yes, but medicines have their own cost ceiling, separate from care visits. What you pay at the pharmacy therefore does not count towards the 1,450 kr ceiling.
What applies to asylum seekers?
Asylum-seeking adults pay reduced fees for care that cannot wait. Their children, by contrast, get full care on the same terms as registered residents.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “what does a doctor visit cost sweden”
- “patient fee stockholm 275”
- “cost ceiling 1450 free card”
- “free care children 85 sweden”
- “emergency cost 400 sweden”
- “medicine cost ceiling sweden”