Sweden Residency for medical staff
An introduction to Sweden’s healthcare system
Generally, the Swedish health system functions well, the country has a high life expectancy, and the population is in reasonably good condition. Health care in Sweden has good access to high-quality care, according to reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), among others.
Karolinska University Hospital, which was regarded as the eighth-best hospital in the world when Newsweek identified the finest 250 hospitals across 27 nations in 2022, is one good demonstration of quality in Sweden.
Aging population in Sweden
People in Sweden are living longer and longer, just as they are in many other wealthy nations. Swedish people now live an average of 84.82 years for women and 81.21 years for men. It’s undoubtedly a good thing, but it also puts pressure on the healthcare system and raises the need for elder care.
Sweden’s decentralized healthcare system
In Sweden, healthcare is decentralized; regional councils and, in some situations, local councils or municipal governments are responsible. The central government’s job is to set political priorities for health and medical treatment as well as principles and rules.
Local and regional responsibilities in Sweden
According to Swedish law, each regional council is required to offer inhabitants access to high-quality healthcare and seek to advance population health. Regional councils have started covering the cost of dental care for locals up to the age of 23 as of 2019.
Working in Sweden as a professional medical practitioner
Do you have a medical degree and want to work in Sweden as a doctor, nurse, dentist, or another medical specialist?
thanks to worker-safety regulations, working conditions in Sweden are among the best in the world. Moreover, doctors are in high demand in Sweden and it is one of the professions where a labor shortage is predicted over the coming years.
Reasons to practice healthcare in Sweden:
In Sweden, 20 % of the population is 65 or older. As people get older, their healthcare needs grow exponentially. Besides, Sweden is one of the few OECD countries with a decent fertility rate. Children also have more health care needs than the average population. These demographics mean that Sweden has an increased need for qualified medical staff. Concurrently, a significant proportion of the trained medical staff is and has been baby boomers meaning that there is currently a relatively higher rate of retirements within the system.
Moreover, since private health care is gaining market share, the public system must replace staff at a higher rate than medical school graduates. As a result, immigrants with a medical degree have access to the same job in Sweden as they do in most other OECD countries.
According to the most recent statistics from Statistics Sweden (updated on 5 March 2020), immigrants account for 34% of all practicing medical doctors and 12% of all nurses in Sweden. Sweden’s most common profession is a personal care worker or assistant nurse (undersköterska). The most common region of origin of assistant nurses was Asia, which includes the Middle East.
All about Norway Residency for Medical Staff
Regarding all mentioned above, the Swedish healthcare system has an increased need for nurses and physicians, and the number of foreign-trained nurses and international medical graduates seeking job opportunities and a license to practice in Sweden is increasing.
Specific requirements to work as a medical professional in Sweden
Medical license
However, there are some specific requirements for working as a medical professional in Sweden.
To work as a medical professional in Sweden, a Swedish license to practice medicine is required. Many healthcare professions in Sweden are regulated and require a license to practice. You can apply for a license to practice at the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen). The National Board of Health and Welfare will issue a license to practice when you meet the criteria as a foreign healthcare practitioner.
Whether you are eligible for the license and how to apply for a Swedish license to practice as a non-European citizen depends on your specialty and whether you were trained within or outside of the EU/EEA. If you have an education from outside of the EU/EEA, your education will be assessed by the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen).
You must learn Swedish regardless of whether you had an education within or outside of the EU/EEA. You should enroll in a Swedish language course, tailored specifically for healthcare professionals. The course is called Swedish Language and Culture program which takes place in Sweden.
Requirements to Practice Medicine in Sweden as a Foreigner
Doctors trained outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland
The requirements for working as a doctor vary depending on which countries you have studied and worked in. Candidates from countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland must meet the requirements described below to be able to practice medicine in Sweden.
Language Requirements
You must learn the Swedish language regardless of whether you had your education within or outside of the EU/EEA. If you have a medical degree and wish to work as a medical professional in Sweden, you will need to learn not only the Swedish language but also Swedish medical terminology.
Doctors trained outside of the EU/EEA must have good language skills. It is an essential condition in their interactions with their colleagues, patients, and staff. Good language skills could also make it easier for the doctor to find the type of job he or she prefers.
You can acquire language skills in different ways. The sooner you start learning Swedish, the better it is, preferably when you are still waiting for your residence permit.
For those who have been trained outside of the EU/EEA area, certified knowledge of the Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish language is a requirement for a license to practice.
When later applying for a position as a medical doctor, the employers usually expect a language comprehension level equivalent to level C1 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) scale. This means you have a high level of understanding of written and spoken Swedish in a variety of contexts and can produce clear and well-structured Swedish in speech and writing.
A few different qualifications are also accepted: Komvux qualifications in Swedish 3 or Swedish as a Second Language 3; a qualification that meets the language requirements for higher education (such as Titus).
Language courses for doctors
Because of the language requirement, you should start learning Swedish as soon as possible once you have decided to relocate. It is possible to do this either online or in person even if you are outside the country.
There are a few language courses specifically tailored for healthcare professionals. One of these courses is SFA-medicin in Södertälje.
Swedish for immigrants (SFI) is organized by the municipalities. It is required that you have a valid residence permit and you have to be registered with the municipality. The municipalities must provide SFI for new arrivals within 3 months.
Different Accepted qualifications
Komvux qualifications in Swedish 3 or Swedish as a Second Language 3, a qualification that meets the language requirements for higher education (such as Titus).
license to practice medicine
For doctors with a medical degree from a country outside the EU/EEA/ Switzerland, complementary training is required to receive a Swedish medical license to practice and a specialist qualification. This applies to 21 different medical professions, but for some healthcare positions such as assistant nurses, you can find work in Sweden without a license (and in some cases, with reduced requirements of language skills). Many healthcare professions in Sweden are regulated and those require a license to practice. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) is the competent authority that assesses your academic and clinical background. It will issue a license to practice when you meet certain requirements, as a foreign healthcare professional.
The first step in the process is to apply for an assessment of foreign training. When it comes to finding an internship, probationary service, or employment, we recommend you to contact the Swedish Employment Office (Arbetsförmedlingen) for assistance.
If you are a specialist doctor with basic medical training from outside the EU/EES, it takes about 3 years to get a Swedish license to practice. The average time is around 6 years if one has a license to practice but is not a specialist.
Doctors of medicine in Sweden have an exclusive right to practice their specialty and their titles are protected. This means that only those with a license to practice or a locum appointment are allowed to use the title and practice the profession.
The process to get a Swedish license to practice for a non-European citizen differs depending on whether you have been trained in the EU/EEA or outside of it.
Application for a license to practice medicine as a trained doctor outside the EU/EEA/ Switzerland:
Applies to all
Step 1. Start by applying for an assessment of foreign training
Step 2. Show certified knowledge of the Swedish language
Applies to doctors of medicine without considerable medical experience:
Step 3a. Pass a two-part medical knowledge test in Swedish
The purpose of the test is to ensure that you have the same level of medical knowledge as a person with a Swedish doctor of medicine degree. The test is divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. To pass the test, you must have sufficient language skills.
Step 3b. Pass internship
The internship consists of at least 18 months of internship divided between different fields of practice. It concludes with a knowledge test.
Applies to doctors of medicine with considerable medical experience and a certificate of specialist qualification:
Step 3. Pass probationary service
The probationary service lasts 6 consecutive months within the relevant field of practice. The objective is to assess your medical expertise concerning the knowledge required to obtain a Swedish license to practice, as well as your judgment, your way of relating to patients, and your general aptitude as a doctor of medicine.
Applies to all:
Step 4. Pass a course on Swedish medical legislation
The objective of the course is to ensure that doctors of medicine in Sweden have the necessary basic knowledge of the framework of Swedish society and of current legislation that applies to the profession.
Step 5. Submit a formal application for a license to practice. It takes about 2 weeks to process. You can do this only after points 1-4 above have been fulfilled.
Immigration Regulations
If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and wish to work in Sweden, you must first obtain work and Sweden residency permit to practice.
Job offer
You must have a job offer in Sweden to receive a work permit. Your employer must have advertised the position in Sweden and within EU/EEA and Switzerland for at least 10 days before you were employed.
Your employer in Sweden initiates the work permit application by completing an offer of employment. Your employer needs information about your name, date of birth, citizenship, education, and e-mail address.
Access to the Email address
You must have access to the e-mail address you give your employer until you have received a decision regarding your application. This e-mail address will be used by the Swedish Migration Agency to communicate with you throughout the application process.
When your employer has completed an offer of employment, you will receive an e-mail with information about how to apply for a work permit.
Personal and professional information
In the application, you provide information about yourself. If you are bringing your family with you to Sweden, you will need to apply for their permits at the same time. You should also check that the information about your employment terms in the job offer corresponds to what you and your employer have agreed to.
The following documents are to be scanned or photographed and sent with your application:
copies of the pages in your passport which show your personal information
photograph
signature
passport number
passport issuing country
the passport’s period of validity, and
whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin
If your family is coming with you and you submit their applications at the same time, the following also need to be submitted besides the above documents for the family members:
copies of marriage certificates or the equivalent (applies to married couples or registered partners)
documents showing that you have lived together in your country of origin (applies to common-law spouses)
birth certificates for children
consent from the other custodial parent, if they are not also coming to Sweden, stating that the child is allowed to move to Sweden
documents showing that children above the age of 21 are financially dependent on their parents.
The documents should be translated to Swedish or English by an authorized translator. Copies of original documents should always be included.
In most cases, you will be charged a fee. You can make a payment with a Visa or MasterCard. You submit your application when the fee is paid. An e-mail will be sent to you and your employer confirming that your application has been received. If the Migration Agency requires additional information, it will contact you.
For the Swedish Migration Agency to decide on your application, all the details must be filled in and all necessary documents must be attached. This means that if all the necessary information is included from the start, the processing time will be shorter than if the information is added later. Note that the Migration Agency might need to further examine your application in some situations, even if it appears to be complete.
If you are granted a permit for more than 3 months, you will receive a residence permit card. The card proves that you have permission to reside in Sweden and contains information such as your fingerprints and photograph.
Entry visa
If you need an entry visa for Sweden, you should make an appointment to be photographed and fingerprinted at the Swedish embassy or consulate-general as soon as possible. You need to do this even if you have already had a residence permit card, as the information is not saved. If your family members are also applying for permits, then they must be photographed and fingerprinted at the embassy or consulate-general. Always contact the embassy or consulate-general before your visit.
If you do not need an entry visa to travel to Sweden, you can submit information for the residence permit card at the Migration Agency once you arrive. However, you must request and obtain your work permit issued before moving to Sweden.
An e-mail will be sent to you confirming that a decision has been taken. The embassy or consulate-general that you mentioned in your application makes the final decision. Your employer will also receive a notification about the decision by mail.
You must bring your passport when collecting your decision. Whether you have been issued a work permit, you will obtain your Sweden residency permit card within 4 weeks after being photographed and fingerprinted at the embassy or consulate-general.
The residence permit card will be issued at the time the decision is made, but no earlier than 3 months before the residence permit becomes valid.
We cannot expedite the production or delivery of the card.
Residence permit card
You will also be granted a residence permit card if you receive a work permit in Sweden for more than 3 months. The card includes information such as your fingerprints and photograph and proves that you have permission to live in Sweden.
Note: Non-EU candidates should expect a longer process time and a lower chance of successful placement. However, education and citizenship within Europe for non-EU Candidates is an advantage.
Those with qualifications from a country in the EU/EEA/Switzerland and those without qualifications who choose to qualify as a doctor in Sweden go through a different process.
The process of getting a Swedish license to practice for doctors trained within the EU/EEA/Switzerland is described
Doctors trained within the EU/EEA/Switzerland
Process for applying
If you have completed basic training in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, your qualifications are usually automatically recognized in Sweden. The same goes for specialist training, as long as both Sweden and the country where you undertook the training have reported the specialty at issue to Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC and your application is accomplished by a certificate provided by the competent authority in the country of training. Even if your training took place outside of this area, you can follow these instructions if you have been granted a license in an EU/EEA country and practiced there for at least 3 years, as well as a certificate from the country’s competent authority.
The application for a license to practice as a doctor should be sent to The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen).
You will need to send the following things:
An extract from the Swedish population register (personbevis), which is no older than 3 months
Your Swedish personal identity number (personnummer)- if you have it- or a valid passport (plus proof of any name changes)
A certificate proving your Swedish language skills
A copy of your qualifications themselves
A certificate no older than 3 months proving you have not been banned from the profession
A certificate that confirms that you meet either article 23 or 24 in EU directive 2005/36/EC; and
Proof that you have paid the application fee.
Original documents are not required; ordinary copies are sufficient.
The fee is paid directly to Socialstyrelsen. All documents written in a language other than Swedish, English, Norwegian or Danish must be translated into either Swedish or English.
You can fill out the form online or submit a printed copy once you have all the necessary documents and information.
Language Requirements
When it comes to the language requirement, you will usually be expected to take a course to show that you have reached C1 level Swedish according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) or Swedish as a foreign language, level 3 from Komvux (upper secondary adult education) or another course or test that makes you eligible for studying at a Swedish university/college. There are, however, a few exceptions. If you can communicate in Danish or Norwegian at a C1 level, you will be able to practice medicine in Sweden. Regardless of your citizenship, you must prove proficiency in any of the three languages mentioned above.
If a healthcare provider can confirm that you have sufficient Swedish knowledge to work in Sweden, you can apply for your medical license instead of taking one of these courses. In that case, they must fill out a form that should then be attached to your license application.
Doctors trained in Sweden
It is also possible to apply for a license after carrying out training in Sweden.
You can start from the beginning by pursuing a medical degree in Sweden, and then applying for your license once the 5-to-6-year course is complete. If you have studied in another country, you can enquire with university admissions offices to see if a shorter study period is possible.
103 Comments. Leave new
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Hello, Unfortunately Sweden has stopped issuing visas for those who don’t have c1 in Sweden.
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what are the requirements for a healthcare administrative job in Sweden for non- EU/EEA citizen
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