If you don't have a Swedish personal identity number or an EU Health Insurance Card you must pay the full cost of medical treatment yourself. A visit to a doctor at an emergency care unit costs between SEK 1700 and 2000.

You are strongly advised to take out comprehensive private health insurance before leaving, especially if you're a non-European citizen. Annual travel insurance – which covers not only emergency health costs, but also insures your belongings – is available for as little as 75 euros, so is a better investment than trip-by-trip insurance. You will need to be officially resident in your home country for a total of at least six months in the year however. Here are some websites that offer good insurance deals for Sweden:

• http://www.atlasdirect.net/worldwide/Sweden.aspx
• http://www.worldnomads.com
• http://insurance.essentialtravel.co.uk/

Buying private medical insurance over the internet is a simple process, you will just need to provide your credit card details, your permanent address and contact info, and then you will receive you policy document by e-mail. Pay attention to what your policy will actually cover before buying. Do you intend to do winter or water sports? Do you have any illness or disability that needs to be declared? Such factors will affect the overall cost of your policy. Once your policy document comes through keep it in a safe place and always have the emergency telephone number of your insurance company and your policy number on your person when you travel.