Treatment inquiry

For us to consider your inquiry, it is essential that you upload medical documentation. Your request will not be processed until we receive all the necessary information. Generally, we require the following:

• An updated and detailed medical report in English, providing a chronological overview of the medical history, diagnosis, current medication list, and treatments. This should be a typed official letter issued by a medical doctor. Please note that we do not accept handwritten documents.
• Other relevant medical documents, including laboratory reports, imaging (such as X-ray, MRI, CT scans, etc.), and the original statements regarding the imaging.

All documents must be written in English (or Swedish) using Latin characters. Additionally:

• The patient's name and date of birth must appear on all pages.
• All documents must include the date of issue.
• Documents translated from another language must be translated by a certified interpreter.
• All documents must be typed; handwritten information is not accepted.
• Written documents must be in PDF format. Photos or screenshots of written medical documents (JPEG) are not accepted.
• X-ray images must adhere to the DICOM standard and be uploaded as ZIP files.
• The most recent information and/or images should not be older than 3-6 months.

If any necessary documents are missing or do not meet our criteria, you will be notified regarding your inquiry.

These are the criteria for international patients to get medical services at Karolinska: 

• Patient does not have swedish personal number or is registered in Sweden.
• There is an established diagnosis from previous medical examinations.
• The diagnosis is related to highly specialized care* 
• A patient’s case is not urgent 

Since you are registered in Sweden you need to seek medical care through the public medical system. Please contact your local health center (vårdcentral) to get a first appointment, and if needed you will be referred to a specialist. For more information, se www.karolinska.se or www.1177.se/how-healthcare-works-in-sweden

As an international patient you will always start with getting a Medical Second Opinion (MSO),  which includes a multidisciplinary Team conference, where participants are various specialists in the medical field with excellent experience. A patient does not attend the conference but gets a statement in English. After the second opinion the clinic will decide if they can offer any treatment, and if there is a need for a physical appointment with a doctor. 

We do not have a fixed price list since the price can vary depending on complexity of a patient’s case. The price for a treatment is usually set after the Medical Second Opinion is done, when doctors reviewed a patient’s case. IPO team sends an agreement and estimated costs for services that will be provided. 
Cost for a Second Opinion is always covered by advanced private payment. 
Cost for a treatment can be covered by advanced private payment, guaranty of payment or insurance S2 (EU citizens) 

What if estimated costs are less/more than actual costs? 

If estimated costs are less than actual costs, we will send you a bill for the difference. 
If estimated costs are more than actual costs, we will refund the difference. 

The International Patient Office (IPO) at Karolinska will prepare a cost estimate for the services you will receive. After service is provided IPO will send you Actual costs. We accept private payments, insurance or S2 (EU citizens). 

Note! Insurance and S2 do not cover costs for Medical Second Opinion. This type of services is always covered by private advanced payment. 

The handling time can vary, but it typically takes 3-6 weeks from when we have received all the necessary documents and payment to issue a medical report. During peak periods, this process may take longer. Please be aware that the handling time is dependent on the current workload of the medical unit, and in some instances, it may take additional time to process cases.

International Patient Office is a unit at the Karolinska university Hospital which is a public hospital under the region Stockholm Council. We understand your demanding situation but unfortunately, we are not able to provide any financial support within the Swedish Healthcare system. The Swedish Healthcare system is financed by the Swedish population by taxes that are paid by citizens. Therefore, it is not possible to get free or subsidized healthcare if you do not pay taxes in Sweden.  
Patients coming from abroad always must finance their medical services by themselves or by a guarantee of payment. 

To apply for a visa, you should contact the Swedish embassy or consulate in your country.
International Patient Office will provide you with a letter of confirmation when the date for your visit is set. We do not provide a letter of confirmation when the treatment plan is not scheduled yet.

We kindly ask you to inform us about the need of intepreter services in advance. Please provide us with information what language you prefer, and we will book a relevant interpreter to you.