I checked questions asked on this subject before but need to clarify something if I may.
I am English and my husband is Germany and we currently live in Germany but plan to retire to Sweden in a couple of years.
Researching the National health service in Sweden many web sites state that even though we are not Swedish we will be entitled to the same subsidised National health service.
However, which is where we can not find a definitive answer, when researching about applying to the tax office for a personal ID number I have read that you need private health insurance covering you for 1 year from the date of moving to Sweden to be able to apply for the tax number.
The important question is do we really need private insurance to get the personal ID (Tax) number? Is there a website that confirms the exact requirement?
An example of someones experience over confusion for treatment payment Private/National (found on the Internet):
A German gentleman had a private health insurance from the German company he worked for. He was living and working in Sweden with his wife and they had registered for the Personal ID number. His wife broke her arm and when they went for treatment he gave their Personal ID number. He was billed based on the Swedish National health service but when he asked for a bill/receipt so he to claim it on his private insurance he was told he could not have one as it was registered on a National health service. He is thinking that he will have to not declare his personal ID numbernext time and so get billed the full amount that he can pass on to his private insurance policy.
Health Care
Hi Corinne,
You will need to get a personnummer asap regardless as it is needed for pretty much everything. You are not entitled to health care before you have your personnummer. In case of medical emergency you will be able to use E111 or alternatively you will need private insurance for the interim.
To get the PN,you will have to apply to migrationsverket for your residency permit. For this you will have to prove you are able to look after yourself financially etc but it is usually a straight forward process. After that, you will get your personnummer but you are definitely covered once you get it.
I had no insurance and got my personnummer so im not sure why they are saying thay.
Hope this helps
Hi caffers,
Thank you very much for your help and information.
It certainly helps to hear that you got the personnummer without having private insurance. We will have private insurance when we move because it is law in Germany but I will not worry about making sure we have a full a years outstanding.
I will not be able to use the E111 (EHIC) as I don't live in the UK to be eligible to apply for it.
Do you have a rough idea on how long it takes to get the personnummer from the time of applying?
I can only speak from my own experience, but...
I am a double organ transplant patient who moved to Sweden after my transplant - of course I need fairly regular monitoring so was keen to get my healthcare sorted before I moved...however...
On a visit over here before my move I needed emergency care, when I went to casualty they just issued me a temporary personal number and I paid what any other Swede would pay for what I needed.
I'd hesitate before forking out on private medical insurance; I am a bit of a 'frequent flyer' when it comes to hospital appointments and I have never needed any form of private insurance - before I had a permanent ID or after.
Adrian
Hi Adrian,
That is some personal experience you have had. All the best to you.
In Germany it is normal to have health insurance through your employer. I don't work but am lucky enough to be covered for 70% by my husbands job (army). Up until now we just payed the 30% ourselves but last month my husband decided to get private cover for the 30% just for peace of mind. On applying for it, which was not easy as no one wanted to insure me because I was British, our information was passed on to the authorities who surprised use by slapping a big fine on us. Seems that a law was introduced a couple of years ago that everyone MUST have health insurance and as mine was not the full 100% we got fined. Got to love the German bureaucracy.
When my husband retires his cover goes down to 70% and I keep my 70%. We have to work out if we need to budget for the 30% x 2 cover (which is currently valuing at 500 Euro per month, well worth hesitating over) or we are able to use the Swedish national insurance.
Lot more confident now many thanks.
Corinne
No problem.
It depends really. Your situation with migrationsverket might be the stumbling block because you will be applying for residency without a job (just being honest). I did the same and they wanted to know all sorts about my partner and her finances etc. Personnummer wont take long after.
I would assume by what is happening to me, 2 months for the whole process.
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