What to do in a crisis, or if you fall ill
Acute emergencies
Call 112 when you experience an acute emergency that poses an immediate risk to health, life, or property. The number connects you to the rescue services, the police, the fire department, social emergency services, an on-call priest, and poison information.
If you fall ill
You can call the medical advice number (Sjukvårdsrådgivningen) 1177 for health care advice over the phone, twenty-four hours a day, year-round. A nurse will answer your questions, determine the need for further care, and recommend which, if any, health care agency you should visit.
Telephone: +46 771 11 77 00
Uppsala University's emergency number
In the event of a serious incident at Uppsala University and/or when in need of a security officer due to difficult situations, call the University's emergency number.
Telephone: +46 18 471 25 00 (open 24 hours)
A serious incident can be one of the following:
- Death
- Burglary
- Risk of serious personal injury or damage to the environment or property
- Threats and/or violence
- Accidents
- Fire
- Other events with the risk of serious impact
Sweden's national information number
113 13 is Sweden's national telephone number for information in case of serious accident or crises. Call when you need information, or have information to give, about major accidents or crises such as storms, epidemics, a flood, or any major events in the community.
Acute psychiatric services
For acute psychiatric help, seek help at the emergency unit for adult psychiatry. The clinic is staffed by doctors and other health care personnel. If you are having an emergency but are unable to visit the emergency unit, call 112.
Acute psychiatric care unit in Visby (Link to Google maps)
Acute psychiatric care unit in Uppsala (Link to Google maps)
Social emergency service
The Social Emergency Service offers help during evenings, nights and weekends when the Social Service Office is closed. Call for acute social problems such as domestic violence, addiction, or when you believe that someone is being mistreated.
Uppsala: +46 18 727 00 00
Visby: +46 498 26 91 45
Supportive counselling at Uppsala närakut
At Uppsala närakut, you can meet a counsellor for a supportive conversation if you feel worried, stressed or depressed. It may be something that has happened that you need to talk about and get support to deal with. You do not need a referral or an appointment.
Helplines
Hjälplinjen – a national mental health and suicide prevention helpline
The helpline Hjälplinjen offers professional, anonymous and free support for adults who are in a difficult life situation, in crisis and who experience various forms of mental health distress.
Organisations that provide advice and support
Many associations and organisations offer advice and support online and by phone. It is free of charge and you don't have to tell us who you are if you don't want to. For example, you can call the national Women's Helpline (Kvinnofridslinjen) or the Suicide Prevention Line (Självmordslinjen). At 1177, you get a list of support lines that you can contact (in Swedish).
Non-emergency health care
In Sweden, the health centre (vårdcentral) is your first point of contact for non-emergency medical care. You can receive help with minor illnesses and injuries, as well as ongoing health issues. You book an appointment directly through the health centre, and they can refer you to specialist care, if needed.
If you are experiencing mental health issues e.g., depression, anxiety, or stress, health centres also offer counselling with psychologists or counsellors.
The public healthcare system in Sweden provides subsidised medical care to all registered residents in Sweden. For visits to public healthcare providers (or private healthcare providers with agreements), there is a high-cost protection which means that you will never have to pay more for care and medicines than a certain amount during a 12-month period. This also applies to international students with a Swedish personal identity number. See studenthälsa.se for more information about healthcare costs in Sweden.
If you are an EU citizen that cannot apply for Swedish personal identity number you can order a free European Insurance Card (EHIC) to receive necessary medical care at the same cost as residents of Sweden. The card must be ordered from your home country and it's recommended you get it before leaving your country. Necessary care is medical treatment that cannot wait until you are able to return to your home country for care.
Illness and insurance
It is important that you have full insurance coverage during your stay in Sweden. This insurance should cover you during school hours and in your free time.
If you are registered with Försäkringskassan and fall ill, you should contact Försäkringskassan the first day of your illness. In cases of extended illness (more than seven days) a certificate from your doctor might be required, please refer to information on Försäkringskassan's website.
Please also inform your department and speak to a study and career counsellor about how to make up for the time you have missed.
Student counselling
Students can be offered free short-term individual counselling contacts with a counsellor or psychologist at the Student Health Service at Uppsala University.
The Student Health Service in Uppsala
The Student Health Service in Visby
The University Chaplaincy in Uppsala and Visby offers free support to students regardless of their religious beliefs. The Swedish church also offers consultations with an on-call priest for emergency counselling and crisis support.
Doctoral students can find information about support in crises on the intranet, the staff gateway.