Understanding letters from 1177 and Swedish healthcare
Who sends these letters
Healthcare in Sweden is run by the 21 regions. 1177 is their shared national service: a phone line for medical advice (call 1177), a website with health information, and 1177's e-services, where you log in to book or cancel appointments, renew prescriptions, read your records and message your clinic. Letters from healthcare are mostly appointment letters (kallelse), referral confirmations (remiss) and invoices for patient fees. Each region sets some of its own rules, such as late-cancellation fees.
Deadlines and your right to challenge a decision
Patient fees are capped by the high-cost protection (högkostnadsskydd). For outpatient care it is 1,450 kronor over twelve months; after that you get a free pass (frikort) for the rest of the period. Rules on cancelling vary by region: in Region Stockholm, for example, you must cancel at least 24 hours before, otherwise you pay a fee, and missed-visit fees don't count towards the cap.
Checked on 2026-10-07 against: Remiss, Patientavgifter i Stockholms län, 1177 in other languages, Inera: om 1177. Rules change: the official website and your letter always win.
These pages explain the Swedish words in official letters. They don't replace the letter itself or advice about your case. Always check the deadline printed on your letter, and contact the agency (their phone number and your case officer are usually at the bottom of the letter) if anything is unclear. Lingolib is not connected to any of the agencies named here. Facts were last checked on 2026-10-07.
Example letters, word by word
These letters were written by us to show the style and the typical phrases. The names, amounts and dates are made up; real letters look different from agency to agency and year to year. Tap a word to see what it means.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: your appointment at the ear clinic.
3 2026 . 09.20.
This letter is your appointment: Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 09:20.
.
It follows the referral from your health centre.
2 .
Check in at reception on floor 2 ten minutes early and bring photo ID.
300 . .
The visit costs 300 kronor, or nothing if you have a free pass.
24 1177 .
If you can't come, cancel at least 24 hours before, on 1177 or by phone.
400 .
Missed or late-cancelled visits are charged 400 kronor.
, .
If you need an interpreter, tell them at least a week before.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: an appointment for tests.
.
Your doctor has ordered blood tests before your follow-up visit.
– . 08.00–10.00, .
Drop in for the tests Monday to Friday, 08:00–10:00. No booking needed.
, . 22.00 .
Fast: nothing but water after 22:00 the evening before.
.
Take your usual medicines unless your doctor told you otherwise.
19 .
Have the tests done at least a week before your follow-up on 19 November.
28 key words in letters from 1177 and Swedish healthcare
The words specific to these letters first, then the general ones every agency uses.
- kallelseappointment letter, summons
- A letter giving you a time for a visit. It says where, when, what to bring and how to cancel.
- avbokningcancellation
- Cancelling a booked time. Do it in time, often at least 24 hours before, to avoid a fee. The letter says how.
- uteblivet besökmissed appointment
- A visit you didn't come to and didn't cancel in time. Most regions charge a fee for it.
- patientavgiftpatient fee
- What you pay for a visit. Children and young people often pay nothing.
- högkostnadsskyddhigh-cost protection
- A cap on what you pay for healthcare: 1,450 kronor over 12 months for outpatient care. Medicines have a separate cap.
- frikortfree pass
- Proof that you have reached the cap. For the rest of the 12 months, most visits are free. It is often digital.
- remissreferral
- A request from one clinic to another, for example from your vårdcentral to a specialist. You'll get a kallelse when it is your turn.
- egen vårdbegäranself-referral
- Asking a specialist clinic for care yourself, without a referral. Not every clinic accepts it.
- vårdcentralhealth centre (GP practice)
- Your first stop for care that is not urgent. You can choose which one to be listed at.
- mottagningclinic, practice
- The place you visit, such as öronmottagningen (ear clinic).
- besökvisit, appointment
- Your appointment. Återbesök is a follow-up visit.
- provtagningtaking samples
- Blood or other tests. The letter may ask you to fast or to come at a set time.
- fastandefasting
- Don't eat, and often don't drink anything but water, for a set number of hours before. The letter says how long.
- legitimationID
- Bring a photo ID to your visit, such as a Swedish ID card, driving licence or passport.
- anmäl digcheck in
- Report your arrival, at reception or a check-in machine, when you get there.
- väntelistawaiting list
- You're in the queue for treatment. The vårdgaranti sets maximum waiting times.
- vårdgaranticare guarantee
- National maximum waiting times, for example for a visit to a specialist after a referral. If they are exceeded, ask the region about care elsewhere.
- journalmedical record
- Your health record. You can usually read it in 1177's e-services.
- receptprescription
- Prescriptions are digital. Pick up the medicine at any pharmacy with your ID.
- 1177 e-tjänster1177 online services
- Where you log in with BankID or Freja to book, cancel and message healthcare.
- regionregion (county health authority)
- The regional authority that runs healthcare and sends the invoices.
- inskrivningadmission
- Being admitted to hospital as an in-patient. In other letters it can mean registration.
Words every agency uses
- tolkinterpreter
- Agencies and healthcare can book an interpreter for meetings and calls. Ask for one when you book; say which language you need.
- personnummerpersonal identity number
- Your Swedish ID number, ÅÅÅÅMMDD-XXXX. Agencies use it to find you. Don't send it by ordinary email if a secure channel exists.
- e-tjänstonline service
- The agency's logged-in website, usually reached with BankID or another e-identification.
- senastat the latest, no later than
- Marks a deadline: senast 15 november means 15 November is the last day. It must usually have arrived by then, not just been posted.
- förfallodagdue date
- The last day to pay. Pay a day or two early if your bank needs time.
- härmedhereby
- Formal word that marks the letter itself as the notice: Du kallas härmed means this letter is your summons.
What to do next
- Find the date and the deadline. Look for senast, inom and förfallodag. Write the deadline in your calendar.
- Find who to contact. The handläggare and a phone number are usually at the end. You can ask them to explain the letter in simpler Swedish or English, and to book an interpreter.
- Answer in writing when it matters. Our email templates include a polite Swedish message asking an agency to explain a letter.
- Look up other words in the all-agency glossary or the Swedish dictionary.
Letters from other agencies
Reading letters like these gets easier fast once the everyday words are automatic. Season 1 of our course is free in full, and the guide to the language you need when moving to Sweden covers the basics.