Getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Sweden!

COVID-19 or coronavirus is a disease that I believe almost everyone is familiar with. Although the vaccine is considered the best weapon against it, it is a personal choice. This post is for those who decide to take this method of protection. There are several options for how to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Sweden. Their availability differs from city to city. Some universities even offer free vaccinations for students. But if yours doesn’t, these are also your options:

1. Registering for a vaccine online

Through the website www.1177.se, you can find all information about where to get vaccinated and how to register for a specific time in the vaccination center (but it is in Swedish – Google Translate becomes your best friend 😀).
The general requirements for a vaccine are to be above 12 years old and to have a proper form of identification. But to register online, you need a Bank ID or eID (preferably Swedish). So this is often not the first option for international students.

2. Drop-in vaccination with no registration

The option that I chose. 👏 This is what usually works out the best for everyone. Unfortunately, I didn’t have such a good experience with the organisation of this event. The day before the event, I went to the vaccination center to ask what I need to get vaccinated. The person working there told me that it is good to have a personal identity number (personnummer) and a valid passport. Luckily, I had both of these. They even helped me with filling out the Health Confirmation (since it’s in Swedish). So I felt pretty confident…
The next day, I came to the center half an hour in advance and this was the queue waiting for me (about 20 people in line).

At first, it was alright. But after about 25 minutes of waiting. I started to really freeze. The temperature was approximately 8 degrees (Celsius) below zero. And we were standing there for an hour. I wasn’t really prepared for it. So a tip for you would be to get proper warm clothing. After an hour, I got inside and in 5 minutes I was back out again. Without a vaccine. Apparently, although yesterday a personal identity number and a valid passport were enough to get vaccinated, today you are not eligible without a Swedish ID card. And that’s how I was walking back home, disappointed.

About a month later…

Instead of giving up, I went through the whole process of getting an ID card. A story about it is coming up soon. It wasn’t fun either! But in the next drop-in vaccination event, I was prepared. And I got a vaccine. Wohooo! 😁

Summary

The main message from this story is to understand that in any country, you might have obstacles as an immigrant whether it is with getting a personal number, a job, a bank account, etc. But most of the time, they can be solved if you don’t give up. And if you feel like living in Sweden or according to Swedish values is the right thing for you, it’s going to be worth it. Finally, here’s a list of what you need to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

• to be above 12 years old
• Swedish ID card (/also Bank ID for online registration)
• Health Confirmation document (you can also ask them to fill it in for you)

Don’t hesitate to ask other questions in the comments. And if you’d like to learn more about what the COVID-19 situation is like in Sweden, make sure to read my post.