Tick bites and Lyme disease while visiting Sweden
Medically reviewed by Dr Toha Soodhun, specialist in family medicine · 15 November 2026
Ticks are common in Swedish forests, parks and long grass. Most bites cause nothing more than a few days of itching. Remove the tick as soon as you can and keep an eye on the skin for a few weeks: a red patch that appears after about a week and keeps growing can be Lyme disease (borrelia), which is treated with antibiotics. A doctor can often assess the rash by video.
Removing the tick
- Grip the tick close to the skin with fine tweezers or a tick remover and pull it straight out.
- If a small part stays in the skin, leave it — it usually comes out on its own.
- Wash the area. A little redness around the bite for a few days is normal.
- The sooner the tick comes off, the smaller the risk of infection.
Signs of Lyme disease
The typical sign is a red or reddish-purple patch around the bite that appears from about a week after it and slowly spreads, often to more than a few centimetres. It may be evenly red or look like a ring that is paler in the middle. Some people also feel tired, feverish or achy. Lyme disease cannot be vaccinated against, but it is treated with antibiotics.
Antibiotics are not given just because you have been bitten — only when there are signs of infection.
What a video doctor can do
- Look at the rash on camera and judge whether it is Lyme disease or an ordinary bite reaction
- Send an e-prescription to a pharmacy near you if antibiotics are needed
- Advise on TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) vaccination if you will spend time in high-risk areas
See a doctor in person if…
- You have fever, headache and unusual tiredness in the weeks after a tick bite
- You get aching muscles or joints some time after a bite
- The rash is unclear, there are several rashes, or you are pregnant
Our clinics in Gothenburg, Stockholm and Malmö can usually see you the same day (3,200 SEK, or +700 SEK after a video consultation). If you cannot come in, we can visit you at your hotel or home in central Gothenburg, Stockholm or Malmö — see prices.
Seek emergency care or call 112 if…
- Severe headache, a very stiff neck, high fever, confusion or sensitivity to light after a tick bite — this can be TBE or another brain infection
- Sudden weakness on one side of the face, or difficulty speaking or walking
Questions
Do I need antibiotics after a tick bite?
Usually not. Antibiotics are used when there are signs of Lyme disease, such as a spreading red patch around the bite, not as a precaution after every bite.
Is there a vaccine?
There is a vaccine against TBE, a virus spread by ticks in parts of Sweden such as the Stockholm archipelago, Uppland, Södermanland and Västra Götaland. Full protection takes time to build up. There is no vaccine against Lyme disease.
What does a video consultation cost?
2,500 SEK, paid in the TouristDr Portal. Any medicine is paid at the pharmacy.
See a licensed Swedish doctor by video
2,500 SEK · No personnummer or BankID · Insurance documents included
Get Medical HelpLife-threatening? Call 112.