Sahlgrenska University Hospital Careers, Salaries & Jobs

Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset) is the university hospital of Region Västra Götaland, in Gothenburg and Mölndal.

It describes itself as Sweden's largest hospital, with four hospital sites, 17,400 employees and more than 35 clinical specialties, serving 1.7 million people across western Sweden. Its Swedish pages give about 1,600 beds and say its history goes back to 1782.

Its sites include Sahlgrenska Hospital, Mölndal Hospital and Östra Hospital, which houses the Queen Silvia Children's Hospital. The hospital says it is Sweden's only complete transplant hospital, runs an OECI-accredited comprehensive cancer centre and holds national highly specialised care assignments. In Newsweek's World's Best Hospitals 2026 it was ranked 2nd in Sweden.

Unlike many Swedish employers, Sahlgrenska has an English careers section for international applicants. It says that for international appointments it may be able to offer Swedish language training, relocation support, cultural orientation and onboarding, and social activities for employees and their families.

The conditions are the same as anywhere in Swedish healthcare: a Swedish licence from Socialstyrelsen for a regulated profession, Swedish at CEFR C1, and a residence and work permit if you are not an EU or EEA citizen. Vacancies are advertised in Swedish.

Founded

1782

Run by

Region Västra Götaland

Leadership

• Boubou Hallberg, Chief Executive Officer
• Göran Matejka, Deputy Chief Executive Officer
• Helena Gustafsson, Head of Chief Medical Officer
• Jessica Schiött, Chief Executive Nurse

Accreditations

• OECI-accredited comprehensive cancer centre (Organisation of European Cancer Institutes).

Awards and rankings

• Newsweek World's Best Hospitals 2026: ranked 2nd in Sweden (Newsweek).

Switchboard

+46 31 342 10 00

• Organ transplantation

  The hospital says it is Sweden's only complete transplant hospital.

• Sahlgrenska Comprehensive Cancer Centre

  Cancer care and research; the hospital says the centre is OECI-accredited.

• Queen Silvia Children's Hospital

  Paediatric care at the Östra site.

• Heart, lung and vascular care

  Listed by the hospital among its areas of excellence.

• Neurology and rehabilitation

  Listed by the hospital among its areas of excellence.

• Medical genomics and rare diseases

  Areas the hospital highlights in its description of itself.

• Mental health

  Psychiatric care is one of the hospital's highlighted areas.

• Sahlgrenska has a 'Work with us' page in English for international applicants. It says that for international appointments it may be able to offer Swedish language training, relocation support, cultural orientation and onboarding, and invitations to social activities for employees and their families. It does not promise these for every post.
• You can submit a notice of interest through the English careers pages to be considered for future opportunities, as well as applying for advertised posts.
• Current vacancies are listed in Swedish on sahlgrenska.se. The hospital's English pages feature staff who moved from other European countries.
• Sahlgrenska says it is ranked as Sweden's top university hospital for junior doctor training placements by the Swedish Medical Association, and it welcomes international fellows and specialists through its education and training pages.

• Swedish licence (legitimation). Doctors, nurses, midwives and the other regulated professions need a licence from the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen). With a degree from outside the EU and EEA, Socialstyrelsen's route has five steps: education assessment, a proficiency test (kunskapsprov), a course in Swedish laws and regulations, clinical training (praktisk tjänstgöring) and the licence application. Socialstyrelsen says the route usually takes two to four years.

• Swedish at C1. Sahlgrenska says healthcare professionals must show Swedish at CEFR C1, through Swedish B, Swedish as a Second Language B, the TISUS test or equivalent. For doctors qualified in another Nordic country the requirement is assessed individually.

• Work permit. Non-EU citizens need a work and residence permit before starting. The employer starts the application with the Swedish Migration Agency. Since 1 June 2026 the salary must normally be at least 90 per cent of the median, but the Migration Agency lists doctors, dentists and nurses with foreign qualifications who are working towards a Swedish licence as exempt; they need at least 75 per cent of the median (SEK 28,725 a month for applications from 16 June 2026), and pay must still match the collective agreement.

• EU and EEA citizens. Sahlgrenska says EU and EEA citizens need valid travel documents and must meet the requirements; those from outside the EU and EEA need residence and work permits before employment begins.

1. 1

   Start your Swedish licence

   Apply to Socialstyrelsen for an assessment of your education and follow its steps. Sahlgrenska links to Socialstyrelsen's licence application pages.
2. 2

   Reach Swedish C1

   Get proof of Swedish at C1, for example TISUS or Swedish as a Second Language at the required level.
3. 3

   Register your interest

   Use the notice of interest form on Sahlgrenska's English careers pages to be considered for future opportunities.
4. 4

   Apply for an advertised post

   Search the vacancies (lediga jobb) on sahlgrenska.se, which are in Swedish, and apply online.
5. 5

   Ask about relocation support

   If you are offered a post from abroad, ask which of the support the hospital lists (language training, relocation, onboarding) applies to your appointment.
6. 6

   Work permit

   If you are not an EU or EEA citizen, the employer starts the work permit application once you have an offer.