How to Find a Family Doctor or Specialist in Germany

You need a family doctor (Hausarzt), and every practice you call says they are full. That is a common first month, not a sign you did something wrong. You do not have to register with one practice, but it makes sick notes, referrals, and follow-up simpler. Specialists often want a referral. English-speaking doctors exist, though they are harder to find outside big cities.

Bring your insurance card to the practice desk. Public versus private cover is explained in Health Insurance in Germany.

Family doctor, specialists, and referrals

Your family doctor treats common illness, writes prescriptions, issues sick notes, and refers you when needed.

A specialist is the next step: for example an internist, cardiologist, orthopaedist, dermatologist, ENT doctor, eye doctor, gynaecologist, urologist, neurologist, or psychiatrist. You usually need a referral, though dermatologists and gynaecologists typically do not. Some other specialists will see you without one, but waits are often longer.

Check what your insurer requires: some plans (including family-doctor schemes such as HZV) still expect you to go through your family doctor first, even for specialists who would otherwise see you without a referral.

When it cannot wait

112 is for life-threatening emergencies: cardiac arrest, unconsciousness, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, serious accidents, or fire. When in doubt, call. 110 is the police. Emergency Services in Germany explains what each number does.

116 117 is out-of-hours care for urgent but non-emergency problems such as high fever, acute pain, or a sudden worsening. They can send a doctor or point you to an on-call clinic. If you are unsure whether you need a hospital emergency department, call 116 117 first. You lose nothing by asking, and they can tell you where to go.

People often argue online about when it is okay to go to emergency. Some say you should only go if you are close to dying. Real life is less extreme than that, and with children many parents take no chances. Hospital emergency departments are still for serious cases, and you should expect a wait if you are not acute.

Finding a practice that still takes patients

Call several practices and ask if they accept new patients (Neupatienten). Many are full, especially in cities. Once you find one, register there; you can switch later if you need to.

For English, use the language filter on jameda.de, ask people nearby, or check embassy lists. International clinics in major cities often have multilingual staff. Younger doctors often speak English; ask when you call. Outside major cities there are fewer options.

A family-doctor appointment can arrive within a couple of weeks, and same-day slots exist for urgent issues. Specialists often take weeks or months. If the wait is too long, call 116 117 for the appointment service. Under current rules it must offer a specialist appointment within four weeks, though it may not be nearby. Seeing a Doctor in Germany covers how the visit itself works and how to ask for what you need.

Doctolib is widely used and convenient. It is also a commercial booking company: visit reasons and insurance details can sit on third-party servers, including for patients who never booked online if the practice typed them in. Statutory patients often wait longer on the platform than privately insured ones. You can request deletion of your data under GDPR. Use it if it helps, and know what you share.

If you are on public insurance, look for practices with a public-insurance contract (Kassenzulassung). Those practices can bill your insurer. If you are privately insured, you often get faster appointments and a wider choice of doctors. Confirm they have that contract before you register as a public patient.

Insurer schemes and paid faster slots

Some insurers offer voluntary family-doctor-centred care (HZV). You commit to seeing your registered family doctor first before most specialists, usually for at least one year, in return for possible discounts or shorter waits. You can still go directly to a gynaecologist, eye doctor, or paediatrician, and you can always seek emergency care.

Leaving early is hard. You usually have to show a lasting breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship. Consumer groups have warned that the model can create bottlenecks, so only join if you already trust one doctor.

Separate from HZV, some private practices sell a monthly concierge fee for same-day slots. Those sit outside public insurance and are legal only for practices without a statutory contract.

A contracted public-insurance doctor cannot legally charge statutory patients extra for a faster appointment. If a public-insurance practice asks you to pay for an earlier slot, refuse and report it to the regional physicians’ association (Kassenärztliche Vereinigung).

How to register

1. Search for a family doctor (Hausarzt) near home (maps, jameda, your insurer’s directory, or a neighbour).
2. Call and ask if they take new patients (Neupatienten).
3. Book a first appointment (it may take a few weeks).
4. Bring your insurance card, ID, and vaccination record if you have one.
5. Fill in the paperwork on the first visit. That practice becomes your regular family doctor.

Useful links

• jameda.de (doctor search, language filter)
• 116117.de (on-call service and appointment hotline)