Illness or injury
In Germany, you should only go to a hospital’s emergency department if you need urgent medical care in an emergency. If you have an illness or injury that is not classed as an emergency, the normal course of action is to go to see a doctor in a doctor’s surgery.
What you need to do if you get ill or injured
In Germany, you should only go to a hospital’s emergency department if you need urgent medical care in an emergency. If you have an illness or injury that is not classed as an emergency, the normal course of action is to go to see a doctor in a doctor’s surgery. You are free to choose which doctors and hospitals you go to. Before visiting a doctor, you should arrange an appointment. We recommend that you call your doctor’s surgery and explain your symptoms. The surgery will then arrange an appointment to examine you further and you can avoid a long wait. Many doctor’s surgeries also allow patients to book appointments online. If necessary, check whether the doctors at the surgery can provide advice in English as well as German. If you need urgent medical advice, you can contact the out-of-hours service by dialling 116 117. If you are involved in a serious accident (e.g. a car/bicycle collision), call the emergency services by dialling 112. If you have any further questions on treatments etc., you can contact your health insurance provider.
Important emergency numbers
- Out-of-hours service: 116 117
- Ambulance/fire service: 112 europaweit
Making a doctor’s appointment:
- If you are ill or have a minor injury, please make an appointment with your doctor’s surgery, either by phone or online
- If necessary, ask whether your doctor can provide advice in English as well as German
- Ideally, you should give your doctor’s surgery a brief description of your symptoms when you make the appointment
In an emergency:
- If you need urgent medical advice, you can call the out-of-hours service on 116 117
- To claim for medication, you can submit the doctor’s prescription that you used to obtain the medication in the pharmacy to your health insurance provider, along with the bill for the medication. Once these documents have been checked and accepted, the amount owed will be transferred to your account.
How do I get medication?
How are treatment costs paid?
If you are privately insured, your doctor will give you an invoice. You must pay this invoice to the doctor or hospital yourself. To claim reimbursement from your insurer, you can submit this invoice to your insurer by email or via an online portal. Your insurer will usually pay the amount owed into your account within a few days.
You will need the following documents to submit an invoice to your insurer:
- Your insurance number
- Treatment information from your doctor (including diagnosis)
- Medical services + itemised cost invoice
- Any prescriptions issued by a doctor (including the name of the medication, the price and the pharmacy’s stamp)
Important emergency numbers
- Out-of-hours service: 116 117
- Ambulance/fire service: 112 (in all European countries)
