You assume you will find a doctor when you need one, the way you always have. Then you wake up sick in Germany, start calling practices, and hear the same sentence from each: keine neuen Patienten, no new patients. The time to find a Hausarzt, you realise too late, was before you were ill, not during.
The German healthcare system is good and largely free at the point of use, but it runs on a structure that newcomers have to learn: a family doctor who gatekeeps, a referral slip that unlocks specialists, and an appointment culture where "walk in" rarely works. Understand the structure once and the system serves you well.
What a Hausarzt is and why to get one early
A Hausarzt is your general practitioner, the family doctor who handles most of your medical life: common illnesses, ongoing conditions, prescriptions, vaccinations, and referrals to specialists. They are the hub of your care.
The crucial move is registering with one before you need them. In cities, many practices are full and turn away new patients, so the search can take time. Having a Hausarzt who already knows you means faster appointments, continuity, and someone to issue referrals and sick notes when you need them.
Expats have an extra filter: language. Finding an English-speaking Hausarzt narrows the field further, so start early.
The referral system (Überweisung)
Germany channels most specialist care through the GP. To see many a Facharzt (specialist, cardiologist, dermatologist, orthopaedist), you first get an Überweisung, a referral slip, from your Hausarzt.
The exceptions you can usually visit directly, without a referral:
- Gynaecology (Frauenarzt)
- Ophthalmology (Augenarzt)
- Dentistry (Zahnarzt)
For everything else, the Hausarzt-first route is the norm, and some Krankenkassen actively reward using the GP as your entry point. The referral is not bureaucracy for its own sake; it is how the system decides you genuinely need the specialist and points you to the right one.
Booking a Termin
German healthcare runs on appointments (Termine), not walk-ins. You book by calling the practice or using its online booking, and you bring your eGK card to every visit.
Realities to plan for:
- Routine appointments can have waits, days for a GP, weeks or months for some specialists.
- Booking early matters because demand outstrips supply, especially for sought-after specialists.
- The 116117 service (the statutory on-call medical service) helps find appointments and provides urgent but non-emergency care.
For a specialist with a referral, you may wait, but holding the Überweisung and being persistent with the practice's booking line gets you in. Cancellations free up slots, so asking to be called for an earlier opening sometimes works.
The eGK card
The eGK (elektronische Gesundheitskarte) is the electronic health insurance card issued by your Krankenkasse. It is your proof of coverage, and you present it at every appointment.
With the card, the practice bills your insurer directly for covered care, you usually pay nothing at the desk for standard treatment. Without it, the practice may ask you to pay privately and reclaim from your insurer later, which is avoidable hassle. So carry it, the way you carry ID.
If you are newly insured and the physical card has not arrived, your Krankenkasse can issue a temporary certificate of coverage so you are not stuck.
When you cannot find a Hausarzt, or it is urgent
Two situations newcomers fear, both solvable.
No practice taking new patients. Common in cities, not a dead end. Keep calling several practices (persistence works), ask your Krankenkasse to help locate one with space, and use 116117. Treat it as a search that takes a few tries, not a wall.
Urgent or out-of-hours need. You are never without care while you search. The 116117 on-call service covers urgent but non-emergency needs and out-of-hours. For a true emergency, life-threatening symptoms, you call 112 or go to the emergency room (Notaufnahme) directly, no Hausarzt or referral required.
The system has a safety net under it; the Hausarzt structure is for ongoing and routine care, not for blocking access in a crisis.
What to do this week
- Search for and register with a Hausarzt now, before you are ill, prioritising one with space and the language you need.
- Carry your eGK card and book appointments as Termine by phone or online, since walk-ins rarely work.
- Save 116117 (urgent non-emergency) and 112 (emergency) so you know the fallback while you find a regular practice.
