Your first doctor visit in Germany: the complete newcomer walkthrough
Hausarzt vs specialist, how to actually get an appointment, what to bring, what happens at reception, and the German phrases that carry you through.
The German doctor system, decoded before you need it
Germany has no 'walk into any clinic' culture. It has a Hausarzt system with its own rituals — register early, while you're healthy, and your first sick day becomes routine instead of panic.
The system in one paragraph
Your Hausarzt (general practitioner — often listed as Allgemeinmedizin or hausärztlicher Internist) is your home base: colds, check-ups, blood work, vaccinations, sick notes, and the Überweisung (referral) that gets you into specialists. You can technically book many specialists directly with your GKV card, but the Hausarzt route is faster in practice, and some specialties (e.g. radiology) require a referral. Register with a Hausarzt before you are sick — practices can and do decline new patients.
Emergencies are a different track. Life-threatening → 112 (ambulance, free with GKV). Urgent but not life-threatening outside office hours → 116 117 (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst — they also run an appointment service for regular care). Don't sit in a hospital Notaufnahme for a sore throat; you'll wait hours behind real emergencies.
Getting the appointment
Find practices near you
10 minDoctolib and jameda cover most cities for online booking; the official KV Arztsuche (your state's Kassenärztliche Vereinigung) lists everyone, including practices that only take phone bookings. Filter for 'Englisch' if you need English.
Ask the magic question
1–3 calls"Nehmen Sie neue Kassenpatienten auf?" — do you accept new statutory-insured patients? If yes, book a first appointment (Erstgespräch or Check-up). If you keep hearing no, call 116 117: the Terminservicestelle must find you an appointment.
Book the first visit while healthy
days–2 weeksA simple check-up (Gesundheits-Check-up is free on GKV every 3 years from age 35, once between 18–34) gets you into the system. Once you are 'their' patient, sick-day appointments usually happen same-day.
What to bring
- elektronische Gesundheitskarte (eGK) — your Krankenkasse card. No card yet? Bring the membership confirmation (Mitgliedsbescheinigung); the Kasse can also issue a provisional certificate.
- Photo ID (passport or Aufenthaltstitel).
- Impfpass (vaccination record) if you have one — German doctors will happily continue your home-country record.
- A list of medications you take, with generic names (brand names differ between countries).
- Relevant medical reports, ideally translated or at least in English.
What happens at reception
You hand over the eGK, it gets read once per quarter, and you may be asked to sign a privacy form and fill an Anamnesebogen (medical-history form). Two phrases carry the whole interaction: "Ich habe einen Termin um …" (I have an appointment at …) and "Ich bin zum ersten Mal hier" (it's my first time here). Then: "Nehmen Sie bitte im Wartezimmer Platz" — take a seat in the waiting room.
After the consultation you might leave with a Rezept (prescription — take it to any Apotheke; most standard drugs cost a €5–10 co-pay on GKV), an Überweisung (referral to a specialist), or an AU (sick note — see Krankmeldung & AU explained).
Practice the whole visit in German first. The interactive Arztpraxis learning world walks you through the vocabulary — from Anmeldung to Rezept — so the real thing feels like a rerun.
Costs: what GKV already covers
With statutory insurance, the consultation itself costs you nothing — no co-pay for GP or specialist visits. You pay small amounts for prescriptions (€5–10), and practices may offer you IGeL extras (Individuelle Gesundheitsleistungen) that GKV does not cover — these are optional, often of debatable benefit, and you can always say no. Haven't picked a Kasse yet? Start with the Krankenkasse chooser.
Last updated: 2026-07-19