“I am sick, but I do not know whether to go to a Hausarzt, a hospital, or my Krankenkasse. Where should I start?”
That question is one of the most common questions newcomers bring to an orientation desk. Germany’s healthcare system is not one office or one queue. It is a set of entry points: emergency care, on-call care, family doctors, specialists, health insurance, pharmacies, counselling services, and sometimes public-health offices. You do not need to master all of it at once. You need to know where to start, what to bring, and when the problem is urgent.
This FAQ gives basic navigation only. It does not diagnose symptoms or replace medical advice. For deeper patient-rights questions, dismissed symptoms, chronic illness navigation, hospital discharge, or community health access, Community Health Access Alliance works in more detail than Welcome Bridges Network can.
How does medical care generally work in Germany?
Most people access routine healthcare through health insurance and outpatient doctors. Your Krankenkasse is your health-insurance fund. If you are insured through the public system, you usually receive an elektronische Gesundheitskarte, often called the health card or eGK. You show this card at the doctor’s office. The practice bills the insurance fund for covered care.
The usual first medical contact for non-emergency problems is a Hausarzt or Hausärztin, a family doctor or general practitioner. They treat common illnesses, issue sick notes where medically appropriate, prescribe many medicines, order basic tests, and refer you onward when specialist care is needed.
Specialists are called Fachärzte or Fachärztinnen. Examples include dermatology, cardiology, orthopaedics, psychiatry, gynaecology, and ear-nose-throat medicine. Some specialists can be contacted directly. Others may ask for an Überweisung, a referral from another doctor. Even when a referral is not formally required, a family doctor can help decide which specialist makes sense.
Hospitals are mainly for emergencies, operations, inpatient treatment, births, and specialist procedures. They are not the best first stop for every fever, rash, prescription, or long-running pain unless the situation is urgent.
Where should I go when I need a doctor?
Start with the urgency.
If someone may die, lose consciousness, has severe breathing problems, strong chest pain, signs of stroke, severe injury, heavy bleeding, or another serious emergency, call 112. This is the emergency number for ambulance and fire services. Do not wait for an appointment.
If it is medically urgent but not life-threatening, and your regular doctor’s office is closed, call 116 117. This is the medical on-call service. It can guide you to out-of-hours medical care and, in some situations, help with urgent appointments.
If the problem is uncomfortable but can wait for regular opening hours, contact a Hausarzt practice. If you do not yet have one, search for practices near your home and ask: “Are you accepting new patients?” You can say: “I am new in Germany and need a Hausarzt.” Some practices will say no because they are full. That is frustrating, but it is common. Keep a short list of who you called and what they said.
For medicines and simple questions about how to take prescribed medication, an Apotheke (pharmacy) can help. Pharmacists can explain dosage, interactions, and whether a non-prescription product may be enough for a minor issue. They do not replace a doctor when symptoms are serious or unclear.
What if I do not have health insurance yet?
Try to clarify insurance as early as possible. In Germany, health insurance is central to accessing regular care. Your route may depend on employment, studies, family status, asylum procedure, benefits, private insurance history, or other factors.
If you are employed, your employer usually needs the name of your Krankenkasse. If you receive benefits, the Jobcenter, Sozialamt, or another office may be involved depending on the benefit and status. If you are in an asylum procedure or have a special status, access may work through vouchers, treatment certificates, or restricted benefits in some situations. The exact route can be status-specific.
Do not rely on rumours like “newcomers cannot see a doctor” or “you must pay everything yourself.” Ask the responsible office, a migration advice service, or the Krankenkasse directly what applies to you. If you receive a written decision you do not understand, keep it. The German word Bescheid means an official written decision; it often contains the reason, the responsible office, and appeal information.
For emergencies, use emergency care. Administrative uncertainty should not stop you from calling 112 when there is danger to life or serious health.
Do I need a Hausarzt?
It is strongly useful. A Hausarzt practice can become the place where your medical information is held together. This matters when you have several symptoms, medications, referrals, sick notes, or letters from specialists.
When choosing a practice, ask practical questions:
- Are you accepting new patients?
- Which languages are spoken in the practice?
- How do I book appointments: phone, email, online portal, or walk-in times?
- What should I do if I am acutely sick in the morning?
- Do you offer vaccinations, basic blood tests, or chronic-disease monitoring?
You can change doctors, but frequent switching can make your history harder to follow. If you have records from another country, bring copies. A short list in German or English is often more useful than a large folder no one can read quickly: diagnoses, operations, allergies, current medicines, pregnancy status if relevant, and important past test results.
How do referrals and specialist appointments work?
An Überweisung is a referral document. It tells the specialist why you are being sent and from whom. Some specialist practices ask for one; others do not. For some types of care, referrals and insurance approvals matter more. Ask before the appointment.
Waiting times can be long. When you contact a specialist, state the problem briefly, whether you have a referral, whether the referral is marked urgent, and which insurance you have. If your symptoms worsen while waiting, tell the referring doctor. Do not simply wait silently for months if the situation changes.
Bring your health card, referral if needed, medication list, previous results, and specific questions. If you cannot attend, cancel early. Missed appointments make it harder for everyone and some practices may become reluctant to book again.
Can I ask for language support during a medical appointment?
Yes, you can ask. You can say when booking: “I am still learning German. Is anyone in the practice able to speak English/Arabic/Ukrainian/Turkish/another language?” You can also ask whether written information is available in a language you understand.
The difficult part is that language support is not always automatically provided or paid for in ordinary outpatient care. Do not assume a practice has interpreters. For important appointments, plan ahead:
- Write your symptoms, medications, allergies, and questions before you go.
- Bring a trusted adult interpreter if appropriate and if you are comfortable with them hearing private health information.
- Avoid using children as interpreters for sensitive or complex medical matters.
- Ask the doctor to write down key instructions: diagnosis name, medicine, dosage, next appointment, warning signs.
- Repeat back what you understood: “I will take this twice a day for seven days and call if the fever returns. Is that correct?”
Language is a patient-safety issue, not a politeness extra. If you did not understand, say so. “Please explain that in simpler words” is a reasonable medical sentence.
What are my basic patient rights?
You have the right to ask what is being done and why. You can ask about benefits, risks, alternatives, costs, and what happens if you wait. You can refuse treatment, though in urgent or complex situations you should first understand the consequences. You can ask for copies of medical records. You can ask for privacy when discussing sensitive information.
If you feel dismissed, rushed, or not believed, write down what happened: date, practice, who was present, what you asked, what answer you received, and what symptoms remain. For detailed strategies on second opinions, medical records, and complaints in healthcare, Community Health Access Alliance has the deeper lane. Welcome Bridges Network’s role is to help you find the right entry point and the words to use there.
How should I prepare for an appointment?
Bring:
- Health card or insurance document.
- Referral, if you have one.
- Medication list, including dose and how often you take each medicine.
- Allergy list.
- Previous test results or discharge letters.
- Vaccination record, if relevant.
- Questions written in order of importance.
- Calendar, so you can book follow-up appointments.
Start the appointment with the main problem, not the whole story: “I have had chest tightness for three days,” “I need follow-up after hospital discharge,” or “I am here because this pain is stopping me from working.” Then add context. If you have several problems, say that at the start and ask what can be handled today.
What if I need medicine?
Doctors prescribe medicines with a Rezept (prescription). You take it to an Apotheke. Some prescriptions are electronic. Some medicines have a co-payment; some are not covered; some need special approval. Ask the pharmacy: “How should I take this? With food? For how many days? What side effects mean I should call a doctor?”
Do not share prescription medicine with friends or family, even if symptoms look similar. Do not stop important medication suddenly without asking a doctor or pharmacist, unless you were told to stop for a serious reaction. If money is the barrier, say so to the doctor or pharmacy; there may be covered alternatives or exemption rules depending on your situation.
What should I do when I am unsure where to start?
Use the simplest safe sequence. Emergency danger: 112. Urgent but not life-threatening and regular care is closed: 116 117. Non-urgent health problem: Hausarzt. Specialist issue: ask whether you need an Überweisung. Insurance or coverage question: Krankenkasse or responsible office. Language or navigation problem: ask a migration advice service or community health navigator if one is available locally.
Keep a small health note on your phone or paper: insurance fund, Hausarzt contact, allergies, medicines, diagnoses you want doctors to know, and an emergency contact. The system may still feel unfamiliar, but each correct entry point you identify makes the next appointment less like starting from zero.