General practitioners (GPs) & doctors in Germany

Your initial point of contact for accessing healthcare in Germany will usually be a kind of doctor known as a general practitioner (GP or Hausarzt in German, who can assess your condition and provide treatment, or refer you to a specialist, if necessary. 

This page explains what kinds of doctors you’ll come across, and how to find and make an appointment with a GP or specialist doctor in Germany. 

Doctors in the German healthcare system

There are two “types” of doctors that you might encounter while in Germany:

• The general practitioner (Hausarzt) or family doctor: A general doctor who can handle routine health issues and coordinate your care with specialist doctors.
• The specialist doctor (Facharzt): Doctors who specialise in one area of medicine, such as dermatology, gynaecology or neurology. 

General practitioners (Hausarzt)

The general practitioner plays a central role in the German healthcare system, and should be your first point of contact if you have any questions regarding your physical or mental health. GPs usually work solo or together in a practice with other general practitioners. 

German GPs undergo years of training. On top of completing their medical degree, GPs must complete a further five years of vocational training in outpatient and inpatient settings. They are also required to regularly update their skills. Most GPs in Germany will speak at least basic English, but they often prefer that you communicate in German. 

As well as answering your health-related questions, GPs can carry out examinations, prescribe medication, and perform minor surgical procedures. GPs do not provide dental treatments. You should see a dentist if you have any concerns about your teeth or gums. 

Medical specialists (Facharzt)

You will see a medical specialist if you need more specialised care, for instance for a specific health issue. Specialist doctors usually work in hospitals or in private clinics. 

In Germany, patients have free choice over their doctor. This means that people with both public and private health insurance can generally make an appointment directly with a specialist, without needing a referral from their family doctor. 

However, you will need a referral if:

• The specialist works in a highly specialised field like laboratory medicine, microbiology, pathology, X-ray diagnostics, radiology, radiotherapy or transfusion.
• You have opted for so-called “family doctor-centred care” with your public health insurer, known as HZV (Hausartztzentrierten Versorgung).

That being said, your general practitioner is usually best placed to assess whether a referral is medically necessary or not, as they have a good overview of your health situation, so it is always recommended to consult your Hausarzt in the first instance. They can also provide important information about your symptoms and diagnosis on your referral form, to help speed up your treatment. 

As of 2025, the German coalition government is considering a shakeup of this sytem; in future patients could be required to visit a Hausarzt to get a referral to a specialist. However, the exact details of this reform still need to be ironed out and voted through the Bundestag and Bundesrat. 

How to find a doctor in Germany

Unlike in some other countries around the world, you do not need to register in advance with a specific GP or doctors’ practice in Germany. Instead, you can simply choose a doctor and schedule an appointment when you need one. 

Many people prefer to stick with the same general practitioner. Having a regular doctor gives you consistency and familiarity, and enables them to monitor changes in your health. 

Finding a Hausarzt or Facharzt

In Germany, you can freely choose your own Hausarzt. 

Most neighbourhoods will have at least a few GP practices. To find a general practitioner or specialist doctor in your local area, you can:

• Check the 116117.de listing
• Visit the Jameda website and enter “Hausarzt” and your postcode
• Ask friends, relatives or colleagues for recommendations
• Try a web search
• Ask your health insurer for advice

Note that the type of health insurance you have determines which doctors you can see. Some doctors will only treat private patients. If you do not have private health insurance, make sure that your chosen doctor treats “Alle kassen” (any type of German health insurance) or describes themselves as a “Kassenarzt”.  

In some areas, particularly in large German cities, it can be difficult to find a doctor who has the capacity to take on new patients. This means that you might have to look outside your local area to find a GP with availability.

Online doctor’s offices

An increasing number of providers in Germany are now offering telemedicine services, which allow you to access health professionals from the comfort of home, receive medical advice, request sick leave, and even obtain prescription medications. 

You can find an English-speaking doctor on Mobidoctor, for an online consultation seven days a week, from 8am to 9pm (and you don’t need insurance).

When do you see a GP in Germany

You can make an appointment with your GP for various reasons, such as:

• Urgent medical problems (call 112 in life-threatening situations)
• Questions or advice regarding your health or that of your child
• Physical problems
• Mental health issues
• First aid or minor surgical procedures, like stitches
• Support and treatment for chronic disease
• Preventative medicine like vaccines

How to make a doctor’s appointment

There are various ways to make an appointment with your doctor in Germany:

Walk-in consultation hours

Many general practitioners in Germany offer walk-in consultation hours (Sprechstunden), during which you can get medical advice without an appointment. They are sometimes reserved for acute medical conditions only, so they are a good option if you urgently need to see a doctor. Otherwise, you will have to book an appointment in advance. 

It is common for doctors to work both at a practice and in a hospital, so their office hours may be irregular. Most practices are closed on Wednesday afternoons, weekends and public holidays. If in doubt, it is best to check your practice’s opening times in advance.

By phone

You can also schedule an appointment with your doctor by phone. The assistant cannot always be expected to speak English, but in Germany, it is not common for them to ask you details about your condition over the phone. You therefore only need to prepare a few simple phrases in German. 

You may have to wait several days or even weeks for routine appointments. For simple complaints, you may be able to have a telephone appointment with your doctor. 

By e-consultation

Some GP practices offer e-consultations, where you speak with your doctor online via a secure internet connection. However, not all medical problems are suitable for e-consultations, for instance, if you need a physical exam. 

Home visits

If you are too ill to visit the doctor, your GP may make a house call at a specifically allotted time. If you need a house call, you should discuss this with the receptionist when you arrange your appointment. 

Via Doctolib

Doctolib is a French platform which is widely used for booking doctor appointments in Germany. To set up an account on the app, you must give some personal details and information about your health insurance.

You can use Doctolib to find GPs and specialist doctors in your local area who have open appointments. There are often appointments available for the next few days and weeks.

What to expect

GP appointments in Germany usually take place during office hours and last somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes. 

When attending your appointment, remember to bring your health insurance card (Gesundheitskarte) so that the doctor can bill your insurance company. 

Even if you have an appointment, walk-in patients may be seen before you if their need is deemed more urgent, so expect to wait a while even if you arrive on time. 

During the appointment, the doctor will ask you some questions about your symptoms, and may perform a physical exam before giving their diagnosis and suggested treatment. If your doctor gives you a prescription, you can redeem this at the nearest pharmacy. 

Out-of-hours appointments

If you need to see your GP but they are on holiday, you should call their practice. The GP will generally have an answering machine set which gives the details of another local doctor who is looking after their patients while they are out of office.

If you are in need of medical assistance out-of-hours and your regular doctor is unavailable, they will usually have an answering machine message providing details of an emergency contact. Alternatively, you can call an emergency doctor. See our medical emergencies page for more details.

Can I see a doctor in Germany without insurance?

It is possible to see a doctor in Germany even if you don’t have health insurance. You will be asked to pay for the appointment upfront in full. As well as the consultation fee (usually around 50 euros), you might be charged for any additional lab work. 

Note that as a resident of Germany, you are required to have health insurance, which will cover the cost of appointments with your GP and any other medical care

Complaints about your doctor?

If you are unhappy with the medical treatment you received in Germany, or otherwise wish to make a complaint, you can approach the responsible body, for instance, the health insurance provider or the State Chamber of Physicians. You can find out more on the German government website. 

If you have been harassed or discriminated against by your doctor, you can also contact the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (FADA).