Getting healthcare set up early isn’t optional. It’s one of the most important things you can do for your family’s sense of security in those first weeks in Germany.
Not long after arriving in Germany, I felt awful. Unexplained abdominal pain, physical exhaustion and my hair started to fall out. Of course, I needed a doctor’s opinion. “Great!”, I thought, knowing that I could visit for free and that there’d be no cost for any needed medications. But, “What do you mean I have to call clinics and ask if they’ll accept me as a new patient?!”
Germany offers world-class health care with generous coverage through its universal health insurance system. Not only can you access regular preventative medical and dental care, but when you need it, specialty appointments, medications and referrals are available to you much more quickly than I could ever have expected.
Despite the high level of care, like much of life in Germany, there are a few things you need to know about the system before you get here.
When I first arrived, I understood that I could go to the doctor for free. More than that? Absolutely not. What do you mean I have to call the local doctor’s clinic and ask if I can be a patient?
This guide hopes to save you some of the stress I experienced in my first months in Germany, something you absolutely don’t need when you or your kids are sick and just need a doctor.
Moving to Germany can be complicated. Don’t miss a step! Grab my Thriving from Day One Expat Starter Kit for Germany to be sure you know what to do and where to turn when you need help.
Step 1: Understand Your Health Insurance (BEFORE YOU ARRIVE)
Germany has a mandatory health insurance system. Every resident must be covered. There is no gap period and no opting out.
You will need full coverage for you and your children before you arrive if you intend to apply for your residence permit in-country (if you’re arranging your residency in your home country, then you will likely need to arrange your health insurance at the time of your application).
You will be covered by one of two systems:
Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (GKV) — Statutory Health Insurance
This is the public health insurance system. If you or your partner are employed in Germany, your children can typically be included in their GKV coverage at no additional cost (Familienversicherung).
At the time of writing, an accompanying spouse who is unemployed or earning the allowable threshold may also be co-insured under their partner’s GKV policy for free. This is being debated in the federal parliament and could be changed in the coming years.
Private Krankenversicherung (PKV) — Private Health Insurance
If your partner is self-employed, a civil servant, or earns above the statutory threshold, you may be covered by PKV instead. PKV often provides faster access to specialists and senior doctors, but each family member requires a separate policy with separate premiums.
In Germany, private coverage is not automatically cheaper or better. If considering this option, seek independent advice before signing on the dotted line.
What You Can Do Now
If you or your partner are already employed, confirm which insurer (Krankenkasse) you and your family will be insured by. Be sure to note down by which parent’s insurance your children will be covered.
Step 2: Find a Hausarzt (GP/ Family Doctor)
Your Hausarzt is your first point of contact for non-emergency health concerns for adults. You wake up with the flu and can’t work? It’s your Hausarzt who will write you a sick note and give you strict instructions for rest and tea drinking (trust me – it’s the German way!).
You will be encouraged to have an annual check-up as a part of preventative care, with your vaccination status reviewed and updated as necessary.
In Germany, you generally need a referral from your Hausarzt to see a specialist. You cannot self-refer to most specialist doctors.
How to find one:
The fastest way to find a Hausarzt in your city who (ideally) offers services in your language is through the search offered by the national registry of doctors. You can filter by specialty, postcode, insurance type (Gesetzlich or Privat), and language.
Jameda (jameda.de) is Germany’s GP review platform. It’s useful for checking patient reviews and confirming whether a practice is currently accepting new patients (nimmt neue Patienten an).
Many practices are full and are unable to accept new patients. The process of calling many practices to find a place is frustrating, but like so many things in Germany, it just needs to be done.
When you call (or email), ask “Nehmen Sie neue Patienten an? Haben Sie Erfahrung mit englischsprachigen Patienten?” (Do you accept new patients? Do you have experience with English-speaking patients?
Even if the medical practitioner is listed as offering services in English, that doesn’t automatically apply to all staff in the practice. For example, the receptionist or other allied health professionals may not speak English.
Do not wait until someone is sick to find a Hausarzt.
Identify your practice in Week 1 and register, even if you don’t need an appointment yet.
Step 3: Find a Kinderarzt (Paediatrician)
Your Kinderarzt is one of the most important medical contacts you will establish in Germany.
In the German system, children don’t see a GP. They have their own specialist doctor, the Kinderarzt (also called Kinder- und Jugendarzt), from birth through to 18 years.
Your Kinderarzt handles:
- Routine check-ups (U-Untersuchungen: the developmental examinations at set ages, tracked in the yellow Kinderuntersuchungsheft. You’ll get one if your child is within the age range for one)
- Vaccinations
- Illnesses, infections, and acute concerns
- Referrals to paediatric specialists if needed
- School readiness assessments
How to find one:
Use the same search feature from the federal registry of doctors, selecting Kinder- und Jugendmedizin as the specialty and filtering for your postcode and insurance type.
Kinderarzt practices can have significant waiting lists for new patients, particularly if you have more than one child, are seeking English-only services, or your children have additional needs.
Start this process of registration with a Kinderarzt as early as possible.
Before you arrive, if possible.
What to bring to your first appointment:
- Your Krankenkasse card (Krankenversicherungskarte). Bring it to every appointment.
- Your child’s vaccination record (bring the original and the Kinderarzt will have this information put onto the Impfpass, the EU Vaccination record).
- Any documentation you have about your child’s health or ongoing health concerns (they do not need a record of every cold or cough, just the big stuff: their birth, any chronic or serious illnesses or injuries sustained).
- If your child requires medication, any documentation you have about the child’s diagnosis and current medication.
Know What to Do in an Emergency
If you’re reading this before you’ve even landed, take a breath.
You don’t have to hold all of this in your head.
I built the free Expat Starter Kit specifically for this stage: a checklist to register your Hausarzt and Kinderarzt in your first week or two, the exact German phrases to use on the phone, and what to bring to that first appointment, all in one place. Grab it here.
Think of it as the notes I wish someone had handed me in 2020.
Save these numbers in your phone in case of emergency. Not having to think about it when emergency strikes can save you both time and worry.
- Emergency services (Notruf): 112 (police, fire, ambulance) Operators are not legally obliged to support you in any language other than German, though typically they will be able to.
- Medical emergency line (Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst): 116 117. This is the out-of-hours medical line for situations that are urgent but not life-threatening. Available evenings, weekends, and public holidays. Unfortunately this hotline only operates in German.
- Pharmacy out-of-hours (Notdienstapotheke): Every city has a rotating pharmacy open outside normal hours. Find yours at aponet.de or look for the Notdienst sign in any pharmacy window.
- Contact details of your Kinderarzt and Hausarzt: These will always be asked for if you visit a specialist or out-of-hours clinic. Details of the consult and any recommended follow-up actions will be shared with your usual medical practitioner.
One Final Note
The German healthcare system, once you understand it, is genuinely excellent. It’s thorough, well-resourced, and largely free at point of use under the statutory health insurance. The initial confusion is real but temporary. Getting your Hausarzt and Kinderarzt registered in Week 1 or 2, and understanding your insurance coverage before you arrive, transforms healthcare from a source of anxiety into a source of security.
If you’re the DIY type, download the free Expat Starter Kit. It covers healthcare and the other big first-month essentials, so you’re not figuring it out solo.
If you’d rather talk it through, especially if your situation involves self-employment, a partner’s visa, or anything that doesn’t fit neatly into “just get GKV”, that’s exactly what a Germany Clarity Call is for. We’ll map out your family’s specific path, healthcare included, so you can arrive knowing what to do instead of hoping you’ll figure it out.
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