How to Find a Hausarzt in Germany: Search, Call, Book
To find a Hausarzt Germany-wide, search the official doctor finder of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen (Arztsuche on 116117.de) or your insurer’s doctor finder, then call the practice and ask whether it accepts new patients (neue Patienten). There is no formal registration: your Hausarzt is simply the family doctor you choose and keep going to.
This is general information, not medical advice. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112.
What is a Hausarzt in Germany?
A Hausarzt (female: Hausärztin) is a family doctor, usually a specialist in general medicine (Allgemeinmedizin) or a general internist. The Hausarzt is the first person to see with most health problems: a cold, back pain, a sick note for work, blood tests, vaccinations, check-ups, repeat prescriptions. When you need a specialist (Facharzt), the Hausarzt can give you a referral (Überweisung).
You do not strictly need a referral for most specialists as a statutory patient, but having a Hausarzt helps: one doctor knows your history, and the specialist appointment service (more below) needs a referral for most specialists. The government has announced plans for a system in which the family doctor becomes the standard first point of contact, but as of October 2026 this is not law. Check the news before relying on either version.
| Doctor | German | When |
|---|---|---|
| family doctor | der Hausarzt / die Hausärztin | most everyday problems, sick notes, referrals |
| specialist | der Facharzt / die Fachärztin | specific problems, often with a referral |
| paediatrician | der Kinderarzt / die Kinderärztin | children and teenagers |
| gynaecologist | der Frauenarzt / die Frauenärztin | no referral needed |
| eye doctor | der Augenarzt / die Augenärztin | no referral needed |
| dentist | der Zahnarzt / die Zahnärztin | separate system, no referral |
Do I need to register with a Hausarzt?
No. Germany has no list system like the NHS in the UK. As a statutory patient you have a free choice of doctor (freie Arztwahl) among practices that accept statutory insurance. You become a patient by going there and showing your Gesundheitskarte. The practice opens a file for you on the first visit.
What can stop you is capacity. Many practices, especially in cities and rural areas with few doctors, have an admission stop (Aufnahmestopp) and take no new patients. That is why the first question on the phone is always: Nehmen Sie noch neue Patienten auf?
Hausarzt contracts (hausarztzentrierte Versorgung)
Many Krankenkassen offer a special programme, the hausarztzentrierte Versorgung (HZV), sometimes called a Hausarztmodell or Hausarztvertrag. You sign a declaration that you will always go to your chosen Hausarzt first. Participation is voluntary. If you sign, you are bound to that Hausarzt for at least one year, and you can only change earlier for an important reason. You can withdraw within two weeks of signing. Ask your Krankenkasse what the programme offers before you join.
Can you have two Hausärzte in Germany?
Officially, you choose one Hausarzt. You may change doctors, but within one calendar quarter (Quartal: January–March, April–June and so on) you should only change for an important reason, such as a move or a broken relationship of trust. In practice:
- Seeing a different doctor because your Hausarzt is on holiday is normal; practices often name a substitute (Vertretung).
- Switching for good is possible: just start going to the new practice, ideally at the start of a quarter, and ask the old one to send your records.
- Running two Hausärzte in parallel for the same problems is not how the system is meant to work.
If you are in an HZV contract, the one-year rule above applies instead.
Find a Hausarzt Germany-wide: 5 ways
| Way | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Arztsuche (116117.de) | official search of all doctors who accept statutory insurance, run by the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung; filters for specialty, languages and accessibility, shows opening hours | first search, English-speaking doctors |
| 116117 Terminservice | appointment service of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen, by phone, online (116117-termine.de) or app; in Baden-Württemberg, for example, it helps you find a permanent family doctor and needs no referral for that | when every practice says no |
| Your Krankenkasse | many insurers have their own doctor finder in their app or website | if you already use the app |
| Booking platforms | Doctolib and jameda list many practices with online booking | quick appointments |
| Ask around | colleagues, neighbours, the pharmacy | practices that are still taking patients |
Two notes on these:
- The Terminservice cannot let you pick a specific doctor; it offers you a limited number of options, sometimes further away. The details differ by region.
- Booking platforms: make sure you filter for statutory insurance (gesetzlich versichert) and read the details before you confirm. In late 2025 a Berlin court found that one platform’s statutory-insurance filter misleadingly showed appointments where statutory patients would have to pay themselves. The ruling was not final at the time.
Kassenarzt or Privatpraxis?
Only practices with a statutory contract treat GKV patients on the card. Look for Kassenarzt, Vertragsarzt or alle Kassen on the website or door sign. A Privatpraxis (private practice) treats only private patients and self-payers: as a GKV patient you would pay the bill yourself. When in doubt, ask: Rechnen Sie mit der gesetzlichen Krankenkasse ab?
Do doctors in Germany speak English?
Many do, especially in cities, but it is not guaranteed and the staff at the reception (Anmeldung) may not. The Arztsuche on 116117.de has a language filter (Fremdsprachen). The listed languages are what the doctor reported, so confirm on the phone: Spricht die Ärztin Englisch? Even with an English-speaking doctor, you will need some German for the reception, the phone and the forms.
Phone script: asking for a new-patient appointment
Phone lines are often busiest right after opening, so mid-morning or just after the lunch break can work better.
Praxis: Praxis Dr. Schneider, Sie sprechen mit Frau Kaya. Guten Tag.
Sie: Guten Tag, mein Name ist Tomás Silva. Ich bin neu in Leipzig und suche eine Hausärztin. Nehmen Sie noch neue Patienten auf?
Praxis: Wie sind Sie versichert?
Sie: Gesetzlich, bei der AOK.
Praxis: Ja, wir nehmen noch Patienten auf. Worum geht es denn?
Sie: Ich habe nichts Akutes. Ich möchte mich vorstellen und einen Check-up machen. Ich brauche auch ein neues Rezept für mein Asthmaspray.
Praxis: Der nächste freie Termin ist am Dienstag, dem 20. Oktober, um 10:15 Uhr.
Sie: Das passt. Was soll ich mitbringen?
Praxis: Ihre Gesundheitskarte, Ihre Medikamente oder einen Medikamentenplan und, wenn vorhanden, alte Befunde.
Sie: Alles klar. Spricht Frau Doktor Schneider auch Englisch?
Praxis: Ja, ein bisschen. Aber Deutsch ist hier besser.
Sie: Kein Problem. Vielen Dank, bis Dienstag!
Translation: Dr Schneider’s practice, Ms Kaya speaking, hello. / Hello, my name is Tomás Silva. I am new in Leipzig and looking for a family doctor. Are you still taking new patients? / How are you insured? / Statutory, with the AOK. / Yes, we are still taking patients. What is it about? / Nothing acute. I would like to introduce myself and have a check-up. I also need a new prescription for my asthma inhaler. / The next free appointment is on Tuesday, 20 October, at 10:15. / That works. What should I bring? / Your health card, your medicines or a medication list and, if you have them, old test results. / All right. Does Dr Schneider also speak English? / Yes, a little, but German is better here. / No problem. Thank you, see you on Tuesday!
If they say no: Können Sie mir eine andere Praxis empfehlen? (Can you recommend another practice?) or Haben Sie eine Warteliste? (Do you have a waiting list?). For more phrases on dates and times, see our guide to making a phone appointment in German.
The call takes two minutes, but it is fast and full of dates. SipLingo has voice scenarios for situations like the doctor and phone calls, and corrects your grammar and word order in your own language, so you can rehearse the call until it feels easy. Practise the call for free.
What to bring to the first visit
- Gesundheitskarte (health insurance card). Without it, the practice may bill you privately. If you are new and still waiting for the card, ask your Krankenkasse for a temporary confirmation. How the card and the system work is explained in our post on German health insurance.
- A list of your medicines with doses, or the packs.
- Old reports, vaccination record (Impfpass), allergy information, translated if possible.
- Your questions, written down in German.
At reception you will often fill in a patient form (Anamnesebogen) with your history, allergies and medicines.
Vocabulary for finding a family doctor
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Hausarzt / die Hausärztin | family doctor |
| die Praxis / die Arztpraxis | doctor’s practice |
| die Anmeldung (in a practice) | reception |
| die Sprechstunde, die Sprechzeiten | consultation hours |
| der Termin | appointment |
| der Aufnahmestopp | no new patients |
| neue Patienten aufnehmen | to take new patients |
| die Überweisung | referral |
| das Rezept | prescription |
| die Vertretung | substitute doctor |
| der Befund | test result, medical report |
| das Quartal | quarter (of the year) |
| gesetzlich / privat versichert | statutory / privately insured |
| die Warteliste | waiting list |
First-visit phrases
- Ich bin zum ersten Mal hier. I am here for the first time.
- Ich möchte Sie gern als Hausärztin haben. I would like you to be my family doctor.
- Ich habe seit drei Tagen Halsschmerzen. I have had a sore throat for three days.
- Ich nehme regelmäßig ein Medikament gegen Bluthochdruck. I take a medicine for high blood pressure regularly.
- Ich bin allergisch gegen Penicillin. I am allergic to penicillin.
- Brauche ich eine Überweisung zum Hautarzt? Do I need a referral to a dermatologist?
- Können Sie mir eine Krankschreibung geben? Can you give me a sick note?
- Können Sie das bitte einfacher erklären? Could you explain that more simply, please?
For describing symptoms in detail, see our post on German at the doctor. If you need a doctor quickly and your Hausarzt is closed, our guide on where to go for an urgent doctor lists the options, including 116117 and the emergency practices.
Austria and Switzerland also have family doctors, but their insurance and registration rules differ, and the 116117 services described here are German.
Checked in October 2026 against 116117.de (Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung), the Terminservice page of the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Baden-Württemberg, the text of §73b and §76 of the Fifth Social Code (SGB V), and reporting on the 2025 court ruling on booking-platform filters.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- gesund.bund.de (BMG): The role of the family doctor (Hausarzt) – What GPs do, referrals and the family-doctor programme
- Verbraucherzentrale: Getting a doctor’s appointment via 116117 (German) – Appointment service rules: GP in 5 days, specialist in 4 weeks with code
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a Hausarzt in Germany?
To find a Hausarzt Germany-wide, search the Arztsuche on 116117.de or your insurer’s app, then call practices and ask Nehmen Sie noch neue Patienten auf? If nobody takes you, the 116117 Terminservice can help you find a family doctor.
What is a Hausarzt in Germany?
A Hausarzt is a family doctor, usually in general medicine. You go there first for most health problems, sick notes, check-ups and prescriptions, and the Hausarzt refers you to specialists when needed.
Do I need to register with a Hausarzt (beim Hausarzt anmelden)?
No formal registration exists. You become a patient by going to the practice with your Gesundheitskarte; the only exception is an optional Hausarzt contract (HZV), which binds you for at least a year.
Can you have two Hausärzte in Germany?
You choose one Hausarzt. You can change, but within a quarter only for an important reason; seeing a substitute during holidays is normal.
Do doctors in Germany speak English?
Many do, especially in big cities, but not all, and the reception often speaks only German. Use the language filter of the 116117 Arztsuche and confirm on the phone.
Make that first call to the practice without stress. SipLingo lets you practise real-life German by voice, with instant corrections in your own language.
