Urgent Doctor in Germany: Where to Go, Which Number to Call, What to Say
If you need an urgent doctor Germany-wide, the rule is simple: in a life-threatening emergency, call 112. If it is urgent but not life-threatening and your practice is closed, call 116117, the out-of-hours medical service, available 24/7, or go to an out-of-hours practice (Bereitschaftspraxis). During opening hours, call your family doctor first: many practices see acute cases the same day.
This is general information, not medical advice. When in doubt whether it is life-threatening, call 112.
Urgent doctor Germany-wide: situation → number or place
| Situation | Where | German name |
|---|---|---|
| Unconscious person, chest pain, severe breathing problems, signs of a stroke, heavy bleeding, serious accident | call 112 (ambulance and fire service) | der Notruf, der Rettungsdienst |
| You are ill, it cannot wait until tomorrow, practices are closed (evening, night, weekend, public holiday) | call 116117 or go to a Bereitschaftspraxis | der ärztliche Bereitschaftsdienst |
| Serious problem, but you can still get there safely (for example, a deep cut that needs stitches) | hospital emergency department | die Notaufnahme |
| Acute but not dangerous problem on a weekday | your Hausarzt; ask for an acute appointment | die Akutsprechstunde, die offene Sprechstunde |
| You need a medicine at night or on Sunday | the pharmacy on emergency duty | der Apothekennotdienst |
| Severe toothache, dental accident outside hours | dental emergency service | der zahnärztliche Notdienst |
| Police | call 110 | die Polizei |
112 is the European emergency number and also works in Austria and Switzerland, but the out-of-hours numbers and services in this article are German.
112: life-threatening emergencies
112 connects you to the rescue control centre (Rettungsleitstelle). The call is free. Answer the questions and do not hang up first: the dispatcher ends the call.
They will ask roughly these questions:
- Wo? Where are you? Street, house number, city, floor.
- Was ist passiert? What happened?
- Wie viele Personen? How many people are affected?
- Welche Beschwerden oder Verletzungen? What symptoms or injuries?
- Then: wait for further questions.
112 phone script
Leitstelle: Notruf Feuerwehr und Rettungsdienst. Wo genau ist der Notfallort?
Sie: Hauptstraße 25 in Köln, dritter Stock, bei Silva.
Leitstelle: Was ist passiert?
Sie: Mein Mann hat starke Schmerzen in der Brust und bekommt schlecht Luft.
Leitstelle: Ist er bei Bewusstsein?
Sie: Ja, er ist wach und kann sprechen.
Leitstelle: Wie alt ist er?
Sie: Zweiundfünfzig.
Leitstelle: Der Rettungswagen ist unterwegs. Öffnen Sie die Haustür und bleiben Sie bei ihm. Legen Sie nicht auf.
Translation: Emergency, fire and ambulance service. Where exactly is the emergency? / Hauptstraße 25 in Cologne, third floor, name Silva. / What happened? / My husband has severe chest pain and cannot breathe well. / Is he conscious? / Yes, he is awake and can talk. / How old is he? / Fifty-two. / The ambulance is on its way. Open the front door and stay with him. Do not hang up.
If your German fails you, say Ich spreche wenig Deutsch and give the address first. The address is the most important sentence; practise saying yours aloud today.
116117: urgent, but not an emergency
116117 is the number of the ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst, the out-of-hours service of the doctors who treat statutory patients. According to 116117.de, it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the call is free with a German phone contract. Typical cases: high fever that does not go down, a urinary tract infection, severe earache, vomiting that does not stop, a child with a rash and fever on a Sunday evening.
On the phone, a trained person assesses how urgent it is and tells you where to go: an open out-of-hours practice nearby, sometimes advice by phone or video, and in some cases a home visit if you cannot get to a practice. If they think it is life-threatening, they forward you to 112.
You can also look up open practices yourself on bereitschaftspraxen.116117.de or in the 116117 app (iOS and Android). Out-of-hours practices are often located at or next to a hospital. You go without an appointment, show your Gesundheitskarte and wait your turn.
116117 phone script
116117: Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst, guten Abend. Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?
Sie: Guten Abend. Meine Tochter ist vier Jahre alt und hat seit heute Mittag hohes Fieber, 39,5 Grad. Unsere Kinderarztpraxis ist zu.
116117: Hat sie noch andere Beschwerden?
Sie: Sie hat Ohrenschmerzen und will nichts essen. Trinken geht.
116117: Wo wohnen Sie?
Sie: In Freiburg, Postleitzahl 79098.
116117: Die nächste Bereitschaftspraxis für Kinder ist am Klinikum. Sie hat heute bis 22 Uhr geöffnet. Bringen Sie die Gesundheitskarte mit.
Sie: Vielen Dank. Und wenn es schlechter wird?
116117: Wenn sie schlecht Luft bekommt oder nicht mehr ansprechbar ist, rufen Sie sofort die 112.
Translation: Out-of-hours medical service, good evening. How can I help? / Good evening. My daughter is four and has had a high fever since lunchtime, 39.5 degrees. Our paediatric practice is closed. / Does she have other symptoms? / Earache, and she does not want to eat. Drinking is OK. / Where do you live? / In Freiburg, postcode 79098. / The nearest out-of-hours practice for children is at the hospital. It is open until 10 pm today. Bring the health card. / Thank you. And if it gets worse? / If she has trouble breathing or does not respond, call 112 immediately.
A government bill adopted by the federal cabinet in April 2026 plans to turn 116117 into a central assessment point for urgent cases and to link it with 112. As of early October 2026 the bill was still in parliament, not in force; the basic rule (112 for life-threatening, 116117 for urgent) stays the same.
These calls happen under stress, which is exactly when the German you know disappears. SipLingo lets you practise doctor and phone situations by voice, with instant corrections of grammar and word order explained in your own language, so key sentences like your address and symptoms come out automatically. Practise the calls for free.
Notaufnahme: the hospital emergency department
The Notaufnahme (also Notfallambulanz or Zentrale Notaufnahme) is for serious problems. You can go there without an appointment, but patients are seen by urgency, not by arrival time: a nurse assesses you first (Ersteinschätzung). With a minor problem you may wait for hours, and staff may send you to the out-of-hours practice instead. Bring your Gesundheitskarte, ID, a list of medicines and, if you have one, your allergy information.
Can I go to the doctor without an appointment in Germany?
Often, yes:
- Your Hausarzt: many practices have an Akutsprechstunde or offene Sprechstunde (open consultation hours) for acute cases, often in the morning. Call at opening time and say: Ich bin Patientin bei Ihnen und habe akut starke Halsschmerzen. Kann ich heute noch kommen? (I am your patient and have a bad sore throat. Can I come in today?). If you do not have a family doctor yet, see our guide to finding a Hausarzt.
- Out-of-hours practices work without appointments.
- Notaufnahme always, for serious cases.
Practices that are not your own may refuse non-urgent new patients when they are full, so for anything that can wait, book a normal appointment. If you only need a sick note for work, see calling in sick in Germany.
Pharmacy and dentist out of hours
Pharmacy: every night and on Sundays, some pharmacies in each area are on emergency duty. Find them on aponet.de, via the pharmacists’ finder number 22 8 33 (by phone or text from a mobile; charges may apply), or on the notice in any pharmacy window. The pharmacy may charge an emergency service fee of 2.50 euros; the Krankenkasse covers it if the doctor marked the prescription for night service (“noctu”). Phrases for the counter are in German at the pharmacy.
Dentist: dental emergency services are organised regionally by the dental associations. Search for “zahnärztlicher Notdienst” plus your city, or ask 116117 where to find the local service.
Costs: insured, EU visitors, tourists and uninsured people
- Statutory insured (GKV): with your Gesundheitskarte, the visit to the out-of-hours practice or the Notaufnahme costs nothing. Co-payments apply to medicines and hospital stays as usual; our post on German health insurance lists them.
- Privately insured: you usually receive a bill and claim it from your insurer.
- Visitors from the EU/EEA and Switzerland: with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) you get medically necessary treatment during a temporary stay at doctors who accept statutory insurance. Show the EHIC and your ID; the practice gives you a form (Patientenerklärung Europäische Krankenversicherung) on which you choose a German Krankenkasse to handle the bill. Planned treatment and the flight home are not covered, so travel insurance is still recommended.
- Tourists from outside the EU and uninsured people: you will be treated as a private patient (Selbstzahler) and receive a bill based on the private fee schedule. Prices vary with the treatment, so ask for an estimate (Kostenvoranschlag) when it is not an emergency, and keep all invoices for your travel insurance. In a real emergency, call 112 first; payment is sorted out later.
Vocabulary for urgent medical help
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Notruf | emergency call |
| der Notfall | emergency |
| der Rettungswagen | ambulance |
| der Notarzt / die Notärztin | emergency doctor |
| die Notaufnahme | emergency department |
| der ärztliche Bereitschaftsdienst | out-of-hours medical service |
| die Bereitschaftspraxis | out-of-hours practice |
| die Akutsprechstunde | acute consultation hours |
| der Apothekennotdienst | emergency pharmacy service |
| die Beschwerden (plural) | symptoms, complaints |
| bewusstlos | unconscious |
| starke Schmerzen | severe pain |
| Atemnot haben | to be short of breath |
| die Wunde, bluten | wound, to bleed |
| die Gesundheitskarte | health insurance card |
Key phrases
- Ich brauche einen Arzt. Es ist dringend. I need a doctor. It is urgent.
- Bitte schicken Sie einen Rettungswagen. Please send an ambulance.
- Die Adresse ist … The address is …
- Er/Sie ist bewusstlos. He/She is unconscious.
- Ich habe seit zwei Stunden starke Bauchschmerzen. I have had severe stomach pain for two hours.
- Ich bin schwanger. I am pregnant.
- Ich habe Diabetes / eine Allergie gegen … I have diabetes / an allergy to …
- Wo ist die nächste Bereitschaftspraxis? Where is the nearest out-of-hours practice?
- Ich bin Tourist/Touristin und habe keine deutsche Versicherung. I am a tourist (male/female) and do not have German insurance.
For everyday ways to say how you feel, see how to say “I’m sick” in German.
Checked in October 2026 against 116117.de, the Federal Ministry of Health’s questions and answers on the emergency care reform, the Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (ABDA) fact sheet on night service, krankenkassen.de on EHIC use, and §76 of the Fifth Social Code.
Related guides: booking a doctor’s appointment by phone · German at the doctor: what to say
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- gesund.bund.de (BMG): Emergency numbers: 112 vs 116117 – When to call 112, when to call 116117 and poison control
- KBV – 116117: 116117 medical on-call service (English) – When to call 116117, finding on-call practices and English-speaking doctors
Frequently asked questions
How do I see an urgent doctor in Germany?
To see an urgent doctor Germany-wide: call 112 if it is life-threatening; otherwise call your Hausarzt during opening hours, or 116117 and the out-of-hours practices when practices are closed. The hospital Notaufnahme is for serious cases.
Can I go to the doctor without an appointment in Germany?
Yes, in many cases: out-of-hours practices and the Notaufnahme need no appointment, and many family doctors have acute or open consultation hours. Call first if you can.
What is 116117?
It is the free German number of the out-of-hours medical service (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst), available 24/7. Staff assess your problem and send you to the right place, such as the nearest Bereitschaftspraxis.
How much does it cost to see a doctor in Germany without insurance?
There is no fixed price: you pay as a private patient under the private fee schedule, and the amount depends on the treatment. Ask for an estimate when possible and keep the invoice for your travel or private insurer.
Can a tourist see a doctor in Germany?
Yes. EU, EEA and Swiss visitors use their EHIC at doctors who accept statutory insurance; other tourists pay privately and claim from travel insurance. In an emergency, everyone calls 112.
Know what to say before you need it. SipLingo lets you practise real-life German, from the doctor’s phone call to the pharmacy, by voice with instant corrections in your own language.
