Your initial contact for accessing healthcare in Germany will usually be a General Practitioner GP or doctor Allgemeinarzt or Hausarzt , who can assess your condition, provide treatment or refer you on to a specialist, if necessary. You do not necessarily need to register with a specific doctor in Germany, as most practices will see any patient.
It would be wise, however, to do your research in advance, to make it easier to seek help if you become ill. Alternatively, your local mission or embassy or even your health insurance provider will usually be able to provide you with a list of recommended doctors.
Note that some doctors will only treat private patients. 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 make an appointment with your doctor on the phone or in person. 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. If you urgently need an appointment, some surgeries offer walk-in appointments during opening hours Sprechzeiten. You can simply turn up and wait to be seen, although this may take several hours.
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. If your doctor gives you a prescription, you can redeem this at the nearest pharmacy.
