Do this BEFORE your first cold: hunting for a doctor while sick is the worst scenario. An hour of calls in a calm week saves a day of suffering later.
The Hausarzt: Your Entry to the System
The family doctor is the dispatcher of German healthcare: routine care, sick notes, referrals. Finding one accepting new patients is the art — here are the moves.
✓ Verified: 18/07/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
Calling at 8:00 sharp is the golden hour: practices open their booking and no slots becomes an appointment this week. The trick is calling exactly at opening.
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Lea recommends:
The phrase new patient, I would like to register as a regular works better than asking for one appointment: practices prefer regulars over walk-ins.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
My German is weak — what about appointments? ▾
Find practices with languages via doctor-search portal filters; for complex visits you may bring someone to translate. Professional interpreters are not yet paid by public insurance — honestly.
Must I register with one family doctor? ▾
Formally no — free choice of doctor. Practically a regular doctor knows your history, gives own patients faster appointments and writes referrals without bureaucracy. Find one and stay.
Can I switch my Hausarzt if unhappy? ▾
Anytime — free choice applies to switching too. Ask the old practice for copies of your records (your right) or to pass them to the new one. Switching costs nothing and needs no justification to anyone.
Nobody takes new patients — what then? ▾
Three escalations: your insurer (obliged to help you search), the state doctors association (KV), and for non-urgent care the MVZ centres with shorter lists.