ROUTE
Getting Doctor Appointments
Finding a Hausarzt who accepts patients and getting a specialist slot within 4 weeks via 116117 β including psychotherapy without a referral.
β Checked: 18/07/2026
β οΈ This route describes the path for people in the statutory system. The appointment service on 116117, the four-week deadline and referral-free placement are institutions of the STATUTORY side. Privately insured patients do not call it: they arrange directly with the practice, usually get an appointment faster, and pay first before submitting the invoice.
βΊ More about this route
German healthcare is built around the family doctor: they follow you for years, know your history and open the way to specialists. The first task for a newcomer is not finding any practice but finding one that accepts new patients at all β a hurdle of its own in large cities.
This two-step route solves both typical problems: how to find a family doctor and register with them, and how to get a specialist appointment within a reasonable time rather than a queue of months β through the appointment service that few people know about.
The key tool is the nationwide appointment service line. With a referral it must arrange a specialist appointment within a set period, and psychotherapy has its own procedure where no referral is needed at all.
WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME
- Phoning practices at random. Many take no new patients, and that is the question to ask first, before anything else.
- Waiting silently in a specialist queue. The appointment service exists precisely to shorten waits and can be used immediately.
- Going to a specialist without a referral where one is required. Some referrals are mandatory, and without them the appointment either fails or is billed privately.
- Assuming psychotherapy requires a referral. The initial consultation needs none, which shortens the path considerably.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE
Why do I need a family doctor at all?βΎ
They maintain your medical history, issue prescriptions and referrals and coordinate treatment. Without one every specialist visit starts from scratch, and some appointments require a referral from a family doctor.
What if no practice is taking new patients?βΎ
Ask directly whether they are accepting and widen your search radius; the appointment service also helps. In large cities this is routine, and it is solved by persistence rather than waiting.
How does the appointment service work?βΎ
You state which specialty you need and, with a referral, an appointment is arranged within a set period. The service is public, the call is free, and this is exactly what it was created for.
Do I need a referral for psychotherapy?βΎ
Not for the initial psychotherapeutic consultation, which shortens the route noticeably. The subsequent steps of therapy follow their own procedure, explained at that consultation.