Health and Well-being

If your doctor refers you to a specialist, ask for recommendations and have the practice make the appointment. You can find general practitioners and specialists here:

Telephone Directory

The doctors' directory of Niedersachsen also lists the foreign language skills of the respective doctors. So you can find a practice where they speak English or even your mother tongue:

Ärzt*innen-Verzeichnis des Landes Niedersachsen (Directory of doctors in Lower Saxony)

Unfortunately, the database is only available in German so far. English instructions on how to use it can be found here:

Instructions for Ärzt*innen-Verzeichnis (PDF, 118 KB)

Make an appointment in the practice by telephone. In acute cases, explain the urgency.

Always bring your insurance card (EHIC card or German health insurance card)!

• If you have statutory insurance, the doctor will bill your health insurance company directly.
• If you are privately insured, you pay the bill yourself and are then reimbursed by your insurance company.

In Germany, you can only get medication in pharmacies.

• You can buy medication for minor illnesses such as headaches or colds without a prescription at the pharmacy.
• For prescription medication only your doctor can issue, you will receive a prescription to be collected from the pharmacy.
• If you have a statutory health insurance, you pay an additional 5 to 10 euros for most medications. The rest is paid by your health insurance fund.
• If you have private health insurance, you pay for your medication yourself, then your insurance company reimburses the amount on presentation of the receipt.