Ambulance rides in Germany are generally covered by statutory health insurance in emergencies, but they are not strictly "free." Patients usually pay a 10% co-payment, ranging from a minimum of €5 to a maximum of €10 per trip. The service is, however, heavily subsidized and directly billed to insurers.
Ambulance. If a doctor says you need immediate treatment - i.e. in emergencies - transport to hospital is free. Usually you pay 10% of transport costs, from a minimum of €5, up to a maximum of €10, but not more than the actual cost.
Do I Need to Pay for Emergency Medical Services in Germany? Emergency services at the hospital are free in Germany, but you may be required to pay for certain services, for example, a EUR 10 fee for the ambulance.
Germany's healthcare is high-quality, but not free for tourists. So, ensuring your health is protected abroad can cost less than $4 a day for a Medical-Only coverage plan (which doesn't include trip cancellation).
To get medically necessary state healthcare in Germany, you need a Global Health Insurance Card ( GHIC ) or a European Health Insurance Card ( EHIC ). The NHS's getting healthcare abroad webpage has details about: how to apply for a GHIC. how to get temporary cover if you lose your card or it does not arrive in time.
What to expect when you call an AMBULANCE in Germany 🚑
Can I go to a hospital in Germany without an insurance card?
You can also go directly to an emergency department of a hospital. They will assess your condition. If it is not an emergency, you can also call 116117 at the weekend or at night. Note: You will always receive treatment in an emergency, even without an insurance card.
Treatment received in our Emergency Departments (A&E) is free. If you are admitted to hospital as an inpatient or receive any outpatient appointments charges will apply.
Illness or injury. In Germany, you should only go to a hospital's emergency department if you need urgent medical care in an emergency. If you have an illness or injury that is not classed as an emergency, the normal course of action is to go to see a doctor in a doctor's surgery.
How much does it cost to see a doctor in Germany without insurance?
What if I don't have health insurance in Germany? If you're visiting Germany and don't have health insurance in the country, you can still see a doctor. You will, however, have to find a private doctor and be responsible for the cost of the visit — a GP consultation without medical insurance costs from €30 to €60.
If you're a UK national, it's not a legal requirement for you to have travel insurance when visiting Germany. Yet, it can provide peace of mind that you'll be protected should your German adventure not go to plan.
The German system is better staffed and stocked than the UK, relative to the population. Analysis by Nuffield Trust shows in 2019 the UK had around nine nurses per 1,000 people, while in Germany there were about 14.
Which country has the best healthcare system in the world?
There's no single "best," as it depends on priorities, but Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia consistently rank at the top in recent global indices for overall performance, balancing infrastructure, costs, and outcomes. Other highly-rated systems include Singapore (efficiency/tech), Japan (quality), Canada, Sweden, and Netherlands, often praised for universal access, high quality, or specific strengths like preventative care, though rankings vary by report.
Krankenwagen is a compound word: Krank (sick) + Wagen (vehicle or cart). So literally, it means “sickness vehicle.” It's the standard term for an ambulance in Germany, Austria, and much of the German-speaking world.
What to do if you have a medical emergency in Germany?
When it comes to health, there are two important telephone numbers in Germany, firstly 112 for emergencies and secondly 116 117 for the medical on-call service. You can find out which number is the right one in which case here.
International patients are not automatically included in Germany's statutory insurance. Instead, they must pay directly for their care or through private international insurance. Unless covered by their insurer, international patients should expect to pay out of pocket.
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.
Public health insurance covers the costs of dental treatment and dentures, provided they are part of standard dental care in Germany. Covered are only basic treatments; for all other dental services and many more specialized procedures, you must pay out of pocket.
The country's sick leave policy is one of the most generous in the world. Employees get full pay for the first six weeks they're off, after that their health insurance policy will pay them a large portion of their salary for a further 18 months.
Apply for a UK GHIC or UK EHIC It's free to apply for both cards. Beware of unofficial websites which may charge you a fee to apply. These are not necessary, and you do not need to use them. There is no deadline to apply for a UK GHIC or UK EHIC.
All calls to 111 from mobile phones or landlines are free of charge. Should you require assistance, 111 services are able to provide interpreter facilities and those who have hearing impairments are able to use a relay service in order to converse with the 111 provider.
A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a specialist in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk associated with the continuous care they provide.
