How to Find an English-Speaking Doctor in Germany: A Simple Guide

Finding a doctor (specifically a Hausarzt or General Practitioner) is the first step for non-emergency medical care. You can use several public and private tools to find an English-speaking doctor:

Top Search Tools

Doctolib: The most popular platform in Germany for finding and booking medical appointments. You can filter by:
- Insurance type (Public vs. Private).
- Specialty (e.g., General Practitioner, Dermatologist).
- Languages spoken (choose “English” to find international doctors).
TK-DoctorGuide: Provided by Techniker Krankenkasse (another large insurer), this tool is free for everyone to use, even non-members. It specifically allows you to search for doctors who speak English or other languages across all of Germany.
BARMER Doctor Finder: BARMER’s own search tool is also available to the public in English to help locate nearby practices.

Essential Tips for Your Search

Public vs. Private: If you have statutory (public) insurance (like AOK, TK, or DAK), ensure the doctor is a “Kassenarzt” (accepts all public health funds).
Referrals: For most specialist visits (like a cardiologist), you should first visit a Hausarzt to get a referral (Überweisung), though dentists and gynecologists can often be visited directly.
Emergency Support: If you need urgent medical advice after regular office hours (evenings or weekends), call 116117 for the non-emergency medical on-call service. For life-threatening emergencies, dial 112.