A Hausarzt is your first stop for everyday illness, vaccinations, chronic follow-up, many sick notes, and Überweisungen (referrals) to specialists. German law gives freie Arztwahl, free choice among contracted doctors, but full waiting rooms still feel like a closed list.
How do you find a practice that will take you?
Join a Krankenkasse first so billing works: Choose health insurance. Then search Allgemeinmedizin / Hausarzt near your postcode on the official 116117 Arztsuche, gesund.bund.de, or your fund’s doctor finder. Filter for languages if you need English. Call and ask whether the practice accepts Neupatienten; many city practices show Aufnahmestopp when capacity is gone.
Book a short Kennenlerntermin or acute slot and bring identity plus the eGK or a temporary Ersatzbescheinigung from your insurer if the card is still in the post. You are not assigned by Bürgeramt after Anmeldung; you simply return to the same practice so your file builds. Cost context: Healthcare costs.
What should you use the Hausarzt for?
Use the practice for non-emergency care, prescriptions, and the electronic Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung (sick note) your employer expects. For evenings and weekends when the practice is closed, 116117 routes non-emergency medical on-call care; 112 remains the emergency number.
Specialists such as dermatology or orthopaedics often run smoother with a referral, even when some direct booking is possible. If every local practice is full, ask your Krankenkasse for appointment mediation help under statutory rules. Settling sequence: Paperwork after moving.
Common misconceptions
Assuming Germany assigns you a GP by postcode fails. You must find an accepting practice yourself.
Assuming you must wait for the plastic eGK before any care also fails. Membership can start earlier; request an Ersatzbescheinigung for the gap.
Summary
Insure first, search 116117 or your fund’s directory, and keep calling until a Hausarzt accepts new patients. Present the eGK, return to the same practice, and save 116117 plus 112 so sick notes and urgent gaps do not become a scavenger hunt.
Sources
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