Health and safety

If you have a headache, fever, or feel under the weather, your first step will be to see a general practitioner (Hausarzt). These doctors can recommend treatment for most common illnesses and will refer you to a specialist if required. Should you already know that your illness needs to be treated by a specialist, such as a dermatologist, you can contact these specialists directly without seeing a general practitioner first.

You are generally free to choose any doctor or hospital in Germany, as long as they accept your health insurance. Private medical bills can be extremely expensive so it is always advisable to find out in advance whether your health insurance is recognised by the respective medical practice.

When searching for a suitable doctor, it might be useful to ask friends for recommendations. You can also search online via the yellow pages or local directory (both in German) to find medical practices in your area. All health insurance companies offer online tools to find doctors and specialists in your region (key word: Arztsuche).

If you are not comfortable speaking German, you can find a doctor who can hold a consultation in English and possibly even in your native tongue. Munich is a big city with lots of international residents.

Many general practitioners in Germany have an open-door policy, meaning that patients can simply turn up to be treated. However, it is strongly recommended that you make an appointment in person or by telephone before you go because waiting times can be long. Sometimes you may have to wait quite a while to get an appointment. Take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which is valid for acute illnesses only or your insurance card to the appointment. If you have private insurance coverage, you will have to pay all the bills first and will only be reimbursed later.

Medicine is normally sold by pharmacies (Apotheken). Drug-dispensing laws are strict in Germany. This means that many medicines that may be prescription-free in your home country can only be purchased on prescription here. The regular German health insurance will cover the costs of most prescribed drugs, but you may have to pay a prescription fee at the pharmacy.

What do you do if you suddenly get ill at night, on the weekend, or on a national holiday? Don’t worry! There are always emergency services and pharmacies available to help you. Alternatively, you could go straight to the nearest hospital or emergency room in case of an emergency.

Emergency numbers (Notdienste) can be found here:

• Medical emergency numbers
• Emergency doctors (in German)
• Emergency services and pharmacies
• In case of a life-threatening emergency that requires urgent attention, you can also call an ambulance by dialing 112.

For psychological and/or pastoral counseling, you may contact the following institutions:

• Munich Student Union
• Catholic University Community
• Protestant University Parish

In order to register at LMU, you must have adequate health insurance.

Germany has a social security agreement with some countries, such as members of the European Union and the European Economic Area, which means that if you have public health insurance at home, you can get this insurance coverage approved by a public health insurance company in Germany. But make sure you clarify at home which documents you will need to take with you. For students this is usually a European health insurance card (EHIC). You will take your EHIC or health insurance chip card with you to your doctor’s appointment. The doctor will then bill the health insurance provider directly.

Please note: EHIC does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different, services covered abroad can vary. Some healthcare providers only cover emergency treatments in Germany and expect you to travel home for all therapies that do not require urgent action. Please check the conditions with your health insurance provider at home and consider becoming a paying member of a German public health insurance (student rate) even if you have an EHIC card.

The good news for those who have to or who wish to insure themselves in Germany is that basic medical coverage for students is fairly affordable. The student rate — guaranteed for students under the age of 30 before the end of the fourteenth semester — charged by a public German insurer is currently about 120 euros a month. This covers doctors' visits and prescribed medication. Private health insurance is only allowed in exceptional cases. But once you take out private health insurance you cannot revert to public health insurance!

More information on the health system in Germany and health insurance is available on the website of the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern, the Munich Student Union.

If you are from one of the 27 EU countries or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, you can obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the relevant health authority in your home country. These cards are issued by your national health insurance provider.

After arrival in Germany, please present this card to a German public health insurance provider. They have to make a digital proof of health insurance status stating that you have sufficient health insurance coverage in your home country.

Please ask a German public health insurance provider (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) to submit your insurance status electronically to LMU (number of LMU: H0001279).

Be aware that EHIC does not necessarily cover all costs for medical treatment in Germany (see above)!

Students from non-EU countries with which a social insurance agreement exists (please check with your home insurance if your country belongs to this group) must also present a foreign health insurance certification (Anspruchsbescheinigung) to one of the German public health insurance providers and request digital proof of health insurance status that your insurance status is sufficient.

Please ask a German public health insurance provider (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) to submit your insurance status electronically to LMU (number of LMU: H0001279). If the health insurance provider decides that your insurance coverage is not adequate, you will need German health insurance. See the Not Insured in Country of Origin section (IV) for more information.

A German state health insurance provider must verify if your home insurance policy is sufficient. If your insurance coverage is sufficient, the German public health insurance provider will issue a digital proof of health insurance status.

Please ask a German public health insurance provider (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) to submit your insurance status electronically to LMU (number of LMU: H0001279). If the health insurance provider decides that your insurance coverage is not adequate, you will need German health insurance coverage. See the Not Insured in Country of Origin section (IV) for more information.

Only for the short period between your arrival in Germany and enrollment at LMU is travel health insurance from your home country sufficient. For enrollment (registration), you are required to have a digital proof of insurance with a German health insurance provider.

You will need to purchase German insurance. Again, the benefit is that prices are affordable, at approximately 120 euros per month. Please ask a German public health insurance provider (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) to submit your insurance status electronically to LMU (number of LMU: H0001279).

Remember to cancel your health insurance with the German provider before returning home. In order to cancel your insurance, you will need to send proof of ex-matriculation to your health insurance provider in Germany. To get this certificate, you will need to visit Studentenkanzlei on the LMU main campus.