RAB Arztbesuche is a private medical house-call service that sends a licensed, English-speaking doctor to your home, hotel or office anywhere in Munich, daily from 6 a.m. to midnight and typically within 60 to 90 minutes. For the tens of thousands of expats, international students and millions of guests who come to Munich every year, falling ill without fluent German can turn a simple infection into a stressful situation. This guide explains how to reach an English-speaking doctor in Munich, when the emergency numbers 112 and 116 117 are responsible, how a private house call works, what it costs under the German scale of fees for physicians (GOÄ), and how international and travel insurers reimburse the costs.
Who needs an English-speaking doctor in Munich?
An English-speaking doctor is needed by anyone who is urgently but not life-threateningly ill and cannot reliably describe their symptoms in German. Munich, with around 1.5 million inhabitants, two major universities (LMU and TU München), the Messe München trade fair grounds and Oktoberfest, is an international metropolis; many doctors in central neighbourhoods such as Schwabing, Maxvorstadt or Bogenhausen speak at least some English, but on a Saturday evening that is not guaranteed in any on-call practice. Clear communication is not a comfort factor: describing symptoms precisely, understanding a diagnosis and taking medication correctly all depend on a shared language, and misunderstandings directly affect treatment safety.
Typical patients are expats without a regular family doctor, tourists or business travellers in hotels, international students, and consulate staff or visiting family members. Common reasons to call are fever and flu-like infections, sore throat and tonsillitis, ear infections, gastrointestinal complaints such as vomiting or diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, allergic reactions and rashes, back or joint pain, migraine, and acute flare-ups of chronic conditions such as asthma, COPD or high blood pressure.
Emergency or urgent care? Knowing 112 from 116 117
The most important distinction in Germany is between a life-threatening emergency and an urgent but stable condition. Getting this right gets you to the appropriate care within minutes instead of being passed on while ill.
112: life-threatening emergencies
Call the free, around-the-clock number 112 immediately for severe chest pain or a suspected heart attack, breathing difficulty or a severe asthma attack, sudden weakness, slurred speech or other signs of stroke, unconsciousness, seizures, heavy bleeding or a serious injury. Munich's rescue service is well equipped, and the emergency departments of large hospitals such as the Klinikum rechts der Isar, the LMU Klinikum Großhadern and the München Klinik sites in Schwabing and Harlaching generally have English-speaking staff. In a real emergency only 112 counts, it is faster than any private service.
116 117: the statutory on-call service
The number 116 117 covers urgent but non-life-threatening complaints outside consultation hours, such as high fever, severe diarrhoea, persistent vomiting, a painful ear infection or a very heavy cold. This nationwide free hotline is organised in Bavaria by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Bavaria (KVB); it refers you to a nearby on-call practice or, if you are unable to travel, organises a house visit via the mobile service. The service is reachable 24/7, but staff mostly speak German with limited English, and waiting times can run to several hours, especially on weekends and at night. Our guide to the medical on-call service in Munich has more detail.
What "urgent care" means in the German system
Unlike in English-speaking countries, Germany has no "urgent care clinic" in the literal sense; care is organised in tiers instead. During consultation hours you see your family doctor or a specialist by appointment. Outside those hours the on-call service on 116 117 takes over, hospital emergency departments handle severe cases, and private house-call services operate across the city. What international patients describe as a "walk-in clinic" usually corresponds in Munich to a KVB on-call practice that you visit in person without an appointment; 116 117 names the current locations.
On-call practices treat mild to moderate complaints such as colds, sore throats and minor infections and require no appointment, useful if you are mobile and have time to wait. The limits are clear, though: during flu season, on Mondays and after public holidays waiting times are long; English-speaking staff are not guaranteed; and consultations are often short because of the high demand. For severe symptoms such as chest pain, breathing difficulty, neurological deficits or very high fever, an on-call practice is the wrong choice; then 112 or 116 117 applies.
The private home visit: how RAB Arztbesuche works
A private house call means a licensed physician comes to you, with no journey while ill and no waiting room. RAB Arztbesuche dispatches doctors throughout the Munich city area daily from 6 a.m. to midnight, 365 days a year, and the service is open to everyone, regardless of insurance status or nationality. When you call via the call button, you speak directly with medical staff, not an anonymous call centre.
The process is organised in five transparent steps:
- Call or online booking: You state your location, a brief description of your symptoms and your insurance status via the call button.
- Doctor's call-back: A doctor calls back shortly afterwards, clarifies the urgency and prepares the visit.
- Doctor on the way: Within 60 to 90 minutes a doctor arrives with a fully equipped medical bag.
- Examination and treatment: a thorough examination on site, with prescriptions, medication or infusion therapy if needed.
- Documentation: You receive an invoice and, on request, a sick note or medical certificate, also in English on request.
The doctors carry diagnostics such as a mobile ECG and ultrasound, blood and urine tests, and can provide infusions, pain therapy, wound care and antibiotics directly on site. They issue regular German prescriptions valid in any pharmacy nationwide, can organise pharmacy delivery to your address, and, if hospital treatment becomes necessary, coordinate the admission including a detailed medical report. The guide to costs and process of a house call summarises the details.
Costs and insurance reimbursement under GOÄ
RAB Arztbesuche bills according to the GOÄ (Gebührenordnung für Ärzte), the official fee schedule for private medical services in Germany. The exact amount depends on the time of day, the day of the week and the scope of care; surcharges for night, evening and weekend visits are regulated by law and shown transparently. For self-payers, a house call typically costs between roughly 150 and 300 euros depending on the time and distance, with no hidden fees, payable on site in cash or by debit or credit card via a mobile terminal.
Privately insured patients are generally reimbursed in full according to their tariff. Ask in advance whether house calls and out-of-hours consultations are included. Tourists and visitors should keep the invoice: most travel insurance policies cover urgent doctor visits abroad, and many international insurers reimburse house calls in full. EU citizens are entitled to basic care with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), but private house-call services usually require payment on site with subsequent reimbursement. On request, the diagnosis, treatment plan, prescriptions and invoice are issued in English to simplify processing with a foreign employer or insurer.
English documentation: sick notes, prescriptions and Fit-to-Fly
The doctors at RAB Arztbesuche are fully licensed in Germany and issue official, nationally recognised documents. A certificate of incapacity for work (AU) is accepted by all German employers and insurers; the electronic version (eAU) can be sent directly to the health fund for statutorily insured patients, and you keep a printout. Prescriptions for prescription-only medication, antibiotics, painkillers and asthma inhalers are issued during the visit and are valid in any licensed pharmacy in Germany.
On request, the doctor issues documents in both German and English, particularly useful for international patients who forward paperwork to a foreign employer or insurer. Special certificates are also possible, such as Fit-to-Fly certificates (unfitness to travel), school or daycare exemptions and fitness certificates, relevant for example before a return flight from Munich Airport.
Why expats and visitors choose a private home visit
A house call combines convenience, privacy and speed in a way a public practice cannot during a short stay. There is no journey across the city with a fever, no crowded waiting room, no contact with other contagious patients and no uncertainty about whether the doctor speaks your language. Treatment takes place in your own room, the conversation is unhurried, and the documentation is handed over in English on request. Especially during the Oktoberfest season in September and October or during major trade fairs at Messe München, hotel visits across the city are everyday practice.
This matters most to the groups who use the service daily: business travellers on tight schedules, parents with small children, older patients with limited mobility, and anyone with contagious complaints who should not sit in a public waiting area. Several RAB doctors additionally speak Spanish, French, Italian, Russian or Polish, state your preferred language when booking so the dispatch team can assign a suitable doctor. A private house call complements the official 112 emergency system but never replaces it.
Frequently asked questions
Do the doctors at RAB Arztbesuche speak fluent English?
Yes. All doctors and the entire team speak fluent English and care for international patients every day, both in everyday conversation and with precise medical terminology. On request, the diagnosis, treatment plan, prescriptions and invoice are provided in English, which simplifies reimbursement through international travel and health insurers. Several doctors additionally speak Spanish, French, Italian, Russian or Polish, state your preferred language when booking via the call button.
How quickly is a doctor on site?
Typically within 60 to 90 minutes of your call or online booking. In quieter periods or for visits in central Munich neighbourhoods such as Maxvorstadt, Schwabing or Sendling it is often faster, while at peak times, such as public holidays, Sunday mornings, late evenings, during Oktoberfest or during infection waves, the wait can rise to around two hours. The dispatch team gives a realistic estimate when you book and proactively informs you of any significant delays. For life-threatening symptoms call 112, as the rescue service is much faster.
Do I need German or private health insurance?
No. The service is open to everyone in Munich, including tourists, business travellers, expats, international students and self-payers without German insurance. You receive a transparent invoice, pay on site in cash or by debit or credit card, and then submit it to your private, travel or expat insurer, many international insurers cover house calls in full. Privately insured patients from Germany are generally reimbursed in full according to their tariff.
Which complaints can be treated during a home visit?
Urgent but non-life-threatening complaints, including fever and flu, sore throat and tonsillitis, ear infections, gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, allergic reactions and rashes, back and joint pain, migraine, and flare-ups of chronic conditions such as asthma, COPD or high blood pressure. Minor wounds and burns can be cleaned and treated on site. Severe or life-threatening symptoms belong to 112.
Will I get a prescription or a sick note?
Yes. The attending doctor issues regular German prescriptions, including for prescription-only medication, antibiotics, painkillers and asthma inhalers, valid in any licensed pharmacy in Germany, and can organise pharmacy delivery to your address. Official sick notes (AU/eAU), accepted by all German employers and insurers, are issued during the visit; on request you receive the documents in German and English.
When should I call 112 instead?
Always call 112 for severe chest pain or a suspected heart attack, breathing difficulty or a severe asthma attack, sudden weakness or slurred speech as signs of stroke, unconsciousness, seizures, heavy bleeding or a serious injury. The rescue service dispatches an ambulance to the nearest hospital within minutes. A private house call covers urgent but stable situations and does not replace the 112 emergency system.
Book an English-speaking doctor in Munich
If you need short-notice, non-emergency medical care in Munich, you can reach RAB Arztbesuche daily from 6 a.m. to midnight via the call button; a home or hotel visit typically takes place within 60 to 90 minutes. Acutely ill children are treated as well. You can also book your appointment online and will be cared for professionally and in English, wherever you are in the city.