Germany's healthcare system is powerful once you're inside it — but getting in requires navigating a specific set of administrative steps. For sexual health specifically, the Checkpoint centres and Gesundheitsämter are accessible to everyone regardless of insurance or registration. For PrEP via the GKV system — and for ongoing specialist care — you'll need to establish your German health insurance.

🛡️ Checkpoints, Aidshilfe & Gesundheitsämter: Open to All

Checkpoint BLN (Berlin, checkpoint-bln.de), CheckPoint Cologne (checkpointkoeln.de), Sub München (Munich, sub-muenchen.de), and most regional Aidshilfe testing services do not require German health insurance, an Anmeldebestätigung, or an eGK to access community HIV and STI testing services. A tourist, a new arrival, or anyone without German registration can attend these services for rapid HIV testing, syphilis testing, full STI panels, and referral support.

The Gesundheitsamt (public health office) in every German district also offers free, anonymous HIV testing — no insurance required.

You do not need insurance or German registration to use Checkpoint centres or the Gesundheitsamt for testing. These are your entry point regardless of your administrative status.

For PrEP on the GKV system — free since 2019 — you will eventually need GKV insurance and a registered specialist (usually a Schwerpunktarzt). But community services are where you start.

🇪🇺 Tourists: Your EHIC at German Hospitals

If you need hospital care as a visitor — for PEP, for example — and you are from the EU or EEA, your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) entitles you to medically necessary treatment at the same terms as a GKV-insured patient.

Present your EHIC at the Notaufnahme (emergency department). PEP is classified as medically necessary emergency care and is covered. Standard German copayments (Zuzahlung - usually €10 per day for hospital visits and €5-€10 for prescriptions) will apply. If you don't have your EHIC in an emergency, go anyway — sort the paperwork afterwards.

Your EHIC covers emergency and urgent medical care, including PEP. It does not cover routine PrEP prescriptions — for free PrEP on the German system, you must be contributing to GKV. Non-EU visitors without EHIC will be billed for hospital treatment; travel insurance covering emergency medical care should cover PEP costs.

National Health Hotline

If you have a non-emergency medical issue outside of standard surgery hours, you can call the nationwide medical on-call service at 116 117. For life-threatening emergencies, always dial 112.

📋 New Residents: The GKV Registration Process

If you are legally living or working in Germany, joining the health insurance system is mandatory. Most people join the statutory health insurance system (GKV — Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung). Insurance coverage is legally required to be retroactive to your arrival date, so register as soon as possible to avoid accruing premium debt.

EU/EEA Citizens

  • Short-term stays: Use your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) for medically necessary emergency care, including PEP, at the Notaufnahme.
  • Moving to Germany: If you move to work or study, you must register with a German Krankenkasse (health insurance fund). You cannot rely on your home country's EHIC for long-term routine care like GKV-covered PrEP.

Non-EU Citizens

  • Visas and Moving to Germany: You generally need specific proof of health insurance to obtain your visa or residence permit.
  • Entering the System: Once employed, your employer will typically enroll you in the GKV system. If you are a freelancer, student, or job seeker, you must contact a Krankenkasse directly to apply.

Step 1 — Register for GKV: Choose a statutory insurer (Krankenkasse). Major providers with good English support include TK (Techniker Krankenkasse), AOK, DAK, and Barmer. All cover the same standard benefits package. Your Krankenkasse will generate your German social security number for you if you don't have one.

Step 2 — Anmeldung (City Registration): Register your address at the local Bürgeramt (citizens' office) in your municipality. You receive an Anmeldebestätigung (registration certificate).

Step 3 — Finalize with your Krankenkasse: Provide your Anmeldebestätigung to your health insurance provider to finalize your profile. (Your Tax ID, or Steuer-ID, will arrive by post a few weeks after your Anmeldung; your Krankenkasse will eventually ask for this, but it doesn't block your coverage).

Step 4 — Receive your eGK (Gesundheitskarte): Your electronic health insurance chip card will arrive by post. This is what you present at every medical appointment and pharmacy. Keep it with you.

🩺 Your Hausarzt (GP) & Direct Access to Specialists

Your Hausarzt (GP) handles primary care, sick notes for work, and general health checkups.

You do not legally need a referral (Überweisung) from a Hausarzt to see a specialist in Germany. You can book directly with a sexual health specialist (Schwerpunktarzt).

While a standard Hausarzt generally does not prescribe PrEP, some GPs who have completed specific training (PrEP-Begleitprogramm) are authorized to do so. However, for most patients, PrEP and complex STI care are handled by a Schwerpunktarzt.

🏥 Finding a Schwerpunktarzt

The Schwerpunktarzt is a specialist in HIV medicine, PrEP, and complex STI care. They are the cornerstone of gay men's sexual healthcare in the GKV system.

Find one at dagnae.de — the national directory of HIV-specialised practices, searchable by postcode. Because you do not need a referral, you can contact these clinics directly to register as a new patient.

Many practices in major cities have long waiting lists — see the access guide for strategies.

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