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Our patient service

The department International Medical Services and Business Development (IMS) handles all organizational tasks for foreign patients receiving treatment at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. We are there to make your stay as pleasant as possible and would like to advise you on how to plan your trip step by step:

Choose from the following options to send your inquiry:

Please send your inquiry including the following necessary information:

  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Contact information
  • Short medical history or your most recent medical report translated into German or English
  • Current medical condition and additonal requests
  • You can send your CT-, MRI- or PET/CT images online directly to the radiological system of our medical center for evaluation by our radiology specialists. Please note: for security reasons we don‘t use e-mail or any file sharing for the transmission of images.

After our doctors have reviewed your case, IMS will provide you with a comprehensive cost estimation which includes the statutory costs for treatment, doctors’ fees, as well as costs for laboratory tests and diagnostic radiology.

Cost estimates usually vary from the final invoice depending on extra examinations, tests, or longer stays which may incur.

You will get an answer to your inquiry within 48 hours (on working days).

Patients coming from abroad for medical treatment are obliged to pay the treatment costs (100% of cost estimate) in advance as a deposit. Please let IMS know what additional non-medical services, such as airport transfer, hotel, sightseeing tours, etc. you would like to book.

You may pay via bank transfer, with your credit card or in cash. Please note that our medical center only accepts Master and Visa credit cards. Please consult your bank about international transfers and adjust your credit card limit in advance.

IMS supports foreign patients in obtaining a visa for travelling to Germany for medical treatment at our hospital. As soon as a full deposit for medical treatment has been paid, we will send you an official letter of invitation. As soon as you obtain your visa, your treatment schedule will be e-mailed before your departure. Please note that the invitation letter can only be issued for the length of the scheduled treatment.

German visa departments only consider your documentation after the payment of the full treatment deposit has been confirmed by IMS.

During your stay in Freiburg you will have your personal English-speaking patient manager. He or she will organize airport transfers for you, will help you with a hotel or apartment booking (for outpatients) as well as with booking your interpreter.

You will get your personal treatment plan containing information about your appointments with the doctors and interpreters.

Your treatment will be coordinated by the head of the specialized department or assistants who specialize in your condition. It is very important to follow your doctor’s advice. You will be asked to sign a consent form before each medical procedure. Your doctor will inform you about potential risks and side effects. If necessary, additional consultations with specialists in other medical fields will be organised.

We would like to kindly remind you that despite the scheduling of medical appointments, waiting times may occur due to the unpredictable nature of our medical centre’s daily activities. Your personal coordinator will inform you about possible delays and will do his or her best to reduce the waiting time of your outpatient visits.

Please note: All in-patients in our Medical Center undergo a multi-drug resistant organism (MDRO) screening before their admission to the hospital.

Please let us know in advance whether you would like your German medical report translated into English. Your IMS coordinator will provide you with the price. Normally your medical reports will be ready within 7 working days (unless results of long-term tests are needed, in which case the medical report can be written only after the test is finished and the results are available). Upon request, you can also get access to your radiological images.

Upon your discharge, the complete processing of your case takes on average 5-6 weeks. Paperwork has to be passed through numerous departments before a final invoice can be drawn up and dispatched.

After about 8 weeks, you will get a detailed final invoice listing all items. Any remaining balance will be paid back to you via bank transfer or to your credit card. If there is a outstanding balance, we will ask you to pay it without delay.

You also have the option of keeping remaining balance in your account at our hospital as an advance payment for your next visit.