How to Fill Foreign Prescriptions in Germany

The short answer: it depends where your prescription was issued

Whether a German pharmacy can fill your prescription depends above all on one thing: the country in which it was issued. Prescription-only medicines may only be sold by pharmacies (Apotheken) in Germany, and pharmacists follow strict rules about which prescriptions they are allowed to accept. The three cases below cover almost every situation expats run into:

Two traps catch people out even with an EU prescription: controlled medicines such as strong painkillers and ADHD stimulants follow special narcotics rules, and some products that are sold freely abroad — antibiotics or the contraceptive pill, for example — are prescription-only medicines in Germany.

EU, EEA and Swiss prescriptions: what the pharmacy needs

Under the EU rules on cross-border healthcare, a prescription issued in another EU or EEA country, or in Switzerland, can be dispensed by a German pharmacy. The condition is that the pharmacist can identify everything unambiguously. Your prescription must clearly show:

• Your full name and date of birth
• The date the prescription was issued
• Your prescriber's full name and professional qualification (for example GP, cardiologist or paediatrician)
• Your prescriber's direct contact details and practice address, including the country
• A handwritten signature, or a recognised digital signature
• For every medicine: the generic name (INN), the pharmaceutical form (tablets, cream, inhaler, …), the strength and the quantity prescribed

The generic name matters most in practice. Brand names differ from country to country even for the identical drug, so a prescription that names only a foreign brand often cannot be filled safely. If your prescription lists a brand, ask your doctor to add the international non-proprietary name (INN) before you travel — it takes a minute and prevents the most common delay.

One financial surprise: even a fully valid EU prescription is processed as a private prescription in Germany. You pay the complete German pharmacy price yourself, because German statutory health insurance does not reimburse a prescription it did not issue. Keep the receipt — your home country's health system, or a private or travel insurance policy, may refund you afterwards.

The one category that does not work this way is controlled medicines (Betäubungsmittel, BtM) — strong opioids, many ADHD stimulants and similar drugs. These require special German narcotics prescription forms, so a foreign prescription will in practice not be filled for them, wherever it was issued. If you depend on such medication, plan through a German doctor instead.

Non-EU prescriptions: the route through a German doctor

Prescriptions from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland — for example from the US, the UK, India or Türkiye — cannot be redeemed at a German pharmacy at all. There is no form to fill in and no discretion for the pharmacist: the only route is a German prescription. Fortunately, for anyone continuing an existing therapy, that route is short:

1. Book an appointment with a GP (Hausarzt). You do not need to be registered with the practice beforehand. With statutory insurance, the visit is billed like any normal doctor's visit.
2. Bring three things: your foreign prescription, the original packaging of your medication (it shows the generic name and dosage), and ideally a short medical report or letter from your doctor at home explaining your diagnosis and treatment.
3. The doctor reviews your therapy and — if it is medically appropriate — issues a German prescription. Since 2024 this is normally an E-Rezept, the electronic prescription redeemed with your health-insurance card or an app.
4. Redeem it at any pharmacy. With public insurance you pay only the statutory co-payment (Zuzahlung) of €5–10 per medicine. Privately insured patients typically receive a private prescription, pay at the pharmacy first and claim the cost back from their insurer.

For long-term, stable treatments — blood pressure, thyroid, diabetes, contraception — German doctors handle this every day, and one short appointment normally settles it. Do not wait until your last tablet: book while you still have two or three weeks of supply left, so a missing document or a follow-up question never becomes an emergency.

Bringing your own medication into Germany

Filling prescriptions is only half the story. If you are moving to Germany — or just visiting — with medication in your suitcase, customs rules decide what may cross the border with you:

• Quantity: travellers may carry up to a three-month supply of each medicine, calculated on the prescribed dosage, for personal use.
• Proof: if the medicine is prescription-only in Germany, carry the valid prescription for it. A brief doctor's note in English or German — what you take, in which dosage, and why — makes any check a formality.
• Packaging: keep medicines in their original pharmacy packaging rather than loose in unmarked containers.
• Controlled substances: medicines under narcotics law (strong opioids, many ADHD and anxiety medicines, medical cannabis) need a Schengen certificate for the journey — a form completed by your doctor and certified by the health authority in your home country. It is valid for up to 30 days. Without it, the medicine can be seized at the border.
• The classification trap: a product being sold without a prescription in your home country does not make it harmless luggage. Antibiotics, the contraceptive pill and, in several countries, even melatonin are prescription-only medicinal products in Germany — bringing in large quantities of them can be treated as importing medicines without authorisation.

If you are relocating permanently, the same three-month rule covers your arrival. Use that window to register with a German doctor and switch your ongoing prescriptions to German ones before your supply runs out.

What your medication will cost in Germany

• German prescription + statutory insurance (GKV): only the statutory co-payment of €5–10 per medicine. The doctor's consultation to obtain the prescription is a normal insured visit.
• Foreign EU, EEA or Swiss prescription: the full German pharmacy price, paid by you — German insurance does not reimburse it.
• Private insurance (PKV): you usually receive a private prescription, pay the pharmacy in full and claim the money back from your insurer.
• No prescription at all: prescription-only medicine is not available at any price — pharmacies are the only legal sellers, and they may not dispense it without a valid prescription.

In other words, the route through a German doctor is not just the legal option for non-EU prescriptions — for anyone living in Germany, it is almost always the cheapest one too.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will a German pharmacy accept my prescription from another EU country? +
  Yes — if it is complete. It must show your full name and date of birth, the issue date, your prescriber's full name, qualification, direct contact details and practice address, a signature, and for each medicine the generic name (INN) with its form, strength and quantity. It will be treated as a private prescription, so you pay the full German pharmacy price yourself.
• I am from the US or the UK — can I use my prescription in Germany? +
  No. Prescriptions from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland cannot be redeemed at a German pharmacy. See a doctor in Germany instead: bring your foreign prescription, the medication packaging and ideally a short medical report, and the doctor will issue a German prescription (usually an E-Rezept) if your treatment should continue.
• Can I get my ADHD or opioid medication with a foreign prescription? +
  Practically no. These medicines are controlled substances (BtM) and require special German narcotics prescription forms, so a German doctor must assess you and prescribe them. If you travel with such medication, you also need a Schengen certificate — completed by your doctor and certified by your home health authority — which covers up to 30 days.
• How much medication can I bring into Germany? +
  Up to a three-month supply of each medicine for your personal use. Keep everything in its original packaging and carry your prescription or a doctor's note for anything that is prescription-only in Germany. Controlled substances additionally need the certified Schengen certificate.
• I have run out of medication on a Sunday — what can I do? +
  Use the emergency pharmacy service (Apotheken-Notdienst): one pharmacy in every area is always on duty, including Sundays and holidays. You can find it at aponet.de or on the notice posted on the door of any pharmacy. Pharmacists give advice free of charge and can suggest an over-the-counter alternative for minor problems.
• Why does the pharmacy ask for the generic name of my medicine? +
  Because brand names differ between countries while the active ingredient is the same. The generic name (INN) tells the pharmacist exactly which German product, strength and form you need. A prescription that names only a foreign brand often cannot be filled safely, which is why prescribers should always add the generic name.