Hospitals in Frankfurt: Emergency Care Guide for Expats (2026)

Knowing which of the hospitals in Frankfurt to head for, and which number to dial first, is best sorted on a calm afternoon rather than at 3am. German emergency care is excellent but not intuitive: two separate emergency numbers, and a co-payment nobody warns you about. This guide covers the 112 versus 116117 split, the emergency rooms open around the clock, where to take a sick child, and what it costs.

112 or 116117: the two numbers that matter

Germany runs emergency care in two lanes, and picking the right one saves hours. 112 is the pan-European emergency number for real emergencies: chest pain, stroke symptoms, heavy bleeding, breathing difficulty, unconsciousness, a serious accident. It is free from any phone, works without a SIM or credit, and reaches ambulance dispatch. Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst puts it plainly on its own emergency page: with a suspected heart attack or stroke, always call 112 directly.

116 117 is the on-call doctor service, the Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst. Dial it with no area code when your own practice is shut but the problem is not life-threatening: a fever on a Sunday, an infection at 10pm, a prescription that cannot wait. It is free and answers around the clock. Using it rather than walking into one of the hospitals in Frankfurt with something minor is the easiest way to avoid a long wait.

The on-call surgery itself sits on the university hospital campus, in Haus 1, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt. Its published hours are in the final table below.

The main hospitals in Frankfurt with a 24/7 emergency room

Three large adult emergency departments cover most of the city. An ambulance takes you to whichever is nearest and clinically appropriate, so the table below matters most when you make your own way there. Head for the Zentrale Notaufnahme entrance, not the main reception, and bring your Gesundheitskarte (or your EHIC), photo ID and a list of your medication.

Other hospitals in Frankfurt run specialist units, but at night these three plus 116117 cover almost everything. For anywhere else, check the provider’s own website, not a directory listing.

Hospitals in Frankfurt for children, and dental emergencies

Children do not belong in the adult queue. The city has a dedicated children’s hospital, the Clementine Kinderhospital at Theobald-Christ-Straße 16, 60316 Frankfurt, on 069 94992-0, running a Kindernotfallambulanz. Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst operates a children’s emergency department 24/7, plus a paediatric on-call surgery Wednesday and Friday 16:00 to 18:00 and Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10:00 to 18:00.

One change catches people out, because older forum threads still have it wrong: the KV Hessen paediatric on-call service at the university hospital closed that location on 1 October 2025. For an acute problem with a child, go to a paediatric emergency department, or call 116117.

Weekend toothache is its own category, and none of the hospitals in Frankfurt is the right answer for it. Hessen runs a rotating dental emergency service through the Kassenzahnärztliche Vereinigung Hessen on 01805 60 70 11, at 14 cents per minute. If the recording names no practice, your call falls outside the on-call hours.

What treatment costs, and the insurance you need

Health insurance is compulsory in Germany, and it is what makes the hospitals in Frankfurt affordable rather than ruinous. Most residents are in the statutory system (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung); higher earners and many self-employed people may choose private cover. Either way an emergency is treated first, but an uninsured bill lands on you personally.

1. Check in at the Notaufnahme entrance with your Gesundheitskarte or EHIC and photo ID.
2. Expect triage: you are seen in order of severity, not arrival.
3. Say early that you need English rather than struggling through.
4. Keep every discharge letter (Arztbrief) and receipt for your insurer and GP.

The statutory figures are set nationally and published by the Federal Ministry of Health. An inpatient stay costs 10 euros per calendar day, capped at 28 days a year, so 280 euros is the annual maximum. Prescriptions are 10 percent of the pharmacy price, minimum 5 and maximum 10 euros. All co-payments together are capped at 2 percent of annual gross household income, or 1 percent with a recognised chronic illness.

If you are not in the German system yet, hold a policy that will actually pay out. ektatraveling.com sells expat and travel medical cover, expatrio.com bundles insurance with the blocked account new arrivals need, and ottonova.de/en is a German private insurer running its app in English. Check the excess, whether inpatient care is covered from day one, and whether the policy is accepted for your residence permit.

Night pharmacies, poison control and staying reachable

Pharmacies keep ordinary shop hours, but a rotating Notdienst means one near you is always open. The official finder run by the German pharmacists’ associations is aponet.de: enter a Frankfurt postcode and it maps the pharmacies on duty right now. Expect a 2.50 euro emergency-service fee, which your insurer covers when the doctor marks the prescription noctu. Rotas change at short notice, so check on the night.

For a suspected poisoning, swallowed chemicals, a medication overdose or an unidentified mushroom, call the Giftinformationszentrum in Mainz on 06131 19240 first. It covers Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland, is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the advice is free. That call often saves a pointless trip to one of the hospitals in Frankfurt, or tells you to leave immediately.

None of these numbers help if your phone has no signal in your first week. A travel eSIM from airalo.com or saily.com gets you online the hour you land, though data-only plans may not carry a voice line. And because triage happens largely in German, a few sessions on preply.com or italki.com on symptom vocabulary pay for themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 112 and 116117 in Frankfurt?

112 is for life-threatening emergencies and brings an ambulance; it is free, works without a SIM card and is answered around the clock. 116117 is the on-call doctor service for problems that are urgent but not dangerous, outside your practice’s hours. If unsure, call 112.

Which hospitals in Frankfurt have a 24-hour emergency room?

For adults, Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt (Theodor-Stern-Kai 7), Krankenhaus Nordwest (Steinbacher Hohl 2-26) and varisano Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst (Gotenstraße 6-8) all run emergency departments. Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst states 24 hours a day, seven days a week for both its adult and children’s emergency rooms.

Where do I take a sick child at night?

The Clementine Kinderhospital at Theobald-Christ-Straße 16 (069 94992-0) runs a children’s emergency service, and Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst has a paediatric emergency department open 24/7. The on-call paediatric service formerly at the university hospital closed on 1 October 2025.

How much does a hospital stay cost with German insurance?

With statutory insurance you pay 10 euros per calendar day, capped at 28 days a year, so a maximum of 280 euros. Prescriptions are 10 percent of the price, floor 5 euros and ceiling 10 euros. Everything together is capped at 2 percent of gross household income.

Do I need insurance to be treated at hospitals in Frankfurt?

You will be treated in an emergency regardless, but cover is compulsory for residents and an uninsured bill is yours to pay. Bring your Gesundheitskarte, or an EHIC if you are visiting from the EU. Until your German policy starts, expat or travel insurance keeps the hospitals in Frankfurt from becoming a financial problem too.

Expat Essentials for Frankfurt

A few quick wins make settling into Frankfurt easier while you work through this guide. An Airalo eSIM keeps you online from the moment you land, a pre-booked Welcome Pickups transfer takes the stress out of arrival day, and NordVPN protects your logins on public wifi. See our full list of trusted services below.

Some links in this article are partner links — if you sign up through them, FinePassport may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep these guides free and up to date.

FinePassport curates vetted supplier lists so expats never have to settle in alone – from banking and insurance to connectivity and transport, we research so you don’t have to. Jump to the recommended services and get set up faster.

Written by FinePassport team