ENThe question “how much does an MRI scan cost in Germany” has an answer, though not one number: around €800 for one region, €900–1000 with contrast. It usually comes up before the trip, when a doctor at home has said the imaging needs redoing properly. The total depends on the region, on contrast, and on whether the scan stands alone or sits inside a check-up programme.
Below: orientation figures by region, how a German radiology invoice is built and what the price covers besides the scan. The exact sum comes from the clinic in a written reply to a request; for the method itself, see MRI in Germany.
Orientation figures by body region
Three things move the number: the size of the region, contrast, and how many sections one appointment covers. The figures:
- MRI of one region (skeletal section, head, chest) — around €800;
- MRI with contrast — €900–1000;
- MRI of the whole spine — around €950;
- for comparison: CT — around €500, with contrast around €550;
- a doctor’s consultation on the results — from €130.
These are orientation figures in euros, not a price list or an offer: the clinic issues its own estimate.
Why a whole-spine MRI costs more than a single section
A whole-spine MRI costs more because it takes longer: the spine is read in sections — cervical, thoracic, lumbar — and the gap between one section and all of them is machine time and the number of sequences, not a surcharge. The figure of around €950 comes from the list above.
All sections are needed when looking for metastases, for a systemic picture when a disease may involve several levels, and for post-operative follow-up; one section is enough for local pain at an obvious level. The referring doctor decides, and unnecessary sections cost money without adding information. On surgery, see spine treatment in Germany.
Often needed alongside and billed separately: the orthopaedic or neurosurgical consultation, and a CT where the bone itself must be assessed. If surgery comes up, see cost of spine surgery in Germany.
How a German clinic builds the invoice
The invoice follows official tariffs: medical services under the GOÄ fee schedule, inpatient cases under the DRG case-based system. The GOÄ prices MRI by body region, with a multiplier of at most 2.5, and above 1.8 only with written reasons. For an international patient without German insurance the rate differs from the insured rate: statutory insurance pays an insured person’s outpatient MRI on its own scale, while a self-payer is billed under the GOÄ. That is a lawful difference, not a mark-up for foreigners; general hospital services on the ward must by law cost the same for all patients.
Besides the scan, the invoice covers the radiologist’s work, the written report, the images on a disc or as file access, and, where used, the contrast agent and its injection. Each service is its own line with item number and multiplier.
| Cost item | Depends on | Orientation figure |
|---|---|---|
| Scan of one region with report | region size, sequences | around €800 |
| Contrast: extra sequence, injection, agent | whether contrast is needed | with contrast €900–1000 |
| Images on disc or as files | format readable at home | per clinic estimate |
| Consultation on the results | whether a specialist is needed | from €130 |
Online prices diverge because people compare different things: a single scan with a check-up programme, an outpatient appointment with a day in hospital, and insured patients’ rates where the reader is a self-payer.
A single scan or a check-up programme
They cannot be compared directly: in a check-up programme the MRI is one item among many, its price not broken out, so the two prices measure different things.
In practice: if only a scan and a report are needed, ask for the single examination; if it is unclear what to look for, book a specialist first to set the scope, or you may pay for a scan that is later repeated. Other prices: treatment prices in Germany; the neighbouring topic: CT scan cost in Germany.
How to get a written price before the trip
For a figure rather than a range, send a referral or report stating what is being looked for, previous images, details of implants and pacemakers, the patient’s weight, and a note on claustrophobia if relevant. These decide the scanner: table weight limit and bore width, the scanner and field strength an implant allows, an open or short-bore machine for claustrophobia.
The answer is a written estimate (Kostenvoranschlag) in the patient’s name; where no insurer pays, the law requires the expected costs in text form before treatment. Payment goes directly to the clinic on its invoice. Prepayment is common practice — for inpatients without proof of insurance the law allows it — and the final invoice follows the service actually provided.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a head MRI cost in Germany?
A head MRI counts as one region: around €800, or €900–1000 with contrast if the question requires it. The exact sum comes in the clinic’s estimate once a radiologist has seen the referral and earlier images; discussing the results with a specialist costs extra, from €130.
Why does an MRI with contrast cost more?
Three things are added: an extra sequence after the agent is given, the injection into a vein, and the gadolinium-based agent itself. The GOÄ lists the extra sequence separately, and the agent used up is charged at cost — hence €900–1000 against around €800 without contrast.
Does an MRI cost more with a pacemaker?
It can, because cardiology visits are added. A pacemaker approved for MRI under set conditions is switched to a protective mode before the scan and reset afterwards, with monitoring throughout. The estimate includes these services, so send the pacemaker and lead details from the device card.
How AlenMed requests the price and books the scan
The request goes to the radiology department of a partner clinic, we translate the documents, and the estimate comes from the clinic in the patient’s name. AlenMed works with 86 partner clinics in 38 cities; the company’s office is in Munich.
Plan for the date and time of the scan, how long the report takes, whether an interpreter is needed to discuss the findings, and how to get the images as DICOM files the doctor at home can open. See also medical interpreter and assistance.
This material is for information and is not a public offer. Sums are orientation figures in euros; the exact cost is set by the clinic’s own estimate, and the scope of the examination is prescribed by a doctor.