ENMunich is one of the cities people most often travel to for treatment in Germany, and the reason is plain: two university hospitals, a large cardiac centre, a municipal hospital network and several specialised private clinics all sit in one city.
Yet a hospital is chosen by the disease, not by the city, and not every diagnosis belongs in Munich. AlenMed’s office is here, so a Munich trip is the quickest to arrange, which is exactly why the doctors’ answer, not the office address, should decide.
How medicine in the city is organised
Munich’s medicine rests on two university hospitals: LMU University Hospital Munich and Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich. Both treat, teach and research, so rare and complex cases are referred here, boards of specialists take difficult decisions, and a suitable patient may be offered a clinical trial.
The second tier is München Klinik, the city’s own network, whose large general hospitals in Bogenhausen, Schwabing and Harlaching run round-the-clock emergency care. Its four emergency centres take in over 130,000 people a year, about a third of all emergencies in Munich.
The third group is private, non-profit and specialised clinics: the German Heart Centre, part of TUM Klinikum together with Rechts der Isar since 1 August 2024, the Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital children’s hospital of LMU, the Herzog Carl Theodor eye clinic, the orthopaedic Schön Klinik München Harlaching, ISAR Klinikum in the city centre, Helios Klinikum München West, Klinikum Dritter Orden and Rotkreuzklinikum München. Each is described under Hospitals in Munich.
What people come with
Most patients come with tumours, heart and vascular disease, or spine and joint problems. Cancer patients are seen at the university centre CCC München LMU, where a tumour board of doctors from several specialties sets the treatment plan. CCC München unites the cancer care of both university hospitals and has been an Onkologisches Spitzenzentrum of German Cancer Aid since 2014. See also cancer hospitals in Munich.
Heart and vessels come second. Adults and children with heart disease go to the German Heart Centre, and vascular surgery is done, for example, at Helios Klinikum München West.
Third come the spine and joints. The spine surgery clinic at ISAR Klinikum is headed by PD Dr. Ralf Rothörl, a neurosurgeon. Schön Klinik München Harlaching is an orthopaedic hospital for the whole musculoskeletal system. Children with severe, chronic and complex diseases, including from abroad, are treated at the Hauner children’s hospital of LMU Klinikum.
Diagnostics and second opinions without admission
A frequent reason to come is not an operation but a few days of tests: checking a diagnosis made at home, or a full check-up. The patient stays in a hotel, attends tests and consultations and leaves with a report; see Check-up in Munich.
Sometimes no trip is needed: if the question is whether the treatment is right and the reports, pathology findings and original DICOM images (not screen photos) are at hand, a doctor can answer on paper. That opinion is incomplete when an examination matters, when images are old or unclear, or when tumour tissue must be re-examined from the original blocks and slides.
When Munich is not the right choice
Treatment in Germany does not have to mean Munich: for some diagnoses, the department that treats the disease constantly and in large numbers is in Leipzig, Essen, Hamburg or Berlin. Such a team’s experience outweighs a convenient flight, especially with rare tumours and complex operations.
So the department and the board come first, the city second: the documents go to several specialised departments and their answers are compared. That is why an honest organiser sometimes argues against Munich, even when a trip here is easier. Looking for an operation? See surgery in Munich.
How the trip works
Treatment in Munich starts with the department’s answer: a date is set once a doctor has read the documents and accepted the case. The wait depends on the department and on how complete the file is; missing discharge letters, untranslated documents and images without the original files slow it down.
The airport lies about 30 kilometres outside the city: to reach Rechts der Isar, for example, take the S8 suburban train to Ostbahnhof and the underground one stop on, or a taxi for about 45 minutes. LMU Klinikum alone has two campuses, so relatives usually stay in a hotel or apartment near the right hospital. Appointments have fixed times, but with tests a visit can fill the day.
An interpreter attends the appointments, and reports from home are translated into German or English beforehand. On discharge the patient receives a discharge letter (Entlassbrief) in German. Under German law patients may inspect their complete records and ask for copies (Section 630g of the German Civil Code), so ask for the image disc before leaving.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be treated in Munich because AlenMed’s office is there?
No. The office makes organisation easier, but the hospital is chosen by the diagnosis. AlenMed works with 86 partner hospitals in 38 German cities: if the department that regularly treats your disease is in Leipzig or Essen, you will be offered that one. In Munich, a staff member can simply be with you on the day.
How long does treatment in Munich take?
The exact time is given once the department has seen the documents, as it depends on the diagnosis. Tests or a consultation usually take a few days; an operation with a hospital stay takes longer. Repeat imaging or a pathology review adds time, so book a changeable return flight.
Can I see a specific doctor in Munich?
Yes, if that doctor accepts your case: name them in your first request, and the hospital will confirm who treats you. For inpatients, treatment by the head of department is a separate service, as at München Klinik; by German law it is agreed in writing beforehand, once the patient has been told its content and price in writing.
How AlenMed arranges treatment
AlenMed reviews reports and images remotely, chooses the department and hospital for the diagnosis, books appointments, obtains the official estimate and the visa invitation, meets the patient at the airport and provides an interpreter. The company office is in Munich, so a staff member can be there on the day.
Afterwards the patient keeps the hospital’s report, the treatment or monitoring plan and a contact for questions; new results and images can later be sent for remote assessment.
This material is for reference only and is not an offer. Treatment is decided by a doctor at an in-person consultation.