EUROPEAN UNION · GERMANY
Germany: medicines and EU prescriptions
Germany has an authorised pharmacy mail-order route that includes prescription medicines. The national mail-order register and the pharmacy’s prescription-handling process are separate checks.
Last updated: October 2026
| Question | Evidence and limits |
|---|---|
| Domestic non-prescription online sales | Permitted with conditions. Non-prescription online supply permitted under national conditions. [DE-ONLINE] Scope: Human medicines; sellers established in Germany |
| Domestic prescription online sales | Permitted with conditions. Prescription online pharmacy supply permitted under the documented conditions. [DE-ONLINE] Scope: Online sale/dispensing; distinguish reservation, consultation and arranged delivery |
| Recognition of other EU prescriptions | Recognition subject to national rules. EU cross-border prescription recognition framework applies; dispensing remains subject to national rules. [EU-RX] Scope: Ordinary prescriptions from another EU state; not a guarantee for every product or controlled medicine |
| Cross-border parcel supply into Germany | Not confirmed. Medicine-specific inbound postal supply permission not confirmed. Scope: Germany as destination |
| Cross-border shipment from Germany | Not confirmed. Destination-specific outbound delivery permission not confirmed. Scope: Germany as seller country |
| Foreign ePrescriptions dispensed in Germany | Not confirmed. Country-pair ePrescription dispensing availability not confirmed. Scope: Germany as dispensing country |
| Local ePrescriptions used abroad | Not confirmed. Country-pair ePrescription dispensing availability not confirmed. Scope: Germany as prescription-origin country |
| Reimbursement | Check your home insurer. Home-insurer eligibility and claim process determine reimbursement; national medicine-specific coverage not confirmed. [EU-PAY] Scope: Insurance country, product and purchase route must be identified; not automatic foreign pharmacy payment |
Germany: mail-order permission and prescription processing
The Federal Ministry of Health describes a specific mail-order authorisation, supply from a public pharmacy and prescription requirements before dispensing. BfArM maintains the national internet-seller register.
A practical next step
Ask the pharmacy how it accepts your paper or electronic prescription and whether it serves your destination. A German mail-order permission alone should not be taken as permission to supply every medicine to every EU address.
Useful local terminology: Versandapotheke (mail-order pharmacy); Rezept (prescription).
Verify the responsible seller
Use the official route below to locate the relevant guidance or seller list. Some authority pages link onward to a separate register. Compare the legal business, dispensing premises and exact website address; a logo image alone is insufficient.
BfArM and Federal Ministry of Health: pharmacy verification route. See how to verify an EU online pharmacy for the full checking process.
Using a prescription issued elsewhere in the EU
EU recognition is conditional on the medicine and national dispensing rules. For documentation, preparation and product-name questions, use the cross-border prescription guide. An online purchase and a pharmacy dispensing visit require separate checks.
Electronic prescriptions and payment
Check the specific origin, destination and participating pharmacy before travelling. The table reports only the pairs established by the cited sources. Patient Summary connections do not establish ePrescription dispensing. Ask your home insurer about the intended medicine purchase and keep the itemised receipt.
For national contact routing, consult Germany’s contact-point website or the official EU/EEA contact directory. Your insurance country determines which insurer should answer your claim question.
Before you commit to a purchase
Write down the exact medicine, strength, formulation, quantity, prescription origin, destination address and insurance country. Ask the pharmacy to confirm stock, document handling, delivery eligibility and total charges for that particular request. Do not change a medicine or dose to fit an available website listing.
Official sources / References
- German Federal Ministry of Health: pharmacies — Mail-order authorisation, prescription requirements and national register
- Your Europe: presenting a prescription in another EU country — Prescription information and national dispensing rules
- Your Europe: prescription expenses and reimbursement — Cross-border prescriptions and EHIC
- EMA: buying medicines online and national registers — Logo verification; national-register directory
- European Commission: electronic cross-border health services — ePrescription versus Patient Summary
- EOPYY: official EU/EEA National Contact Point directory — Country contact listings; updated 20 August 2026
This page explains access routes and official information. It does not select a treatment or guarantee that a pharmacy will dispense, ship or secure reimbursement for a particular medicine. About MediSearcher.