Unwanted pregnancy? What now?
Abortions are a normal part of health care.
On this page we explain the concrete steps and requirements that must be completed in order to legally terminate a pregnancy in Germany. This is possible either under the so-called “counselling rule” or if there is a criminal or medical indication.
Abortion is legally permitted in Germany under the counselling rule if the pregnant person
- participates in an official “pregnancy conflict counselling” session and receives a counselling certificate,
- adheres to a waiting period of at least three days between the counselling session and the abortion,
- and if the abortion is completed within the first 14 weeks* of the pregnancy.
If the pregnancy resulted from sexual abuse or rape, an abortion is permitted on criminal grounds up to the 14th week of pregnancy.
Termination is also legally permitted in the case of a medical indication if the pregnancy poses a risk to the pregnant person’s life or health. In such cases, there is no gestational time limit for an abortion.
Since 96 percent of all abortions in Germany occur in accordance with the counselling rule (Federal Statistical Office, 2026), we will first explain the process for this.
Process for an abortion under the counselling rule
- Your first point of contact in the event of an unintended or unwanted pregnancy could be your gynaecologist or primary care doctor (GP). However, you can also contact a counselling centre directly.
- In Germany, an abortion under the counselling rule is permitted up to the 14th week* of pregnancy. To proceed with this, you must make an appointment for a counselling session at a certified pregnancy conflict counselling centre. There is a mandatory waiting period of at least three days between the counselling session and the termination of pregnancy.
- To find a certified counselling centre you can use the search engine provided by the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG).
IMPORTANT: For your abortion appointment you need an official counselling certificate (Beratungsschein). Therefore, when you use the BIÖG search engine, you must check the box next to “Counselling certificate (Beratungsschein)”. You can also visit a counselling centre if you are still undecided about whether to terminate your pregnancy.
- The search for a doctor who provides abortion care is not always easy. You can try to do an online search for physicians who provide this care in your area. Some of the doctors’ offices and clinics that provide abortions in Germany are listed on an official register maintained by the German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer). You can search this list by postal code. In addition, the official counselling centres are usually well connected and can often provide you with some local addresses, if you have not yet found a doctor.
- In Germany, a pregnancy can be terminated using medication until the 9th week of pregnancy or surgically until the 14th week* of pregnancy. The possible methods and process for each method are detailed on our webpage Methods of terminating a pregnancy.
- Generally, the cost of the abortion procedure are not covered by health insurance in Germany. However, people with a low income can apply for coverage of the costs by your health insurance provider. You can find more information on this in the section on Cost coverage. If you are eligible for cost coverage, you must apply for coverage from your health insurance company before the procedure.
Abortion in the case of criminal indication
When a pregnancy is the result of sexual abuse or rape, an abortion is legally permissible through the end of the 14th week* of pregnancy. The “criminal indication” must be issued by a different doctor than the one who provides the abortion. A counselling session should be offered to patients in this case but is not a requirement.
What many people (including doctors) do not know: For an abortion on criminal grounds it is not required to provide any sort of evidence or to file criminal charges / a criminal complaint with the police. If a pregnant person tells their doctor that the pregnancy resulted from a sexual assault, it is sufficient for the doctor to make a note of this for the “criminal indication”.
Abortion in the case of medical indication
When a pregnancy presents a danger to the life or (physical or mental) health of the pregnant person, a doctor can issue a medical indication.
German law states that there must be a period of three days between the doctors’ diagnosis and issuing the written indication and terminating the pregnancy. However, this is not required if an abortion is necessary to avert an immediate risk to the pregnant person’s life or body.
The pregnant person must be informed about the option for psychosocial counselling. In the case of a medical indication, abortion is legally permitted after the 14th week of pregnancy.
General Information and Recommendations
- Information found online can help you decide how to proceed. However, caution is advised, as there is a great deal of misleading and alarming misinformation circulating on the internet. The taboo and stigma surrounding abortion give rise to many myths. Under Useful Links, you can find a small collection of reliable sources, including some that debunk common myths.
- You can visit a counselling centre at any time, including if you remain undecided about your pregnancy. Professional support can be helpful in the decision-making process and this is precisely what certified counselling centres are there for.
- The right support from those close to you can be a great help. Unintended pregnancies and abortions are common and should not be a taboo subject.
- If you are having a medication abortion, the free Alli App can be a helpful digital companion. The app provides a safe, clear and reliable guide through the process and summarizes all necessary information. The app is available in the Apple Store and via Google Play.
Cost coverage
In Germany, health insurance companies generally only cover the costs of the necessary pre- and post-abortion appointments and exams (including the pre-abortion medical consultation and treatment of any complications). However, in certain specific cases, the costs may be covered.
Statutory health insurance companies cover the cost of abortion care fully in the case of a medical or criminal indication. Private health insurance companies should be contacted directly regarding their individual policies, as many only cover the costs in case of a medical indication.
An abortion under the consultation rule (96 percent of all abortions) must usually be paid for out-of-pocket by the pregnant person. The only circumstance under which health insurance companies may cover the costs is if the pregnant person has a relatively low income. The exact income thresholds are detailed in this PDF document published by pro familia (current as of July 2025; available in German only). The application must be submitted to a statutory health insurance company, and you must apply for coverage and receive approval before your abortion procedure. The insurance company will ask for documentation of your current financial situation, but will not ask about your reason for having an abortion.
You can obtain the latest information on cost coverage from certified counselling centres or directly from your health insurance company.
Costs
It is difficult to give a general estimate of how much an abortion costs. The costs vary depending on the method (medication or surgical) and the type of anaesthesia (local or general). According to pro familia, you should expect to pay between €300 and €800, and according to the Federal Institute for Public Health, between €380 and €900.
*Calculating the weeks of pregnancy can often cause confusion. There are two different ways of calculating this: “post menstruationem“ (p.m.) and „post conceptionem“ (p.c.). In the medical field, weeks of pregnancy are usually calculated based on the first day of the last menstrual period (p.m.), as the exact date of conception is unknown. We therefore use the standard medical calculation on our website.
However, German law calculates weeks of pregnancy on the basis of weeks after conception (p.c.). Therefore, when the German criminal code refers to “12 weeks after conception”, it actually means the 14th week of pregnancy (p.m.).