Short Answer
A standard physical therapy prescription automatically expires and becomes invalid for billing if the first session does not take place within 28 days of the issue date.
Once this statutory deadline passes, clinics will refuse to treat you until you present an entirely new document.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You received a prescription for six back therapy sessions but waited three weeks to look for a provider because you wanted your schedule to clear up first. Every local clinic told you they were fully booked for the month, pushing your actual start date to day 35 after the issue date. You lost a full day of wages returning to your GP to beg for a new document because the original paper turned into worthless trash.
What To Do
- Call at least five different "Physiotherapiepraxis" locations the exact same day your doctor hands you the prescription.
- Schedule all six or ten recommended slots in a single block to ensure the treatment begins within the legal window.
- "Der erste Termin muss wegen der Frist innerhalb von 28 Tagen stattfinden." (The first appointment must take place within 28 days due to the deadline.) — State this to the scheduler to secure priority placement.
The Truth
Germany treats a physical therapy note as a time-sensitive medical order, not a flexible voucher. If you allow the 28-day window to lapse, the system locks the billing file and forces you to restart the administrative process from scratch.