Authority for the Interior and Sport

Apply for authorization for medical transport

If you are an entrepreneur in Hamburg and want to operate an ambulance service, you will need a permit from the relevant authority. The permit will be granted to you if the legal requirements are met.

Detailed description

The approval will determine, based on your application, how many ambulances you must have ready for patient transport during the defined operating hours.



The purpose of medical transport is to provide assistance to patients who are not emergency patients, if necessary, and to transport them under professional care.



In order to carry out transport as a medical transport and to be able to bill the health insurance companies, a prescription from a doctor is required.



When transporting patients, you must staff ambulances with at least two paramedics. You must equip the ambulances in accordance with the applicable DIN standard and register them accordingly under road traffic law.

 

Information

Prerequisites

  • The safety and efficiency of the company are guaranteed.
  • There are no facts that demonstrate your unreliability as an entrepreneur or as the persons appointed to manage the business.
  • You as an entrepreneur and the persons appointed to manage the business are professionally qualified (for example, by passing the specialist knowledge test for rescue services with motor vehicles before a Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
  • You undertake not to exclude your liability towards the persons transported for personal injury and property damage.
  • You can provide evidence of a place of business within the territory of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

Documents required

  • Completed, signed application (form)
  • Certificates of clearance from the tax office, the social insurance provider and the professional association (the deadlines for these certificates must not be more than three months old at the time of application)
  • Equity certificate (the date of the equity certificate must not be more than one year old at the time of application)
  • Proof of current business liability insurance
  • Police clearance certificate for submission to an authority (not older than three months)
  • Confirmation in the form of a self-declaration that no judicial or public prosecutorial investigation is pending
  • Information from the Central Trade Register (not older than three months)
  • Proof of professional qualifications (you usually prove your professional qualifications by taking a professional qualifications test before a Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
  • For companies that are or will be registered in the commercial, cooperative or association register: Articles of association
  • For partnerships and associations: the certified copy of the articles of association
  • Proof of a place of business

Please note

If the permit comes into effect, you as the entrepreneur are obliged to set up and maintain the business. You are also obliged to provide services, which means carrying out medical transport.

Deadlines

You can apply at any time; there are no application deadlines.


The approval is deemed to have been granted if it is not rejected within the period specified under “Processing time”.


The permit may be granted for a period of up to four years.

Procedure

  • You submit the application in writing, attach all evidence and documents and send the application by post to the responsible authority.
  • The responsible authority will check whether the application is complete or whether any evidence is still missing and will inform you of the (intermediate) result.
  • If there are any points that require clarification, you will be heard before a decision is made.
  • The approval or rejection of the approval will be communicated to you in writing in the form of a notice.
  • In the event of approval, you will receive the certificate of approval immediately after the expiry of the appeal period.

Processing time

The competent authority will decide on the application within three months of receipt of the complete documentation.


If the examination of the application cannot be completed within this time, the competent authority may extend the deadline by the period necessary to complete the examination in an interim decision to be communicated to you before it expires. The extension of the deadline may not exceed three months.

Fees

Fees for the authorization to operate ambulance services with verification of financial capacity: EUR 657.00


Approval of an extension or significant change to a business with verification of financial capacity: EUR 223.00


Fees for the approval for the exchange or initial commissioning of ambulances, aircraft and watercraft per vehicle: EUR 289.00


In individual cases, expenses for postal services exceeding EUR 2.50


This information is valid for the year 2024. The amount of the fees changes on January 1st of each year.

Legal remedies

You can appeal against the approval or rejection notice within one month of notification. If the appeal cannot be resolved, you can file a lawsuit in the administrative courts.

Legal basis

Hamburg Emergency Services Act (HmbRDG)


www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-RettDGHA2019V2IVZ


Passenger Transport Act (PBefG)


www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pbefg/BJNR002410961.html


Ordinance on Access to the Profession for Road Passenger Transport (PBZugV)


www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pbzugv/BJNR085100000.html

Forms and downloads

Links on the Internet

Address and contact information

Authority for the Interior and Sport

Hamburg Fire Department
Approval procedures and supervision of ambulance

Haven't found the right one yet?

To Hamburg Service startpage

Keywords: Medical transport Ambulance

Last updated: 16.02.2026