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Apply for a guide dog as an assistive device

Guide dogs, also commonly referred to as “blind dogs,” are specially trained dogs that assist you in your daily life if you are blind or severely visually impaired.

With the dog’s help, you can navigate safely anywhere. For example, the dogs can:

  • navigate to specific destinations
  • avoid obstacles
  • detect hazards
  • indicate intersecting streets
  • help you cross the street
  • Point out obstacles on the ground, such as stairs and steps

Your statutory health insurance covers the costs of a guide dog:

  • Purchase
  • Training
  • Training
  • Equipment:
    • Harness
    • Leash
    • Collar
    • Muzzle
    • Identification tag for off-leash time

You will also receive a monthly allowance to cover your dog’s living expenses. Guide dogs are generally exempt from dog taxes but require a tax tag.

Dog bans—for example, in grocery stores, museums, or churches—do not apply to guide dogs. You can take your dog with you free of charge when traveling by plane or train.

  • Guide dogs assist people who are blind or have severe visual impairments in their daily lives
  • Requirements for coverage by health insurance:
    • severe visual impairment or blindness
    • A medical prescription from an ophthalmologist for a guide dog as an assistive device
    • Appropriate housing and care for the dog
    • Personal suitability of the dog owner
    • Daily exercise
  • Joint training and team assessment
  • Information, counseling, and application through a statutory health insurance provider
  • Health insurance covers the costs of:
    • Purchase
    • Training
    • Training
    • Equipment such as dishes
    • Monthly living expenses
  • Guide dogs are generally exempt from dog license fees; a tax sticker is required
  • Dog bans, for example in grocery stores or churches, do not apply to guide dogs
  • When traveling by plane or train, the dog may be brought along free of charge

  • Medical Prescription for a Guide Dog

  • You are blind or have a severe visual impairment.
  • You have a prescription for a guide dog from your ophthalmologist certifying the need for a guide dog.
  • You can ensure that the dog is housed and fed in a manner appropriate to its needs. This includes daily exercise.
  • You are personally suited and willing to live with a dog
  • You must have successfully completed an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training course so that you can get around without needing to be guided by a sighted person when your guide dog is unavailable—for example, during breaks or rest periods.  
  • You will complete training together with the dog and successfully pass the team certification exam.

Fee: 10,00 EUR
Payment in advance: no
For medical aids, the copayment rule applies, under which you pay a maximum of 10 EUR. Under certain conditions, you may be exempt from the copayment requirement.

  • It is highly recommended that you schedule a consultation to determine whether a guide dog is the right assistive device for you. Organizations for the blind and visually impaired can help you get in touch with the appropriate contacts.
  • You can apply to your statutory health insurance provider for a guide dog as an assistive device.
  • If your application is approved, you can select your guide dog at a certified guide dog school with which your health insurance provider has a contract. Your health insurance provider will inform you about the available guide dog schools.
  • As a rule, the dogs are trained on a needs-based basis, so you will receive your guide dog no sooner than 6 months from the start of the process.
  • A guide dog trainer with a valid training license will train you and your dog together.
  • Once training is complete, you and the dog will undergo an orientation course to help you bond. You should build the necessary trust with the guide dog, and the guide dog should accept you as its primary caregiver.
  • Together, you’ll take the so-called team test. This demonstrates that you and your guide dog work well together and that you can react safely even in difficult situations.
  • When you’re out in traffic together, your guide dog wears a white harness with a lead handle.

Processing time: 2 Months
Your health insurance provider must make a decision on your application for a guide dog within two months of receiving it. If it fails to do so, it must provide you with the reasons in writing.

There is no deadline.

  • Appeal Against the Health Insurance Company's Decision
  • Lawsuit filed with the competent social court

There are no notes or special considerations.

Redirect Service: Deep Link to the Original Portal

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Source: Serviceportal Saarland