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  4. Committal of persons with mental illness

Committal of persons with mental illness

Unterbringung psychisch Kranker
Machine translation of the German page, 2026-09-15. The German original is binding.
Menschen, die an einer schwerwiegenden psychischen Erkrankung leiden, können gegen oder ohne ihren Willen in einem geeigneten Krankenhaus oder einer anderen Einrichtung untergebracht werden. — People who suffer from a serious mental illness may be committed to a suitable hospital or other facility against or without their will. This applies if and as long as their illness-related behavior significantly endangers their life, seriously endangers their health, or endangers particularly important legal interests of others to a significant extent, and this danger cannot be averted in any other way. • A lack of willingness to undergo treatment does not by itself justify commitment. • A provisional commitment ordered by the authorities (von Amts wegen) must be reviewed by a judge no later than the end of the following day. In the commitment proceedings, the committed person receives a personal hearing by a judge without delay. To exercise their rights, the court may appoint a Verfahrenspfleger (litigation guardian) for the committed person. Legal recourse is available against the court's commitment decisions.

Book an appointment

Book an appointment (service.berlin.de)

Requirements

• Written application from the responsible Sozialpsychiatrischer Dienst (social psychiatric service) and decision by the Amtsgericht (local court) Placement in a psychiatric facility can only be ordered on written application by the Sozialpsychiatrischer Dienst (social psychiatric service) of the Gesundheitsamt (public health office) of the district in which the danger occurred. The decision on placement in a psychiatric facility is made by the Amtsgericht (local court). The responsibility (Zuständigkeit) of the court, as well as of the psychiatric hospital under mandatory care provision, is determined by the affected person's registered address.

Documents you need

• No documents required.

Fees

No costs are charged for the activity of the administrative authorities. The costs of accommodation in a facility and the costs for the necessary examinations and treatments are borne by the person accommodated, unless a social insurance provider or another third party is obligated to bear the costs.

Legal basis

• Gesetz für psychisch Kranke (PsychKG – Act for the Mentally Ill) gesetze.berlin.de/bsbe/document/jlr-PsychKGBE2016rahmen • Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany), Art. 104 para. 2 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_104.html • Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG – Act on Proceedings in Family Matters and in Matters of Non-Contentious Jurisdiction), §§ 312 ff. www.gesetze-im-internet.de/famfg/BJNR258700008.html#BJNR2587

Who is responsible

The Bezirksamt (district office) responsible is the one in which the hazard occurs.

Responsible for you

Choose a location; the appointment itself is booked on the original page.

Original

German original

Service number 325327 · same path as the original: service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/325327/