Healthcare

Registering, the European Health Insurance Card, the S1 form.

In France

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to access the Assurance Maladie (French health insurance) when you settle in France?

If you work in France, it is your employer who opens your entitlement to the Assurance Maladie: you then receive a social security number, you create your ameli account and you order your carte Vitale (the health insurance card). Without an activity, you can be attached to the protection universelle maladie (PUMa, universal health protection) after more than 3 months of stable residence, provided you have sufficient resources and are no longer covered in your country. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is for temporary stays, not for a lasting move.

Costs: Affiliation free; supplementary health insurance (mutuelle) paid and optional
Timeframes: Procedures done by the employer if you work; after 3 months of stable residence if you have no activity

Steps

Before leaving: ask your current fund for your EHIC for unforeseen care in the first weeks, and ask it until when it covers you. If your country of origin remains responsible for your health (pensioner who only receives a pension from that country, posted employee), ask instead for an S1 form and register it in France on arrival.
If you are an employee: give your employer your social security number, or let them start the opening of your entitlement. If you were born abroad, the local health insurance fund (caisse primaire d'assurance maladie, CPAM) first gives you a numéro d'identification d'attente (provisional identification number), then the definitive number once your documents have been checked.
If you have no activity: after more than 3 months of stable residence, apply for your affiliation via the online service inactif-europeen.ameli.fr, or send the "Questionnaire recherche de droits" with your supporting documents to the fund of your place of residence. Your entitlement is reviewed every year.
Once you have your number: create your ameli account, order your carte Vitale and declare a médecin traitant (nominated GP): ameli points out that this is necessary to be properly reimbursed.
Top up if you wish: the Assurance Maladie reimburses within the limit of its base rates. A complémentaire santé (mutuelle, supplementary health insurance) covers part of the rest. If your company has a group mutuelle, you can only refuse to join it in certain cases (already covered elsewhere, fixed-term contract or short part-time, recipient of the Complémentaire santé solidaire…), by requesting an exemption, in writing in some cases (sheet F20740).

Documents

Identity document or residence permit.
Birth certificate (civil status document). No translation needed if it comes from an EEA country or Switzerland; otherwise, translation into French.
Without an activity: proof of stable residence of more than 3 months and of sufficient resources.
Pensioner or posted worker covered by another country: S1 form.

Costs and timelines

Cost: affiliation is free. Supplementary health insurance is paid, unless you are entitled to the Complémentaire santé solidaire (solidarity supplementary health insurance, depending on household income).
Employees: it is the employer who carries out the procedures to open entitlement; timeframe not stated by ameli.
Without an activity: after more than 3 months of stable residence. Household resources must reach at least the amount of the RSA or the ASPA; below that, no attachment to the Assurance Maladie, but possibly the aide médicale de l'État (AME, State medical aid).
Definitive number (born abroad): if a civil status document is missing, you have 3 months to provide it, then 3 more months after formal notice.
Family: after more than 3 months of residence, your dependants (ayants droit) are covered.

Common pitfalls

Using the EHIC as permanent insurance. It covers necessary care during a temporary stay. It covers neither scheduled care, nor private care, nor repatriation. Once settled, you need an affiliation in France or an S1.
The first 3 months for inactive people. If you have no activity, you are not entitled to the PUMa before 3 months of stable residence. In the meantime, stay covered by your country of origin or by private insurance.
Believing that the attachment of inactive people is automatic. ameli opens it after more than 3 months of stable residence, with resources at least equal to the RSA or the ASPA. The Cleiss specifies that access to the PUMa is not granted automatically to an inactive European: before 5 years of residence, the fund examines your file case by case. Students (presumed to be on a temporary stay in the country where they study) and people who came to look for a job (who must have their own health cover during their stay) are not treated as inactive people.
Still being covered in your country of origin. In this case, ameli specifies that you cannot claim French health insurance as an inactive person: your country remains competent (with an S1).
Forgetting the nominated GP. Without one, you are reimbursed less.
Overseas territories. There is no CPAM in the overseas départements: it is the Caisse générale de sécurité sociale (CGSS) in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and La Réunion, and the Caisse de sécurité sociale (CSS) in Mayotte. Each fund brings together all the social security services (health, work accidents, pensions, contributions, family allowances). For Mayotte, the Cleiss states that care is reimbursed at the same rates as in mainland France (70% of the rate for a consultation with a general practitioner, for example) and that the nominated GP pathway also applies; for the other overseas départements, check the rates with your fund. In Mayotte, the Caisse de sécurité sociale de Mayotte (CSSM), a single body since 2015, requires residence in Mayotte and, for a foreign national, lawful stay; its scheme is gradually approaching that of mainland France, but certain amounts remain specific there (daily allowances capped differently, for example). For a precise rule, the local fund prevails (ameli.fr, Cleiss, 2025 data).

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: the rules above (EHIC, S1, PUMa).
Swiss nationals: Switzerland applies European social security coordination: EHIC and S1 work in the same way. The ameli page on inactive people expressly covers "EU, EEA or Swiss" nationals.
British nationals (Scots included): since 2021, a social security coordination protocol (EU–United Kingdom trade and cooperation agreement) largely takes over the European rules. The British GHIC card replaces the EHIC for temporary stays. Pensioners who receive a British pension are covered in France on behalf of the United Kingdom (S1). A British national who arrived since 2021 must first be in lawful residence (sheet FR-SEJOUR-TOUS-001) to be attached.

Official sources (11) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in France.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

For a Schengen short-stay visa, you must show travel medical insurance covering urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment and repatriation (including in case of death), valid in all Schengen countries, with at least €30,000 of cover (Visa Code, Article 15). For long stays, the EU directives ask for sickness insurance covering the risks normally covered for nationals of the destination, for example for students, family members, Blue Card holders and long-term residents. The exact proof, and whether you must buy private insurance or can join the public system, depend on the destination.

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

In France

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to access the Assurance Maladie (French health insurance) when you settle in France?

Costs: Affiliation free; supplementary health insurance (mutuelle) paid and optional
Timeframes: Procedures done by the employer if you work; after 3 months of stable residence if you have no activity

Steps

Before leaving: ask your current fund for your EHIC for unforeseen care in the first weeks, and ask it until when it covers you. If your country of origin remains responsible for your health (pensioner who only receives a pension from that country, posted employee), ask instead for an S1 form and register it in France on arrival.
If you are an employee: give your employer your social security number, or let them start the opening of your entitlement. If you were born abroad, the local health insurance fund (caisse primaire d'assurance maladie, CPAM) first gives you a numéro d'identification d'attente (provisional identification number), then the definitive number once your documents have been checked.
If you have no activity: after more than 3 months of stable residence, apply for your affiliation via the online service inactif-europeen.ameli.fr, or send the "Questionnaire recherche de droits" with your supporting documents to the fund of your place of residence. Your entitlement is reviewed every year.
Once you have your number: create your ameli account, order your carte Vitale and declare a médecin traitant (nominated GP): ameli points out that this is necessary to be properly reimbursed.
Top up if you wish: the Assurance Maladie reimburses within the limit of its base rates. A complémentaire santé (mutuelle, supplementary health insurance) covers part of the rest. If your company has a group mutuelle, you can only refuse to join it in certain cases (already covered elsewhere, fixed-term contract or short part-time, recipient of the Complémentaire santé solidaire…), by requesting an exemption, in writing in some cases (sheet F20740).

Documents

Identity document or residence permit.
Birth certificate (civil status document). No translation needed if it comes from an EEA country or Switzerland; otherwise, translation into French.
Without an activity: proof of stable residence of more than 3 months and of sufficient resources.
Pensioner or posted worker covered by another country: S1 form.

Costs and timelines

Cost: affiliation is free. Supplementary health insurance is paid, unless you are entitled to the Complémentaire santé solidaire (solidarity supplementary health insurance, depending on household income).
Employees: it is the employer who carries out the procedures to open entitlement; timeframe not stated by ameli.
Without an activity: after more than 3 months of stable residence. Household resources must reach at least the amount of the RSA or the ASPA; below that, no attachment to the Assurance Maladie, but possibly the aide médicale de l'État (AME, State medical aid).
Definitive number (born abroad): if a civil status document is missing, you have 3 months to provide it, then 3 more months after formal notice.
Family: after more than 3 months of residence, your dependants (ayants droit) are covered.

Common pitfalls

Using the EHIC as permanent insurance. It covers necessary care during a temporary stay. It covers neither scheduled care, nor private care, nor repatriation. Once settled, you need an affiliation in France or an S1.
The first 3 months for inactive people. If you have no activity, you are not entitled to the PUMa before 3 months of stable residence. In the meantime, stay covered by your country of origin or by private insurance.
Believing that the attachment of inactive people is automatic. ameli opens it after more than 3 months of stable residence, with resources at least equal to the RSA or the ASPA. The Cleiss specifies that access to the PUMa is not granted automatically to an inactive European: before 5 years of residence, the fund examines your file case by case. Students (presumed to be on a temporary stay in the country where they study) and people who came to look for a job (who must have their own health cover during their stay) are not treated as inactive people.
Still being covered in your country of origin. In this case, ameli specifies that you cannot claim French health insurance as an inactive person: your country remains competent (with an S1).
Forgetting the nominated GP. Without one, you are reimbursed less.
Overseas territories. There is no CPAM in the overseas départements: it is the Caisse générale de sécurité sociale (CGSS) in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and La Réunion, and the Caisse de sécurité sociale (CSS) in Mayotte. Each fund brings together all the social security services (health, work accidents, pensions, contributions, family allowances). For Mayotte, the Cleiss states that care is reimbursed at the same rates as in mainland France (70% of the rate for a consultation with a general practitioner, for example) and that the nominated GP pathway also applies; for the other overseas départements, check the rates with your fund. In Mayotte, the Caisse de sécurité sociale de Mayotte (CSSM), a single body since 2015, requires residence in Mayotte and, for a foreign national, lawful stay; its scheme is gradually approaching that of mainland France, but certain amounts remain specific there (daily allowances capped differently, for example). For a precise rule, the local fund prevails (ameli.fr, Cleiss, 2025 data).

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: the rules above (EHIC, S1, PUMa).
Swiss nationals: Switzerland applies European social security coordination: EHIC and S1 work in the same way. The ameli page on inactive people expressly covers "EU, EEA or Swiss" nationals.
British nationals (Scots included): since 2021, a social security coordination protocol (EU–United Kingdom trade and cooperation agreement) largely takes over the European rules. The British GHIC card replaces the EHIC for temporary stays. Pensioners who receive a British pension are covered in France on behalf of the United Kingdom (S1). A British national who arrived since 2021 must first be in lawful residence (sheet FR-SEJOUR-TOUS-001) to be attached.

Official sources (11) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in France.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Healthcare

In France

How to access the Assurance Maladie (French health insurance) when you settle in France?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics

Healthcare

In France

How to access the Assurance Maladie (French health insurance) when you settle in France?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics