Whatever the reason for a stay on French soil and the length of it, everyone is obliged to take out foreign insurance in France in order to benefit from the same rights as the French. However, care must be taken to match the insurance category with its particular status so as not to be caught off guard.
Health Insurance Social Security
People who disembark in France, and expatriates in particular , must prepare for their trip by establishing a checklist of the various essential formalities, including travel insurance . Indeed, whatever the length of your stay in France and its reason, you are not immune to illness or accident. The first elementary rule of the traveler is therefore to take out insurance in relation to his status.
Case of the expatriate worker
There is a coordination agreement between the 27 countries of the European Union in the area of social protection. As a result, a person moving within the Union can neither be insured twice nor, on the contrary, not benefit from insurance at all.
If you are affiliated to a social security scheme in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and you settle in France as an employee or self-employed, you will have to contribute to the French social security scheme. Concretely therefore, you lose your affiliate status in your country of origin. This is the case if you have a long stay visa.
To perform this status migration, you must request the E 104 form from the organization to which you are affiliated, before you leave for France. This document lists your periods of insurance, residence or employment in their entirety, and you will send it to your French health insurance fund.
You should know that all the members of your family are taken care of by this French cover, whether they reside on French soil or whether they live in your country of origin.
Case of the posted worker
The posting of a worker on French soil cannot exceed a period of 24 months. If this is your case, you must have a long stay visa. You continue to benefit from the social security system of your country of origin. Before leaving, you must request form S1 from the health insurance organization to which you are contributing and hand it in to the health insurance fund closest to your place of residence.
In this way, your health expenses are covered in the event of accident or illness , as for any other social insured in France. In addition, the members of your family who live with you in France can be reimbursed for the care provided to them, subject to certain conditions being met.
Civil servant case
Civil servants originating from another European country and who work in France, within the framework of a diplomatic mission for example, are covered by the social protection system of their region. In order to be reimbursed for his medical expenses during his stay in France, he must follow the same procedure as the posted worker.
Student case
To enter France, the student must hold a temporary visa. In this context, he benefits from specific coverage called “Student social security”, which is enrolled simultaneously with his enrollment in a higher education establishment. He must be under 28 years of age at the time of subscription and be in a legal situation concerning his right of residence.
This student social security is compulsory for students coming from outside the European Union. Those who come from Switzerland or another country of the European Union are not obliged to register for this student social security if they have a European Health Insurance Card which covers the academic year they spend in France. Finally, regardless of their origin, students over 28 can no longer claim this Social Security and must register with the general scheme of the Primary Health Insurance Fund (CPAM).
Finally, if the student does not meet the conditions to be affiliated to the French social security student scheme or is not covered by the social protection scheme of his country of origin (for the EEA), he must necessarily take out insurance for foreign students from a private organization.
Retiree case
While many French people retire abroad , the reverse is also true. If you are retired from a European country and want to spend this period of your life in France, it is quite possible to have your rights transferred to health insurance.
All you need to do is request form S1 from the fund that debits your pension and send this document to the health insurance fund closest to your place of residence in France. You are then attached to the French social security system.
If you are not a national of a European country, it will not be possible to transfer your rights and you will have to subscribe to a private insurance which will replace the French Social Security.
ACS offers different formulas adapted for foreign residents in France, depending on the desired level of coverage and age.
Complementary Health Insurance
Accidents and illnesses can occur at any time, hence the importance of foreign insurance in France. Such a precaution allows you to live your stay in complete serenity and to avoid any budget imbalance that may arise in the event of a disaster.
Complementary health insurance takes over from Social Security health insurance, which does not cover all of the insured's health expenses. You should know that in the event of dependency, disability, hospitalization or serious illness, the sums to be paid are sometimes extremely large. Subscribing to complementary health insurance therefore becomes essential coverage to avoid incurring expenses that are too heavy for your budget.
Complementary health insurance is intended for everyone and concerns all people, regardless of their family situation and professional status. It is particularly recommended that foreigners staying in France take out this insurance.
Membership can be made with an insurance company, a banking establishment, a provident institution or a mutual society. It is generally to the latter that policyholders turn. You should know that this insurance can be taken out individually or collectively, within a company for example. In this case, it is cheaper.
The guarantees included in the complementary health insurance vary according to the contracts. They include the reimbursement of part of the health expenses which are not covered by the health insurance, or “user fee” in technical terms. This additional insurance also reimburses certain services not taken into account by health insurance. These include certain drugs and vaccines classified as “non-reimbursable”, and osteopathy.
If the membership fees may or may not be free, depending on the insurance organization, you should know that the contributions vary according to several parameters. This mainly concerns the level of coverage, the age and status of the insured, his income, and possibly his place of residence.
Visitors insurance in France
Those who leave for a stay of less than 90 days benefit from a short-stay visa called a “ Schengen visa ”. They must take out Schengen visa insurance which covers them for the duration of their trip to France. In this way, in the event of illness, accident or hospitalization, the foreigner benefits from a guarantee which reimburses all his health expenses. This insurance is also part of the conditions to obtain this famous visa, which exempts you from having to obtain a reception certificate.
To obtain Schengen visa insurance, you must contact the French consulate in your country of origin. You will have to prepare several supporting documents such as the accommodation conditions, the reasons for your stay and the travel insurance that covers you. You then have to complete several formalities before obtaining it.
This insurance mainly covers emergency medical and hospital care which remains capped at 30,000 euros per beneficiary, on-site medical transport, and repatriation at actual costs to your country of origin if applicable.
ACS offers people interested in the Schengen visa a dedicated insurance that meets the requirements of embassies: the Europax contract .
Whether it is a pleasure trip, study, family visit, business or a real expatriation, it is always important to have health insurance to cover you when needed. . Depending on your status, Social Security is able to give you basic protection that should be combined with additional health insurance in order to have optimal coverage. Being a foreigner in France, and falling ill, being the victim of an accident or having to be hospitalized can quickly become a real ordeal if you have not previously taken out compulsory and optional insurance.
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