Moving to France was a very big decision and something that was completely outside of my comfort zone. No matter where I decide to live I will always be an American in heart and spirit. The only thing that has changed is my address. Still, within my first year of living abroad, I am continuing to learn new things in addition to the language. One of the requirements to obtain your France Visa is International health insurance. My main concern was how would I pay the monthly premium if I did not find work fast enough? I arrived in mid-February and shortly after the world went into panic mode and quarantine with the Covid-19 crisis. I was now more concerned about how I would pay for insurance. Not until I began my Integration and Civics courses did I become aware that after three months I was eligible for the “Carte Vitale”. Initially, I assumed the process would be difficult and tedious but it was fairly simple.
The ”Carte Vitale” is a card that is presented at Clinics, Hospitals, and Pharmacies to receive health care and reimbursement of fees. Unlike the United States, the “Securité Social” is only used for health care. CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurances Maladie) is your local health insurance office and the official website for the French insurance program is www.ameli.fr. To begin download the application form here
The Application is easy to understand even if you don’t read much French yet.
Section A: Identification du demandeur
- “Sécurité Social”: You can leave it blank since you do not have one yet.
- “N° d’allocatair” and CAF: You can also leave this blank.
- Date de naissance: In Europe, dates are listed day first, the month, and then the year.
- Commune et pays de naissance: List your city and country of birth.
- Nationalité(e): If you are not from a country in the UE list “Autre” and write it in.
- Adresse: List your French Address.
- Code Postal: The 5 digit postal code for where you are staying
- Commune: The city you are staying in.
- N° de téléphone: List your telephone number
- Courriel: Your email address
Section B: Situation du demandeur au regard de l’emploi
- Activité professionelle: List your job if you have one with the address
- Sans activité: You mark this if you are not yet working
- Autre: Leave blank unless there is another situation
- Date de arrivée en France: Your arrival date in France
Section C: Attestation sur l’honneur à compléter par le demandeur
- Fait à: The name of the city you are living in.
- Le: The date.
- Signateur du demandeur: Sign
Once you have filled out the application compile your documents to send through mail. The location where they must be sent is different for everyone. It is based on the department you live in. I am in the 94th department so the address for me was listed in Creteil.
Assurance maladie du Val de Marne, 94031 Creteil Cedex
You can click here to find the correct address for your department. The documents you will need to submit are listed
- Application: Demand d’ouverture des droits à l’assurance maladies- Cerfa 15763*02
- Attestation D’hébergement: This is a signed attestation from the person providing you with housing.
- Carte de identité: Copy Of Identification card/ Driver License.
- EDF facture: Utility bill to prove Address.
- Certificat de naissance avec L’apostille: Foreign birth certificate with Apostille and translation. I sent the originals and they were returned.
- Passport: Copy of your Passport.
- Visa & supporting documents: Copy of your Visa and a copy of the Republican contract signed at the OFII office.
- Proof of situation: A signed letter by you stating your situation.
- RIB number: This is your French bank account information for reimbursements. If you do not have one do not worry. As a temporary alternative, I sent a letter authorizing my wife to receive any reimbursement with her information. You can change this later.
Once you have sent your application and supporting documents it will take about 3-6 weeks for you to receive a letter with your temporary “Sécurité Social”. About a month later they will also send you an additional letter for you to send a photograph to place on your card. Once you have sent this photo you should receive your official ”Carte Vitale”. About one month after you have received it you can open your account on the website to make selections and adjustments. The entire process can take about three months to four months in total. As a result of the Covid-19 crisis world wide there were delays with various services even after the first quarantine mandated was lifted.
Hope the process is fairly easy to understand. Please practice safety precaution. Stay healthy and be safe!
