How to be covered if I am an international student ?

Once you have arrived in France and have been issued with your certificate of enrollment by a French institute of higher education, you can register on this dedicated website:

https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr

You will need to submit the following documents to your CPAM :

-    Copy of the passport or identity card ;
-    Certificate of enrollment in an institute of higher education for the appropriate academic year, to certify your student status ;
-    Your French bank account identification details (relevé d'identité bancaire – RIB/IBAN), which will be used to transfer your reimbursements to your account ;
-    A complete copy of your birth certificate (showing your parents’ names and information or any document issued by a consulate), a family record book (« livret de famille »), a marriage certificate when applicable ;
-    A valid resident’s permit (« titre de séjour »).

To check whether you have the right permit, or to learn more about the resident’s permit application process, please contact the French consulate in your country of origin or refer to the information available on the Campus France website :

https://www.campusfrance.org/en

Your affiliation is finalised

The processing times to get a social security number can fluctuate between one CPAM to another.

Your CPAM will send you your social security number and an « attestation de droits » (certificate of rights), meaning you are covered by the French healthcare system and can be reimbursed for your medical expenses.

To claim your refund, you have to complete, sign and send your « feuille de soins » (brown paper), and the prescriptions if you have them, to your CPAM.

Please note that you cannot order a carte Vitale or open an ameli account directly after receiving your definitive social security number. This is due to the fact it may take some time for your social security number to be certified.

Once your social security number is certified, your CPAM will send you the carte Vitale form. You can either order the card online by creating an ameli account or you can send the paper copy of the form by post, along with a recent identity photo and a copy of an identity document.

For better medical care and optimal reimbursements, register a « médecin traitant » (general practitioner) on your file.

You can find useful links according to your situation, by consulting this topic :

« How to be covered : some useful links ».

Have a nice day.