How to be covered if I am not working and I am a non-European citizen ?

If you are not an European citizen and you are not working in France, or if you are a student older than 28 years old, you have to apply for PUMa health cover.

After 3 months of uninterrupted residency in France, you will need to submit the following documents to your caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (CPAM) :

- A copy of the passport or identity card ;
- The S1106 form « Application for membership in the French health care system » available on ameli.fr ;
- The certified and complete copy of your birth certificate, with the mention of your parents’ names ;
- A copy of your marriage certificate, if applicable ;
- For non-Europeans citizen, the official translation of your birth and marriage certificates into French, made by an official translator registered with a French court of justice, or by your consulate or embassy ;
- A proof of residency for the past three months (utility bills, rental contract, etc.) ;
- Your French bank account details (copy of your official RIB - relevé d'identité bancaire/IBAN) ;
- If you have children, a copy of their birth certificate and passport or ID with the form S3705 « Application to add minor children to one or both parents insurance accounts », available on ameli.fr ;
- For non-European citizens, a copy of your visa or resident’s permit.

If you are moving to France for family reunification, i.e. to live with a family member who is already covered by the French healthcare system, you can be exempted of the 3 months of residency requirement. You will have to provide only one utility bill, as proof of residency.

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.