[Forum ameli pour les assurés] Suivi de la question: Short expiry date on Attestation de Droits with a UK retiree S1?

Réponse de PandA

PandA — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:39:07 GMT

Thank you CitoyenConcerne. I agree. The process is, in my view, unnecessarily complex and is not applied consistently or correctly as a result.

The S1 for retirees from the UK is simply a promise to France to reimburse any medical costs caused by the retiree while in France. The same used to apply before BREXIT and was continued, without any material changes (for retirees), following BREXIT. Based on this, when the UK issues an S1 with no expiry date (as they generally are nowadays), this is registered with CPAM, who then agree they will reimburse the S1 holder in the same way as a French citizen, and France will then cross-charge any medical bills they receive for that individual back to the UK NHS. There is no cost to CPAM other than the usual administration. If the S1 holder leaves France, they are legally obliged to report this to the UK authorities to cancel the UK S1 for France and either secure a new S1 for the new European country they will be resident in, or simply return to the UK and re-register with the NHS. I understand the benefits of periodic checks, to avoid CPAM paying out a reimbursement and then not being able to reclaim from the UK, but if the S1 holder is no longer living in France (eg a declined residency application, or a voluntary move), then they won't be making any claims in France anyway! Further, the UK government notifies France if the S1 is cancelled for any reason, to avoid such a situation.

I believe that linking the CPAM coverage to residency or visa expiry dates is spurious and incorrect. Europeans from other countries, such as Germany, Belgium, Italy, etc., can also present an S1 to CPAM for registration and reimbursement to France from their origin country, yet they need no visa to be in France by virtue of their European citizenship, so no end dates apply. The agreement between France/Europe/UK was intended to maintain the same health cover administrative benefits, via the S1, as was in place prior to the UK's decision to separate from the EU, so the treatment should mirror the process for EU citizens. It is not, however, being managed in that way. The complexities are unnecessary.

As an inactive non-EU citizen (retired), if I had arrived in France without an S1, with private healthcare, I could have registered with CPAM after 3 months and would have expected my coverage to be subject to restrictions and checks that align with my visa, as France is bearing the full costs and wants to know I'm still legally here. However, France and the EU helpfully agreed with the UK to continue and honour the S1 process - the S1 doesn't exist outside of the EU, except for the UK and a handful of other. If the S1 is going to be subject to visa/residency-linked expiry, where is the benefit to the UK retiree of even bothering to register the S1? If my health coverage via CPAM is still going to be subject to annual expiry linked to my visa/residency, then I may just as well move forward without the S1 at all and go through the annual checks along with all other non-S1 people. I'm sure some people have done this! Sadly, of course, France would then lose the right to reclaim costs from the UK.

I will talk with CPAM again, but I don't believe it needs to be a complex process (and I don't think it was the intent of the EU/UK agreement) - it just needs to be written down and rigorously followed: CPAM receives S1; CPAM Verifies ID; CPAM Registers S1 with UK; UK validates S1; CPAM issues Carte Vitale; S1 holder uses French healthcare; CPAM reimburses; CPAM claims reimbursement back from UK. No end date needed.

I would hate to see CPAM losing valuable reimbursements from the UK by people not bothering to register their S1 (they can still use it for the social tax benefits on tax returns). I would also hate to see the NHS placing similar arbitrary coverage end dates for the numerous European friends living in the UK and using their EU S1s for NHS care.

Hopefully someone in CPAM with the authority to update and correct the UK S1 process will read this and take action to help all of us with UK S1s and our French friends who are clearly faced with an unnecessarily confusing and inconsistent process across the country.

Réponse de CitoyenConcerné

CitoyenConcerné — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:38:24 GMT

Hi PandA.

I am not super confident as the situation is complex, but from what I know, the expiration of a residence permit does not automatically cancel your right to healthcare coverage. There should be a 6 months grace period. Is this being respected?

Honestly, I would recommend getting a lawyer to understand if what the CPAM is doing is legal and, if not, take appropriate action.

Réponse de Géraldine

Géraldine — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:27:23 GMT

As a non-European citizen, you must in deed prove that you live regularly in France with visa or resident permit, even though United Kingdom delivered an S1.

As explained in my message this morning, I do not have access to your file, you can call your CPAM to know more about your personnal situation.

Have a nice day.

Réponse de PandA

PandA — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:18:22 GMT

Thank you, this link is helpful. However, the article talks about such checks being initiated by paper mail, which this was not. I only came across the issue when I was checking something else on Ameli.fr and entered my Personal Information area. There was no other alert or notification. In the Personal area if stated that my coverage will end in July unless I send some documents within 10 days, but there was no reason given and no documents listed. I called CPAM and was told it was because my visa is expiring then and to send the receipt for my renewal application via a special document link that I had never heard of. I did this 3 weeks ago and the file still has not been updated. Also, it created difficulties with the residency renewal application as I could not show an Attestation de droits for at least 1 year of continued health care coverage. I don't want to go through the same issues and expense next year, when my residency has to be renewed again, so I'm trying to understand why my record is tied to my residency visa, rather than my S1? I'm happy to comply with random checks, but this one doesn't seem to be random and will create extra costs every year for my residency (taking out private medical insurance every year to satisfy the health coverage requirement!). Also, since CPAM only administers the S1 on behalf of the UK, passing all costs on to the UK for reimbursement, I'm not sure why CPAM would need to conduct such a review, as any medical charges fall to the UK anyway under the S1. For the moment, even though I have sent the documents requested by CPAM on the phone, my file still says my coverage ends in July, which means I will have to pay myself for any treatment or prescriptions and claim them later once CPAM has sorted out the file - this is a real worry (and cost), when the UK is expecting to cover any medical costs I incur through the CPAM as the administrator. I will call CPAM again, but really need to understand why this has happened and how to resolve quickly, or I will be left with no health coverage even though the UK is expecting me to receive it here in France.

Réponse de Géraldine

Géraldine — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:25:48 GMT

Bonjour PandA,

Even though S1 for pensioner is for life, caisse primaire d'assurance maladie (CPAM) can make controls on any insured, regardless of their nationality.

You can read more information about those controls translating this article from our website ameli called "La protection universelle maladie" and referring to the section called "Que faire en cas de contrôle de l'Assurance Maladie ?".

We do not have access to your file on this forum to fulfil with security policy of your personal information.

Therefore, I invite you to contact your CPAM to discuss your situation with a counsellor.

Have a nice day.