France has a well-established healthcare system, known as the Social Security system, which provides comprehensive coverage. In fact, France is ranked 18th among countries with the best healthcare systems.
- Health insurance is mandatory by the government.
- A social security n° (= French health insurance) can be asked to obtain an internship/job.
- A social security n° is for life. You can’t re-apply if you already received one in the past.
- If you are European you can either use your European Health insurance card (that you have to ask in your country) and be refunded by them. If you stay more than 6 months in France, we suggest you ask the French social security, because it can be easier to be refunded and because if you want a job or internship they may ask you for it.
The first thing to do is to apply, once in France, to their website for international students.
How to apply to the French social security ?
The website exists in French and English. The request only takes 15 minutes.
You will need to download 6 documents:
1. The first 3 ones (passport, school certificate, and visa if you are not European) are mandatory to save your request and receive your social security number. From that moment, you can ask for a refund for your medical bills (even if you have received some before, they will be refunded, from the moment you received them after the beginning of your school which is equal to the beginning of your right).
2. The rest of the documents can be downloaded later, as soon as you have them. Your number can’t be active before your file is complete and they will close your account after a few months. If you did not upload all the documents, you will need to send the rest by post so we suggest you to upload them all asap.
The documents can’t be modified, once uploaded. You will need to wait for the social security to invalidate your document before uploading a new one. Send them to us if you want a pre-validation.
From the moment your file is complete, a few months later, your n° will be active and you will be able to ask for the Carte Vitale.
However, your personal information cannot be modified. You will need to contact them, especially if you change address because you will receive emails.
How to contact the French social security ?
There is no email. Only an English line.
For any questions and to track your social security file, contact the English line: 09 74 75 36 46 (0,6€/min from Monday to Friday) or French line: 3646 from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm
You need to wait for the automatic English message and then the French one. Then if you need to wait they will let you know how much time and you can choose to hang out or try later. According to the period, you can have less pending time.
You also can connect at any time on your private account here (before having an account on ameli.fr).
In France, every resident is on the French Social Security, and then 90% of the French population benefits from a Mutual (complementary).
French social security : the steps
📃 Your pending number
Around 3 weeks after your online subscription, you will receive a social security n° in a certificate in your private account. It’s called a “pending number” (numéro d’attente) because your number will be active only when your file is complete. If you don’t receive it, call the English line: 09 74 75 36 46.
❌ If one of your documents is rejected
Check the “Notifications” tab on your private account. If you have questions you also can call the English line: 09 74 75 36 46.
Don’t upload the same documents as before they will be rejected again and you won’t have the possibility to upload another one until they reject it. If you are in the situation you already uploaded the wrong document, call them, they may send you a link to upload your new document. Only those departments offer a link. If your department is in green, you will receive a link, otherwise, they will offer you another solution.
Upload all the missing documents ASAP because your account will be deleted in a few months, and if some documents are missing you will have to send them by post.
🧐 What does mean a pending number?
As explained and mentioned in the letter, you have received a pending number.
From the moment you have received that number, you can now send all your “feuille de soin” your kept, to the social security branch of your department (CPAM). You can see the date of validity of your public health insurance on the second page on your certificate.
It should start the first day of your class, if it starts later and you have received “feuille de soin” (bill) before then you can call them.
In the next step, you will see in a few months, your number bill will activate and means you will be able to ask for a Carte Vitale and don’t send anymore the bill by post but use the card directly at the doctor and to not pay the 70%.
If you have a mutual, send your certificate with n° to them to be automatically refunded for the rest.
When my number will be active?
Once you have received your social security number, then it must be activated and this can takes up to 6 months. Most of the time, this is not the case and you must call 09 74 75 36 46. If it’s ready on their side they will send you a 4 digits password by text message and you will be able to Log in on Ameli.fr
If the totality of the documents asked are not uploaded to your account you can’t receive the definitive number so please upload the missing one. If they reject a document and you keep uploading the wrong one, your account will be closed so call them if any doubt.
If your account is closed, send the documents by post, to the CPAM of your department or check our specific tab.
Even waiting for its activation, your social security number works correctly to be reimbursed.
How to know when it’s active?
– As long as this number is not active, you cannot create an account on Ameli.fr and you will receive a message asking you to wait: “Your connection to your Health Insurance fund is in progress, you will soon be able to benefit from your account on Ameli.fr.”
– You cannot use it for your CAF connector either and you must use your temporary CAF number.
– Your number will be activated when you receive a form by post to request your Carte Vitale.
This is why it is important, if you have a change of address, to inform them by calling them.
You can complete this form to request the Vitale card and send it by post or do it online on your Ameli.fr account.
As long as you don’t have a Carte Vitale, you must continue to send your paper bills (feuille de soins) by post to your social security organization.
How to create an account on Ameli.fr?
If you can’t create your account, you need to call them 09 74 75 36 46 (English line). They will send you a 4-digit code by text message with which you can create an account on Ameli.fr
You will receive a password by text message that you need to change online, fill out a quick form, and then you will be able to connect to your personal space on Ameli.fr
Once your account is created
Declare your change of situation in the tab information (address…), if needed.
You will see the information about your referant doctor in the tab “Mes information”, “Médecin traitant”, if you already have one (visit a generalist and send the form to the social security).
If you have a CAF account and you don’t use your social security number to connect, you need to ask them CAF to connect your account to your social security number.
Send them a message through your caf account:
Bonjour, pouvez-vous rattacher mon numéro de sécurité sociale (write your social security number) à mon compte CAF pour que je puisse me connecter avec ?
Or call 3230 and type only the 2 first figures of your zip code and press 1 if the city mentioned is correct, press 3, then 1, they will send you a new password by text message.
Ask for a carte Vitale
At the end of the consultation, you pay for the service and present your carte Vitale to the professional doctors in sector 1 so that you don’t have to pay in advance and are reimbursed at 70% of the rate charged by sector 1 doctors.
The doctor inserts it in his reader and it automatically sends an electronic care sheet to your social security center, which will then send you the corresponding reimbursement.
In some places like laboratories or hospitals, you don’t pay anything thanks to your social security number.
If the doctor doesn’t have the necessary equipment, he/she will draw up a paper health care form (Feuille de soin) that you must complete and send by mail to your social security center in order to be reimbursed.
How does Feel Français help you?
Feel Francais will create your accounts and upload your documents because so many students get wrong and their account can be closed they need to apply directly at the CPAM branch of their district which makes the process so much more difficult because you can’t track your file online. And because the application is just the first step out of 5, we will track your file until you get your Carte Vitale.
The 5 steps :
- apply for social security number
- receive your pending social security number and send your bills if you are sick
- receive a form to fill in to receive the card vitale : that means your number is activate
- create your account on ameli.fr
- order your carte vitale online, modify your address if necessary and declare your mutual (if you have one) and referant doctor (mandatory)
The upload of your documents
COMMON ERROR: Do not download a registration or acceptance letter but only the document with the title “School certificate” to request from your establishment.
Common rejection:
Make sure your documents are legible otherwise, they will be rejected.
Upload the birth certificate and translation separately if you have one. If you have a translation but not made by a translator recognized by the French government, don’t upload it, or it will be automatically rejected.
If you have done it already and it has been rejected, you can call them if your application is rejected because of translation because it is not obligatory.
The + of our offer
Feel Francais includes private health insurance and mutual in its packs. We will book your appointment for you when you are sick and deal with your refund too!
You can find out more about the healthcare refund system in the following article.
Watch this video to discover more about our platform Feel Français:
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