Health insurance (Sécurité Sociale)

What is it?

The ‘Sécurité sociale’ is a French organisation which partially covers the cost of general and special health care. The institution in our department is la Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM).

The membership of the ‘Sécurité sociale’ is free and mandatory. It will enable you to get refunds when you go to the GP, to the pharmacy or the hospital.

How do you register with the ‘Sécurité sociale’?

* If you are a national from a country within the European Union or the European Economic Area, you can get the European health insurance card (CEAM). With this card, you can receive health care in France, and get a refund for all the health care costs when you get back to your home country.

In order to obtain the CEAM, contact your health insurance organisation in your home country before departure.


* If you come from a country outside the European Union, you must register with the ‘Sécurité sociale’ to get a refund for your health care costs.

To register, go to etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr (L’assurance maladie website) and fill in the online form. Some documents will be required (passport, IBAN, certificate of registration to the university…). To find out more about the procedure, visit the website of l’Assurance Maladie or download the explanatory document.

Once your request is processed, you will receive a provisional social security number, as well as a proof of registration. Then, you will receive your definite number once your application is accepted.

Finally, you will need to ask for the Carte Vitale (social security card) to the CPAM.

Your agency in Reims

Assurance Maladie de la Marne
14 rue du Ruisselet
CS 30001
51086 REIMS Cedex