Sommaire

health

If you are not employed in France, and therefore do not have an employment contract, you need to distinguish whether you are registered as a student in France or not.

If you are enrolled in a higher education establishment in France, you can benefit from the Protection Universelle Maladie (Puma), but you will need to apply for affiliation and a social security number in order to be covered.

If you are NOT enrolled in an institution of higher education in France, you can benefit from the Protection Universelle Maladie (Puma), but only after 3 months in France and provided your stay exceeds 6 months. You will also need to apply for affiliation and a social security number in order to be covered.

In both cases, you must be covered by private health insurance until you are registered with the social security system.

If you are NOT enrolled in a French higher education establishment and are staying in France for less than 6 months, you will not be eligible for the Protection Universelle Maladie (Puma) and will need to be covered by private health insurance (sickness, hospitalization and repatriation).

YOU ARE REGISTERED AS A STUDENT IN FRANCE

If you are registered as a PhD student at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne and do not have an employment contract in France, you must join the French social security system as a student.

This is compulsory and free of charge.

The affiliation procedure can be lengthy, and we strongly advise you to arrive in France with insurance covering you for the first few months of your stay.

To register, go to the health insurance website: https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr/#/

Consult the Tutorial made by Campus France to help you through the process.

YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED AS A STUDENT IN FRANCE

If you come from a country of the European Union

If you come from a country of the European Union or the European Economic Area, you can benefit from the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which enables you to be reimbursed for part of your healthcare costs in France, while remaining affiliated to the social protection system in your country of origin.

You must apply for it before you leave, through your social security organization in your home country.

The European Health Insurance Card is free of charge.

Find out more!

You come from another country

Your home country may have signed a bilateral social security agreement with France, enabling you to benefit from reimbursement of your healthcare expenses in France.

To consult the list of bilateral agreements signed with France, click here.

  • If your home country has signed such an agreement, check with your social security organization to find out whether it includes health insurance, and ask for a certificate of affiliation stating that you are covered for health expenses in France for the entire period of your stay.

  • If your home country has NOT signed such an agreement, or if it does not include health insurance, you can benefit from the Protection Universelle Maladie (Puma) in France after 3 months of regular residence in France and provided your stay lasts more than 6 months.
    • If you meet these criteria, after a 3-month stay in France, you can apply for social security coverage on the basis of "residency criteria". Download the practical information sheet "Applying for social security - residence criterion". Please note: you will need private health insurance to cover your health, hospitalization and repatriation expenses until you are affiliated to the French social security system.
    • If you do NOT meet these criteria, you will need to take out private health insurance covering your health expenses, hospitalization and repatriation, either in your home country but valid in France for the duration of your stay in France, or directly in France. Many private French insurance companies offer insurance policies for researchers who are not covered by the French Protection Universelle Maladie system.

The Euraxess services center can help you in this process, do not hesitate to contact us!

LEARN MORE

Euraxess France portal : social security