Depending on what kind of accommodation you have chosen, you will be asked to take out home insurance ("assurance multirisques habitation").
It is compulsory and provides cover for various risks (fire, water damage, etc.).
You can take out this insurance with a mutual insurance company, a bank or a private insurance company and you will need to provide your landlord with this document when you take possession of your accommodation.
In France, any person causing damage, whether through imprudence or infringement, is obliged to compensate the victim. You may also be liable for damage caused by people or animals under your responsibility.
To avoid paying compensation directly, you will need to have taken out third-party liability insurance (garantie responsabilité civile) prior to the event with an insurance company.
N.B. Some insurance policies (including home insurance) already include third-party liability cover.
If you have taken out this kind of insurance policy, find out what is covered and if this is sufficient.
If you are not already covered, you should take out a third-party liability insurance policy with a private insurance company.
When you register to the Universal Health Cover in France, your health insurance will only reimburse a proportion of your healthcare costs (approximately 70%).
For this reason, it is strongly recommanded to take out complementary health insurance (also called mutuelle) that will cover the proportion of your healthcare costs that is not reimbursed (the remaining 30%).
There are many complementary health insurance policies that offer different levels of cover that can vary depending on your requirements. Some of them are dedicated to students and are therefore less expensive.
It is a good idea to compare offers to find the insurance that best suits you.
You need also take out repatriation insurance for the duration of your stay in France. Repatriation insurance allows you to be repatriated to your country in the event of a medical emergency.
This insurance provides cover in the event of a workplace accident or on your journey from home to work.
If you are employed in France, you will automatically be covered for “Accidents at Work/Occupational Diseases” by your employer as soon as you have registered with the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie.
If you are not employed in France, you are only covered by the ATMP if your home country has signed a bilateral Social Security agreement with France, and depending on the details of this agreement.
To find out whether your home country has signed this agreement: www.cleiss.fr/docs/textes/index.html
If your home country has not signed this agreement, you must:
Print and fill out the form requesting admission to the voluntary ATMP insurance policy
Hand in the form to your local CPAM 48 hours before the start of your assignment in the laboratory.
Contact: CPAM - 14, rue du Ruisselet - 51100 REIMS
Tel: 3646 (price of a local call with the exception of a surcharge imposed by certain landline or mobile telephone operators. Call +33 811 70 36 46 when dialling from abroad).