Health and Insurance

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French health insurance

YOU ARE A EU CITIZEN

If you are covered by a public social security system in your home country, you can benefit from the European Union’s health insurance system by applying for your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC ) in your home country. Find all the details from the European Commission here. Your host establishment will ask you for a copy of your EHIC.

If you’re staying for an extended period (more than 5 months), you can register with the French social security system free of charge. See the tutorials below. Please note that the process can take up to 2 to 4 hours. As a result, Social Security is more suitable for students staying for longer periods (one year or more).

HEALTH INSURANCE :

Health cover through the EHIC or Social Security is limited, which means that you won’t get 100% reimbursement of your health expenses. Although healthcare is more affordable in France than in other countries, some expenses can be very expensive (surgery, specialized medicine, dental care, eye care…). It is therefore advisable to take out additional health cover for the duration of your stay. You can contact your usual insurer in your home country for information on its international coverage, or you can research options with companies specializing in insurance for international students.

Repatriation insurance :

In addition, coverage through your EHIC or French Social Security never includes repatriation coverage. We therefore STRONGLY ADVISE you to obtain such coverage before arriving in France.

YOU ARE A NON EU CITIZEN.

For short-term stays (under 3 months)

When applying for a short-term visa, you will be asked to provide proof of international health/travel cover before leaving your country. This insurance must cover medical expenses and repatriation. You can obtain one from an insurance company in your home country.

For long-term stays (over 3 months)

When applying for a long-stay visa, some consulates may ask for proof of international health or travel coverage, others may not.

However, once you arrive in France, you will be required to register with the French health insurance scheme, Sécurité sociale.

What is the french health insurance?

All non-European students staying in France for more than 3 months must register to the French health insurance, known as “Sécurité sociale”.
In this short video, find out everything you need to know about the Sécurité sociale and complementary health insurance (or called “mutuelle”) so that you can be reimbursed for your health expenses.

What is Social Security?

Compulsory and free of charge, it reimburses your healthcare costs for the duration of your studies. (visits to doctors, specialists, hospitalization, etc.).

1. BEFORE YOU ARRIVE :

Before your arrival in France, you must gather the following documents in digital format. They will be required for your social security registration:

  • Proof of identity (passport) ;
  • Proof of civil status (birth certificate) ;
  • A valid student visa .
2. UPON ARRIVAL:

As soon as you arrive in France and have obtained your certificate of enrolment in a higher education establishment, register on the dedicatedAssurance Maladie website etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr and submit the main supporting documents:

  • Proof of identity (passport) ;
  • Proof of civil status (birth certificate, no translation required);
  • A student visa (and confirmation if possible) or a valid residence permit;
  • Proof of enrolment for the current academic year;
  • An IBAN or RIB (bank account number)

We recommend that you submit your supporting documents all at once, as this will speed up the processing of your application. If any mandatory documents are missing, Social Security will not be able to validate your registration. As a result, you will not be able to validate your application. The Social Security registration process can take time. We therefore advise you to take out international health cover, until your French health insurance company has validated your registration and you are officially covered.

At the end of these steps, your personal space is created. You can access it using the e-mail address you provided when you registered.

3. DeS VALIDATION OF YOUR REGISTRATION (OR AFFILIATION),

Once you’ve submitted your documents to the French social security system, you’ll receive a provisional attestation d’affiliation, on which you’ll find your Social Security number. This means you’ll be covered for all health care needs.

Nevertheless, a few steps remain:

  • Declare a doctor in France as your “médecin traitant” (attending physician) , and you’ll be better reimbursed (70% instead of 30%). The attending physician is the one who knows you best, because he/she treats you regularly; guides you through the coordinated care pathway (he/she is the privileged contact who will be able to redirect you to other healthcare professionals); manages your medical file by centralizing all information relating to your care; ensures personalized prevention with, for example, vaccination follow-up, screening examinations, help in quitting smoking… How do I find a GP? (see corresponding paragraph below)
  • It’s important to be properly insured for hospitalization and even for routine care, because although the Assurance Maladie reimburses most of your healthcare costs, you still have to pay for some of them. That’s why it’s important to take out complementary health insurance. If you have a low income, with Complémentaire santé solidaire, you will no longer have to pay for these healthcare costs, in most cases.
4. FINALIZE YOUR REGISTRATION (OR AFFILIATION) TO BENEFIT FROM REIMBURSEMENTS

Once your application has been validated by the Assurance Maladie, you will receive your definitive attestation of affiliation with your Social Security number, and you will be required to :

  • Ask for your Vitale card
  • Create an account on Ameli.fr
  • Use your Vitale card with healthcare professionals to get reimbursed more quickly and benefit from third-party payment. The Vitale card records your entitlements and simplifies the process of reimbursing your healthcare costs. With the Vitale card, you don’t have to pay for consultations or medication in advance: this is known as “tiers payant” (third-party payment).

les tutos de la securite sociale

SOCIAL SECURITY REGISTRATION STEP-BY-STEP

pdf

Download

The main steps to register to the SOCIAL SECURITY

Registration tutorial

etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr

For more information on the documents required for Social Security registration, please consult :

  • Campus France dedicated page
  • The Campus France tutorial
  • You can consult the dedicated Social Security page

Any difficulties? You can contact the health insurance company via :

  • Call 36 46 (free service + cost of call) Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On request, you can be put in touch with a telephone advisor who can answer you in English and suggest an appointment.
  • The ameli forum for general questions
  • At your local your local health insurance office
  • ameli.fr for information: news, rights and procedures, reimbursements, healthcare

WHAT IS COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH INSURANCE (OR MUTUELLE)?

Reimbursement of your healthcare costs through the French Social Security system remains limited, which means that you will only receive partial reimbursement of your healthcare expenses.

Although healthcare is more affordable in France than in other countries, some expenses can be very expensive (surgery, specialized medicine, dental care, eye care…), so we strongly recommend that you take out additional health cover for the duration of your stay.

You can research options with insurance companies specializing in international students in France, or you can contact any complementary insurance company.

You can subscribe complementary health insurance offers with our partners:

HEYME is an insurance company for students and young professionals offering a range of complementary health insurance (also known as mutuelle), as well as civil and personal liability, home and travel insurance.

As a student at an OMNES Education school, you can benefit from a discount when you take out their offer. Contact your school to find out more.

Repatriation insurance :

In addition, French Social Security coverage never includes repatriation coverage and it is therefore preferable to obtain this coverage through a complementary insurance.

Disclaimer: the above websites are for information purposes only. OMNES Education does not benefit financially from any of them and cannot be held responsible in the event of litigation or prejudice caused by the service providers listed above.

Civil liability

What is a personal civil liability insurance?


In France, all students must hold a personal liability insurance. Watch this short video to find out everything you need to know about this insurance.

This insurance covers damage or injury you may cause to others by accident. This insurance is mandatory in many situations (internships, rentals, etc.) and you will be asked to provide a copy of this insurance to your French institution of higher education when you register. There are many organizations that offer personal liability insurance: student insurance providers, banks, insurance companies, etc. You can choose either of these options. You can subscribe either in your country of origin or in France.

You can subscribe to a civil liability with our partners:

HEYME is an insurance company for students and young professionals offering a range of complementary health insurance (also known as mutuelle), as well as civil and personal liability, housing and travel insurance.

As a student at an OMNES Education school, you can benefit from a discount when you take out their offer. Contact your school to find out more.

How to find a doctor?

You can search for doctors, especially when looking for a primary care physician to enroll in Social Security, on the following platforms:

This French platform provides lists of doctors in all fields, as well as the hospitals and health centers closest to your place of residence throughout France.

Although the site is in French, with Doctolib you can find an English-speaking doctor and make an appointment online, wherever you live in France.

How do I make an appointment on the app and website?

1. Create an account

Choose the doctor you are looking for (note that if you want to be reimbursed by the Social Security, you must choose a sector 1 doctor).

3. Click on “make an appointment online”.

4. Choose the reason for the consultation

5. Choose the date

And your medical appointment is booked.

Doctors & Pharmacies near our schools

The lists below are provided for information purposes only. Don’t hesitate to check regularly online.


Paris

To find English-speaking doctors in Paris, you can consult the list provided by the U.S. Embassy.

Find below the doctors and pharmacists around the Eiffel campus

General Practitioners

Dr Françoise Barro-Lecomte (speaks English)

28 rue Viala
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 77 38 29

Dr Jean-Bernard Mallet and Dr Celine Sloane

20 boulevard de Grenelle
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 79 38 23

Drs Montier & Mallet
82 boulevard de Grenelle 75015 PARIS
Telephone: 01 45 79 38 23

Drs Daoui, Labrosse & Shollier
69 rue Fondary
75015 PARIS
Telephone: 01 45 78 20 62

Studies and Health
12 rue Viala
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 53 95 30 01

Ophthalmologist

Dr Françoise Loy
22 rue Rouelle
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 78 61 05

Dr Michele Stagel
4 rue Robert de Flers
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 79 00 79

Pharmacies

Pharmacie Bir Hakeim (to the right of the metro station)

(Speaks English)
6 boulevard de Grenelle
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 77 33 30

Victor Derhy
39 boulevard de Grenelle
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 79 53 19

 

Pharmacie du Théâtre
42 rue du Théâtre
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 77 15 65

Central Pharmacy
9 rue Robert de Flers
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 40 59 00 76

Pharmacies open 24 hours a day

84 avenue des Champs-Elysées
75008 Paris (Métro: George V)
Telephone: 01 45 62 02 41

6 place Clichy
75009 Paris (M° Place de Clichy)
Telephone: 01 48 74 65 18

52 rue du Commerce
75015 Paris (Métro: Emile Zola)
Telephone: 01 45 79 75 01

Dentist

Dr Raymond Karaa
47 boulevard de Grenelle
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 79 12 29

Otolaryngologist

Dr Alexandre Belnoue

22 rue Saint-Charles
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01 45 77 38 05

Paris Hospitals are listed on the website here Hôpital Saint-Antoine 184 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine 75012 Paris Telephone: 01 49 28 20 00 Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard 46 rue Henri-Huchard 75018 Paris Telephone: 01 40 25 80 80 Hôpital Lariboisière 2 rue Ambroise-Paré 75010 Paris Telephone: 01 49 95 65 65 Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou 20 rue Leblanc 75015 Paris Telephone: 01 56 09 20 00 Hôpital Cochin 27 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques 75014 Paris Telephone: 01 58 41 41 41

Lyon

General practitioners
Dr Robin GAUZERAN 23 rue Ney
69006 Lyon Telephone: 04 86 86 03 86
Dr Alix HILLEN 41 rue Pré-Gaudry
69007 Lyon Telephone: 04 28 29 66 80

Dr Mélodie CARON 18 rue Bichat 69002 Lyon
Telephone: 04 72 41 04 10
Dr David DANIELIAN 87 rue Bossuet
69006 Lyon Telephone: 04 78 24 77 41
Dr Florian Caillierez 64 rue Challemel-Lacour
69007 Lyon Telephone: 04 81 91 44 70
Pharmacies
Pharmacie Jean Macé 73 avenue Jean Jaurès, 69007 Lyon Telephone: 04 78 72 44 33 Grande Pharmacie Lyonnaise 22 rue de la République, 69002 Lyon 24 hours a day. Telephone: 04 72 56 44 00 Most affordable pharmacy for hygiene products. La Pharmacie 16 rue de la Barre, 69002 Lyon Telephone: 04 78 37 78 71
Osteopath :
Cabinet Lyon Ouest 13 chemin du Petit Bois 69130 ECULLY Telephone: 04 78 66 12 34 Cabinet Lyon 7 Jean Macé 45 rue du Professeur Grignard Telephone: 69007 LYON 04 72 70 59 40 Cabinet Lyon Est 4 rue de la Doua 69100 VILLEURBANNE Telephone: 04 37 45 10 45

You can benefit from free osteopathic sessions, by appointment, Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and Saturday from 8am to 2pm.

Hospitals
Hôpital Edouard Herriot 5 place d’Arsonval 69003 Lyon Telephone: 0 825 08 25 69 Hôpital Lyon Sud 165 chemin du Grand Revoyet 69495 Pierre-Bénite Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse 103 grande rue de la Croix-Rousse 69004 Lyon Telephone: 0 825 08 25 69

Bordeaux

General practitioner
Dr Catherine Desenlis 31 rue de la jeunesse, 33700 Mérignac, France
Telephone: 05.56.55.19.22
Dentist
Dr Yann Gombauld 8 rue de Ségur, 33000 Bordeaux Visit us here
Dermatologist
130 rue de Pessac, 33000 Bordeaux
Telephone: 05.56.91.08.08
Psychologist
Marlène Biotteau
Occupational psychologist & ergonomist. Burnout, harassment, stress, anxiety and depression
133 boulevard George V, 33800 Bordeaux
Telephone: 06.68.71.18.77
Pharmacies
La Pharmacie des Capucins
Open 24 hours a day. 30 place des Capucins
33800 Bordeaux Telephone: 05 56 91 62 66
contact@pharmacapucins.fr
Pharmacie des Grands Hommes
1 place des Grands Hommes, 33000 Bordeaux
Telephone: 05.56.81.70.90
Aprium Pharmacie Bordeaux Lac
Avenue des 40 Journaux, 33300 Bordeaux
Telephone: 05.56.39.39.44
Hospitals   
Pellegrin Hospital
Place Amélie Raba Léon, 33076 Bordeaux
Telephone: 05.56.79.56.79
CHU Saint-André Hospital
1 rue Jean Burguet, 33000 Bordeaux
Telephone: 05.56.79.56.79

Chambéry

General practitioners
Dr Hugo FERRIOL
12 boulevard de la Mer Caspienne, 73370 Le Bourget-du-Lac
Telephone: 04 79 75 78 17
Dr Sophie MOUREAU
12 boulevard de la Mer Caspienne, 73370 Le Bourget-du-Lac
Telephone: 04 79 84 46 20
Dr Capucine MANGIN
12 boulevard de la Mer Caspienne, 73370 Le Bourget-du-Lac
Telephone: 04 79 75 78 17
Dentist
Dr Gaëlle Habrard
Cabinet dentaire du docteur Antonin Bats 12 boulevard de la Mer Caspienne, Savoie Technolac, 73370 Le Bourget-du-Lac
Telephone: 04 79 65 79 73
Osteopath
Dr Sarah DESMARES
Médilac 12 boulevard de la Mer Caspienne, 73370 Le Bourget-du-Lac
Telephone: 07 61 35 25 10
Pharmacies
Pharmacie du Prieuré
182 route Nationale, 73370 Le Bourget du Lac. Telephone: 04 79 25 00 04
List of on-call pharmacies in Aix-Les-Bains by day (15 minutes from Chambéry) Pharmacie de L’EPINE c.c. super u 75 rue lavoisier, la motte servolex,
Telephone: 04 79 25 41 68
Pharmacie du Viviers du Lac 73 route d’Aix 73420 Viviers du Lac
Telephone: 04 79 61 66 02
Pharmacie Aix les Bains Pavy 234 rue de Genève 73100 Aix les Bains Telephone: 04 79 35 03 70
Pharmacies open 24/7
Greater Chambéry
Hospitals
Chambéry Hospital
Place Lucien Biset, 73000 Chambéry Telephone: 04 79 96 50 50
Grand Port Hospital – Centre hospitalier Métropole Savoie
49 avenue du Grand Port, 73100 Aix-les-Bains
Telephone: 04 79 88 61 61
Médipôle de Savoie
300 avenue des Massettes, 73190 Challes-les-Eaux
Telephone: 04 79 26 80 80

In case of emergency and incident

Emergency Numbers

From a French telephone

(Take a photo so you can access it at any time from your cell phone)

15 : Emergency medical assistance service (SAMU)

17 : Police

18 : Fire brigade

112: EU-wide emergency number (from any cell phone).

SOS Médecins / Medical emergencies and unscheduled general medical care :

Paris: 01 47 07 77 77 or 3624SOS médecin

Bordeaux: 05 56 48 75 59 or 3624SOS médecin Bordeaux

Lyon: 04.78.83.51.51 or 3624SOS médecin Lyon

Chambéry: 3624SOS doctor Chambéry

Public transport incident

Paris: 3117 by phone / 31177 by SMS: RATP emergency number to use when you witness an incident on public transport in Paris, or are the victim of an assault.

Bordeaux: 05 57 57 88 88 (TBM Bordeaux)

USEFUL RESOURCES

Public services for individuals

French emergency number

French emergency services

Consulates and Embassies

In France

If you need to contact your embassy or consular services, you can find their contact details on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website here.

In case of force majeure and only, you can reach the emergency contact of your embassy below.

GERMANY
+33 (0)1 53 83 45 00
24/24,
weekends and public holidays
ALGERIA
(+33) 1 53 72 07 00
ENGLAND
(+33) 1 44 51 31 00
BRAZIL
06 80 12 32 34.
CAMEROON
01 46 51 89 00
CHINA
Embassy
(+33) 1 49 52 19 50
Consulate: (+33) 1 47 36 77 90
COLOMBIA
(+33) 1 53 93 91 91
8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Asistencia@consulatcolombie.com
IVORY COAST
01 53 64 62 62
SPAIN
01 44 43 18 00
ITALY
Paris: (+33)6 07 22 725 6
Lyon: (+33)6 63 54 63 64 (Friday to Sunday) (+33)6 63 63 05 53 (Monday to Sunday)
Marseille: (+33)6 07 52 04 18
Bordeaux: (+33)6 88 84 85 38
Lourdes: (+33)6 88 54 71 98
Metz: (night only) (+33)6 80 71 03 43,
(+33)7 80 01 82 31,
(+33)7 81 95 40 72
Nice: (+33)6 03 69 03 57 (Day service)
(+33)7 68 05 48 04 (night service)
MOROCCO
(+33) 01 45 20 69 35
MEXICO
06 13 53 55 74
24/24
https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/francia/index.php/es/proteccion-a-mexicanos
TUNISIA
(+33) 1 45 55 95 98
SENEGAL
01 44 05 38 48 01 44 05 38 62
SWITZERLAND
01 49 55 67 00
INDIA
(+33)6.48.34.00.63
LEBANON
01.40.67.26.26
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
(+33)1 45 00 60 57
    

Security

French police services

These few tips can help you avoid any danger during your stay in France.

All major cities have a police station.

  • The Paris community has around a hundred reception points throughout the capital. Among them, the twenty police stations in each arrondissement are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to welcome victims and provide them with help and assistance. To find them, pleasevisit our website.
  • Lyon has seven police stations throughout the city. Not all are open 24/7. We invite you to find your nearest police station via the website.
  • The Bordeaux police station is located at 23 Rue François de Sourdis – 33000 Bordeaux and is open 24/7. You can reach him by calling 05.57.85.77.77. You can also find two public reception points at the Capucins Police Station (21 Rue Marbotin, 33800 Bordeaux) and the Bordeaux Police Office (23 Rue Ducau, 33000 Bordeaux).
  • Chambéry has a police station located at 585 avenue de la Boisse 73000 Chambéry. You can reach him by calling 04.79.60.21.76. For further information, pleasevisit our website.

Foreigners can speak to police officiers who speak several languages, either at police stations or those patrolling the streets throughout the summer. They wear badges with flags corresponding to the language(s) they speak. They can give you basic information (directions or addresses of tourist sites) and answer more sensitive questions, such as those concerning a theft or an assault. They can provide you with valuable assistance if you do not speak French well.

When registering a complaint, the Foreign Victims Reception System software, available in twenty languages, now allows any police officer to register a foreign person’s complaint and give him a receipt in his native language.

To avoid becoming a victim of an incident, follow these tips:

Be careful on the street:

  • Preferably use a small bag, such as a waist pack or fanny pack, rather than a backpack.
  • Carry little cash with you.
  • Do not put your wallet or phone in your back pockets.
  • If an assailant tries to steal your bag, do not resist or you may be injured.
  • Beware of individuals who may divert your attention to steal your belongings.
  • Some thieves may pose as police officiers and ask for your ID and money. First of all, keep in mind that a real police officier will never ask you for money. Ask for their white and tricolored card with “Police” in the center

Be careful on public transport:

  • Do not leave your luggage unattended.
  • Beware of pickpockets.
  • Do not let anyone go through the turnstile/door directly without your consent.
  • Never buy tickets from resellers who will charge you extra (up to ten times their value). Use the ticket machines or the automatic terminals in the metro stations.
  • Never agree to be picked up by someone offering their transportation services in airports or on the street: they could be an illegal cab, an offense punishable under the French Labor Code.

In public places:

  • Do not take money out in public and never exchange currency on the street, use the exchange offices instead.
  • Use small bills or credit cards for your purchases.
  • Do not leave your means of payment in the checkroom, in your coat, on a chair (in a restaurant or in the cafes for example), a pickpocket could steal your goods.
  • Never put your bag at your feet or leave your cell phone or wallet on the table in a café or restaurant.
  • Do not put your phone in an outside pocket of your bag or clothing.
  • Do not lend your phone to a stranger.
  • In restaurants and bars, don’t hesitate to ask for the menu and the price list, to avoid any surprises.

If your identity papers are lost or stolen:

  • Remember to photocopy all your identification and keep copies in your place of residence.
  • In case of loss, contact the consulate, and in case of theft, also report to the police.

For further details, please consult this brochure.

Updated 23 February 2024