France · Social security number
How to get your French social security number and carte Vitale
To be reimbursed for healthcare in France you need to join the national health insurance (Assurance Maladie), which gives you a social security number and then a carte Vitale. How you register depends on whether you work, study or simply live in France.
What it is
Your social security number (numéro de sécurité sociale, also called NIR) identifies you with the French health insurance system, the Assurance Maladie. Once you're registered you can get a carte Vitale, the green card (or app) doctors and pharmacies use so your costs are reimbursed automatically.
You may first get a temporary number, replaced later by a permanent one.
Which route is yours?
- You work in France as an employee. Your employer declares you; you then register with your local health insurance office (CPAM). Most people use the online form on ameli.fr or form S1106 ("Demande d'ouverture des droits").
- You're a student from outside the EU. Register online on the dedicated student website etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr, after enrolling at your school or university.
- You live in France without working (for example retired or a partner). You can usually join the universal health cover (PUMa) once you've lived in France steadily for 3 months, by applying to your CPAM.
- EU citizens who are covered by their home country (studying or posted temporarily) can use their European Health Insurance Card instead.
Before you start
You'll usually need:
- Your passport or national ID, and your residence permit or validated visa if you're from outside the EU.
- Your birth certificate: a full copy, often with a translation if it isn't in French.
- Proof of address in France.
- A French bank account (a RIB), for reimbursements.
- Depending on your route: an employment contract or payslip, a school enrolment certificate, or proof you've lived in France for 3 months.
Steps
- Apply using your route above: online on ameli.fr or the student website, or by sending the form to your CPAM.
- Wait for your number. The CPAM checks your documents. This can take several weeks; your birth certificate is often what slows it down.
- Create your ameli account on ameli.fr or the ameli app, using your new number.
- Order your carte Vitale in your ameli account, with a photo and a copy of your ID. You can also activate the carte Vitale app.
- Declare a family doctor (médecin traitant) with your first GP. You're reimbursed at a lower rate without one.
Cost
Free.
Common pitfalls
- Birth certificate problems. Send a full copy (not a short extract), with a sworn translation if the CPAM asks for one.
- Waiting without paying in the meantime. Until you're registered, keep receipts (feuilles de soins); you can usually claim them back once your number arrives.
- No family doctor declared. It reduces your reimbursements. Declare one at your first GP visit.
- Top-up insurance. The Assurance Maladie doesn't cover everything. Most people also take a mutuelle (top-up insurance), often through their employer.
When to ask a helper
If your file is stuck for months, your birth certificate is refused, or you're not sure which route fits you, ask someone who's done it.
Spot a mistake?
Rules change and offices differ. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll check it.