Health Insurance Card

To obtain a Carte Vitale in France, you must first meet two main conditions:

  1. Have a permanent Social Security number.
  2. Be 12 years of age or older (the application can be made from the age of 12, but it becomes automatic for children attached to their parents at the age of 16, unless it has already been made).

If you have just arrived in France, you must first register with Social Security to obtain your permanent number before you can apply for the card.

Once you have your final Social Security number, you can order your Vitale card in two main ways:

1. Online application (recommended, as it is faster)

This is the simplest and quickest method.

  • Log in to your ameli account (the French health insurance website) or use the Compte ameli app on your smartphone.
  • Go to the “My procedures” (or “My Vitale card”) section.
  • Click on “Order my Vitale card.”
  • Check your personal information (marital status, mailing address).
  • Download scanned supporting documents:
    • A standard-compliant ID photo (recent, in color).
    • A valid form of identification (ID card, passport, residence permit).
  • Confirm the request.

The delivery time is usually 2 to 3 weeks after confirmation.

2. Application by mail (if you are unable to apply online)

  • You will receive (or request from your local health insurance office, or Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie, CPAM) the form entitled “Ma nouvelle carte Vitale” (My new Vitale card).
  • Review and sign the form.
  • Attach a compliant ID photo.
  • Please attach a photocopy of your valid ID.
  • Send everything to your local CPAM (the address is on the form or available at ameli.fr).

While waiting for your Vitale card, you can use your certificate of entitlement (downloadable from your ameli account) as proof of your health coverage.

Requirements:

The main requirements for obtaining a Carte Vitale are very simple once you are eligible for health insurance:

  1. Have a permanent Social Security number (NIR – Registration Number).
    • This is the essential requirement. This number is assigned to anyone born in France, or anyone who works or resides in France on a stable and regular basis (more than three months).
    • If you have a temporary number, you must wait until you have the final number to order the Vitale card.
  2. Be 12 years of age or older.
    • The Vitale card is issued to insured persons from this age onwards.
    • The application is usually sent automatically by the Health Insurance Fund for children covered by their parents’ insurance when they reach the age of 16, but it can be requested by parents as soon as the child reaches the age of 12 (via the parent’s ameli account).

For people who have just arrived in France:

If you are new to France, the first and mandatory step is to register with the French health insurance system (Assurance Maladie) to obtain your permanent Social Security number.

To do so, you must generally prove:

  • Your identity and civil status.
  • Your stable and regular residence in France (through a valid residence permit, an employment contract, or proof of stable residence, depending on your situation).
  • A bank account number (RIB) for the reimbursement of your medical expenses.

Once your membership application has been approved, the French health insurance system will send you the application form for a Carte Vitale (or you can order it directly via your new ameli account).

In France, a foreign national can obtain a Vitale card as soon as they are entitled to French social security, i.e., health insurance.
Here are the exact conditions, depending on your situation 👇

🇫🇷 1. You live and work in France

You can apply for a Vitale card if:

  • You reside in France on a stable and regular basis (i.e., for at least three consecutive months and with a valid residence permit).
  • You work (as an employee, self-employed person, civil servant, etc.),
  • Or you are dependent on someone who is already insured in France.

📄 Documents to be provided to the CPAM (Primary Health Insurance Fund):

  • Passport + valid residence permit,
  • Proof of residence in France (electricity bill, lease agreement, etc.),
  • Employment contract or pay slip (if employed),
  • RIB (bank account details in France),
  • Birth certificate (official translation if necessary).

What are the steps to obtain your Social Security number from the Health Insurance system if you were born abroad?

Applying for health insurance coverage is the first essential step in registering and obtaining a temporary identification number (NIA). To do so, you must send the following to the health insurance fund in your place of residence:

  • the completed Cerfa S1106 form, “Application for health insurance coverage”;
  • the supporting documents required depending on your situation (see details in form S1106):
    • a photocopy of your ID or a valid residence permit or document;
    • a photocopy of any document proving your eligibility for coverage of your healthcare costs based on your situation (whether you are employed or unemployed).
s1106_puma_demande_od_rempDownload

You will then receive a letter with your NIA. This allows you to be identified and to receive benefits (such as reimbursement for medical care) on a temporary basis. With this NIA, you cannot yet obtain a Vitale card or open an ameli account. You can use this NIA for 9 months.

To obtain your permanent social security number, the processing time is 9 months. To do so, you must send a photocopy of a valid, complete, and legible civil status document.

2. You are an international student

You are entitled to French Social Security if:

  • You are enrolled in a higher education institution in France,
  • And you reside permanently in the territory.

➡️ Applications can be made online at:
👉 https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr

The Health Insurance Fund checks whether your supporting documents are compliant.

The Health Insurance Agency checks whether your supporting documents are in order and forwards them to a department of the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).

These checks enable your identity to be “certified” based on the supporting documents provided. This certification is a complex and demanding procedure. It is mandatory in order for you to be assigned a permanent social security number.

At each stage, you will receive a letter explaining what you need to do or the documents you need to provide.
If all the documents are in order, you will receive your permanent social security number. You will receive a letter informing you of the steps you need to take to have your Vitale card made.

If you need help, you can contact the CPAM.