You have decided to study in France. Regardless of your country of origin, a well prepared transition to France helps to ensure a safe stay, especially when it comes to health-related expenses.

Most French citizens are protected by Social Security, commonly called the “SÉCU” (short for “sécurité sociale”). This covers health, maternity, family, unemployment, old age and retirement. Anyone living in France for more than three months must join the social security system.
Students normally register for “la sécurité sociale étudiante” or Social Security for students. This takes places simultaneously when you register to your university.
The social security for students, in fact, is a part of the “SÉCU” coverage and has the function of a health insurance designed for university students. It covers all health expenses (illness, drugs, maternity, hospitalisation, work accidents).
In this information paper we will refer to it as “SÉCU étudiante”, as this is the commonly used expression.

While students are obliged to be insured, the type of insurance may depend on their age, status and nationality.
   

• Students under 20 years of age, who are co-insured by parental Social Security (SE form) in their own country:

If your country has signed a bilateral agreement with France, your social cover will be dealt with by the International relations department of the CPAM (department dealing with health insurance) from the city in which you live in France. You will have to provide a certified birth certificate, issued in the town where you were born, with a translation if the document is not written in English or French.

Before you leave for France, ask for a European Health Insurance Card from your health insurance organisation. If you have this card, you will not be required to join the French Social Security system. Send it to the “caisse primaire d’assurance maladie” (CPAM) in France and the CPAM will reimburse your health expenses. That needs to be specified ! Which expenses? For when they go to the doctor, they have to pay in advance and will be reimbursed at the CPAM ?

You will have to join the French student Social Security system. The annual contribution is 195 € for the academic year 2008-2009.

- contacting the “couverture maladie universelle” (CMU) department of the CPAM
- taking out voluntary personal insurance
 with the CPAM;
- taking out private insurance;
- taking out student insurance.

The social security for students covers health-related expenses but generally you have to pay for the costs of medical care, visits to the doctor and medicine in advance. You will then be partially reimbursed by the SÉCU. Choosing extra student insurance means you will be reimbursed a larger amount.

An individual receiving care in France is generally reimbursed between 35% and 70% of a rate established by the SÉCU. It is therefore advisable to be aware of the difference between reimbursements made by the SÉCU and expenses that remain your responsibility.

The reimbursement of costs is subject to a rate (set by the SÉCU) according to which doctors can charge fees. Sector 1 government regulated general practitioners charge costs according to that rate. In real terms, that means that you will be reimbursed up to 100% (in rare cases) of the actual sum. A sector 2 doctor charges more but you will only be reimbursed for the sector 1 rate. Very often specialists charge fees according to sector 2.
Extra students insurances, socalled “mutuelles”, reimburse you for the remaining costs after you have been reimbursed by the SÉCU. Subscription to a “mutuelle” is not obligatory, but advisable. You can subscribe when you register at the university.

It might take long to issue your insurance card ( “carte Vitale 2”) but in the meantime a certificate, send to you by your insurance, will serve as a temporary substitute.
However, do not throw away your old insurance card: you will need it receive your new card!
 Enrol to an institution of higher education (college, university).
Once your enrolment is made, your institution will forward us your documents.
Usually around October you will receive a first correspondence from us.
Send us a photo and a copy of your ID-Card or passport as well as the form called “Ma nouvelle carte Vitale”. Please, use the provided envelope and affix stamp.
Your card is being issued
Once your card is ready we will write you a second time to ask you to send back your old insurance card along with the answer coupon.
A week after you send us your old card and the answer coupon you will get your new “carte Vitale 2”.