🏥 French Social Security System
👩🏽⚕️ Find a doctor in France
Finding a doctor in France can sometimes seem complicated. In this article, we give you some key information on where to look, what to expect and how to prepare for your first appointment.
😷Who can consult a doctor in France?
Anyone can consult a doctor in France. The only difference lies in the fees involved. A basic consultation costs between €30 and €65, depending on the doctor's specialty and the expected treatment. If you are affiliated to the social security system, the French government will cover up to 70% of these costs.
More information in the following article: French social security system.
🩺Find a bilingual or multilingual doctor
Sites such as Doctolib and Maiia offer the possibility of finding a doctor who carries out consultations in a foreign language (English, Mandarin, Spanish...).
If you prefer a personal recommendation, there are several Facebook groups for expatriates where people give suggestions.
The official Assurance Maladie website, Ameli, offers a service called “Annuaire Santé”. This service allows you to :
- Search for approved doctors
- Find information on the fees charged.
- Check whether a professional accepts the Vitale card
⚕️Find your “General practitioner"
At the time of your appointment, you can ask the doctor to be your “médecin traitant". Please note that if a doctor is not taking on new patients, this will be indicated on his or her Doctolib profile. If he accepts, he will transmit the necessary information to your Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM) online for you, or give you a form to fill in and mail to your CPAM.
You'll need your social security number to register.
As a reminder, the declaration of a "médecin traitant" is an important element in ensuring better reimbursement of your cares by the Assurance Maladie.
More information in the following article: French social security system
🏥French emergency doctors
Most doctors in France see patients from Monday to Friday: 08.00 am - 08.00 pm
For non-emergency medical care outside of these hours or on a public holiday, you can contact a doctor by dialing 116 117.
SOS Médecins service also offers 24/7 access to home and office visits.
Remember: calling on SOS Médecins or la Maison Médicale de Garde can be more expensive than consulting your GP in certain situations, notably because of surcharges for consultations outside normal working hours.
🦁Lyon:
289 Rue Garibaldi, 69007 Lyon
Metro Line D: Garibaldi
34 Rue Verlet Hanus, 69003 Lyon
🦉Dijon:
4 Place Saint Bernard, 21000 Dijon
Tranway Line 1-2: Godrans - Les Halles
14 Rue Paul Gaffarel, 21000 Dijon
More information in the following article: Emergency numbers in France
🏥 French Social Security System
The French social security system (also known as AMELI, CPAM or Sécurité Sociale) guarantees that part of your health-related expenses will be covered.
Overview of the French social security system
French social security covers up to 70% of most healthcare costs.
To supplement this reimbursement, there are private health insurances: "mutuelles".
Mutuelles are optional, so you need to find out for yourself about the many options available, depending on your specific needs and personal situation.
In all cases, we strongly encourage you to take out a mutuelle or private insurance.
Examples of student mutual insurances: LMDE, Smeno, SMERRA, HEYME...
Who needs to register with the social security system?
Most citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland... have access to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you have access to the EHIC, you do not need to apply for French social security. Your EHIC must be valid for the duration of your studies in France.
If you are not a national of one of the above-mentioned countries, do not have access to the EHIC, or have an S1 form, you must register online for social security.
How to register
In order to open your rights to the French social security system, you must register:
https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr/#/
Step 1: Your registration
You will need the following documents to complete your registration:
- A valid identity card or passport.
- Your visa
- A certificate of enrolment (to be requested from your program's school)
Bachelor: scolarite.bachelor@bsb-education.com
Master et MSc: scolarite.master@bsb-education.com
MSc Wine Management : christelle.jacquemin@bsb-education.com
MBA: amandine.gouvernet@bsb-education.com
- A French bank statement (RIB)
- Proof of marital status: proof of marital status or a full copy of the birth certificate or a birth certificate with filiation translated into French.
- Validation of your visa (residence permit)
Step 2: Checking supporting documents
Once your supporting documents have been validated, you can download the following documents from your account:
- Welcome Pack
- Provisional certificate "Attestation de droits provisoires"
Once this stage has been completed, you can also declare a "médecin traitant" and subscribe to a complementary health insurance plan (mutuelle) to ensure better medical follow-up and coverage of your health expenses.
Step 3: Your registration
This stage can take between 3 and 6 months.
When your registration is complete, you'll receive a letter from the health insurance company: the carte vitale application form.
You will then need to complete it, provide a passport photo and return it to the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie in your place of residence (within 15 days of receiving the form).
As soon as you are registered, you can open your ameli account :
- If you already have your carte vitale: with your RIB and carte vitale, go to ameli and fill in the required information.
- If you don't yet have your carte vitale, please contact your Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie on 3646 or 09 74 75 36 46 (dedicated line for English-speaking customers) with your bank details. An advisor will text you your temporary access code for your AMELI account.
EXAMPLE OF SOCIAL SECURITY/MUTUAL INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT:
For a consultation with a general practitioner:
The consultation rate used as a basis for reimbursement is €25.
On this amount and after deduction of €1 fixed contribution:
Assurance Maladie reimburses 70%, i.e. €16.50.
The complementary health insurance or mutuelle reimburses the remaining 30%, i.e. €7.50.
How to contact your CPAM:
Dijon🦉:
1 Boulevard de Champagne, 21000 Dijon
Call 3646 Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:30 (French) or +33 9 74 75 36 46 (English).
Lyon 🦁:
CPAM du Rhône, 69907 Lyon Cedex 20.
Call 3646 Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:30 (French) or +33 9 74 75 36 46 (English).
🆘 Emergency numbers in France
An emergency situation is stressful no matter where you are. However, if you're an expat in a new country, it can quickly become a lot more nerve-wracking. In this article, you'll find all the information you might need if you're looking to contact emergency services.
The three main emergency services in France are:
- 🏥Emergency medical service (SAMU)
- 🚒The fire department (sapeurs-pompiers)
-👮the police (Police Nationale or Gendarmerie Nationale)
In case of emergency, you can dial the following numbers from any phone in France:
- 🏥SAMU :15
- 🚒 Fire brigade: 18
- 👮Police: 17
French emergency services are also available via the European emergency number: 112
Use these numbers only in vital emergencies, such as serious health problems, fires or to report crimes.
Mental health services in France
You can be put in touch with a mental health helpline by contacting your doctor, a school counselor, or an organization dedicated to mental health such as:
- SOS Help: an English-language helpline offering help in emotional or practical emergencies. Call 01 46 21 46 46, or visit the online advice and help site.
- Conseil et support psychologique en France: Website with contacts for mental health specialists in France.
- Red Cross (Croix Rouge Ecoute): Confidential counseling services in French, available on 0800 858 858 or online.
Student well-being at BSB:
At BSB, what matters even more than your success is your personal development. With the One Health Center program, you'll find real answers and a sympathetic ear to questions about your well-being. Take a look at their dedicated page on the HUB: One Health Center
You can also contact a psychologist on campus:
🦉 Campus de Dijon
Coralline DESVIGNES - Psychologist
Wednesday afternoons (14h -17h)
+33 6 26 24 24 80
🦁 Campus de Lyon
Elodie RIME - Psychologist
By appointment, at her office – 19 rue Louis Paufique – 69002 Lyon
+33 6 64 28 39 14
Find out more in the following articles: Psychological support
Other useful resources
The French government has set up an application to alert users to potential serious incidents, such as natural, technological or terrorist risks. This application, SAIP (Système d'alerte et d'information des populations), is available in English and French, and allows users to view alerts in up to 8 geographical zones simultaneously.
Don't worry about hearing an alarm siren every first Wednesday of the month, around midday. French alarms are tested nationwide every month. The sound is made up of 3 bursts of 2 minutes each, with 5 seconds of silence between each sound.