Health coverage in France (PUMa) is a right based on work or stable residence — after 3 months of stable, regular residence for non-workers. The carte Vitale is the card that makes reimbursements automatic; until it arrives, paper feuilles de soins work.
Éligibilité / Qui est concerné
- Workers from the first job day; non-workers after 3 months of stable residence; students via the dedicated CPAM student path; non-EU nationals need a regular stay.
Étapes
- Request affiliation at the CPAM of the department — newcomers typically file the Cerfa 15763 (demande d'ouverture des droits) with pièces, or via etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr for foreign students.
- Receive the numéro de sécurité sociale provisoire, then the définitif.
- Create the compte ameli, order the carte Vitale (photo + ID upload).
- Declare a médecin traitant to avoid reduced reimbursements; consider a mutuelle (complementary insurance) — the CPAM covers only the base part.
Pièces justificatives
- ID/passport + titre de séjour or visa, acte de naissance (translated by a
traducteur assermenté if foreign — see
../pieces/pieces-justificatives.md), justificatif de domicile, RIB, proof of work or of 3 months' residence.
Délais et échéances
- Expect weeks-to-months for the numéro définitif; the carte Vitale follows. Keep every feuille de soins for retroactive reimbursement.
Portail / Où faire la démarche
- ameli.fr (compte ameli) and the local CPAM; foreign students: etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. Free.
Pièges connus
- Waiting for the carte Vitale to see a doctor — coverage exists before the card.
- Foreign birth certificates rejected for lack of a sworn translation.
- Skipping the médecin traitant declaration (lower reimbursement rate).
Sources
- service-public.gouv.fr — « Protection universelle maladie (PUMa) » (checked 2026-07)
- ameli.fr — « Vous venez vivre en France » (checked 2026-07)