Key points
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Foreign nationals with a residence permit in France have access to health insurance.
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Foreign nationals without permission to stay in France are entitled to State Medical Aid after 3 months’ presence in France in a permanent location. Complementary health insurance may also be requested.
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Foreign nationals without permission to stay in France are entitled to free medical assistance in free medical centres, the “Permanences d’Accès aux Soins de Santé” (PASS) and in the emergency unit of the hospital.
General advice
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When you settle in France, contact an association that will be able to direct you to the most appropriate service and to your rights.
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If you have health problems, go and see the emergency unit of the hospital, which is open to everyone.
Additional resources
GISTI guide on healthcare in several languages - French, English, Arabic, Urdu, Farsi:
Health - GISTI
To go further
Regarding the AME (State Medical Aid)
If you can prove that you have been in France for more than 3 months, even if you do not have a residence permit, you can apply for State Medical Aid, which will give you access to healthcare without going through the PASS.
Regarding the CMU (Universal Health Coverage)
Asylum seekers and generally all foreign nationals with a residence permit have full access to the healthcare system, either through the CMU (Couverture Maladie Universelle), or because they are working, or because they benefit from their spouse’s social protection. As an asylum seeker you are entitled to health cover, even if you are in the accelerated or Dublin procedure, without having to prove that you have been living in France for more than 3 months.
Obtaining a residence permit for a foreign national who is ill.
If you are a foreign national, and your state of health or that of your child requires medical treatment, you may, after assessment by the Prefect, be granted a residence permit for healthcare purposes. This procedure applies to you if :
- You or your child is a foreign national (except a citizen of a European country)
- You or your child are ordinarily resident in France;
- You consider that your state of health or that of your child requires medical care, without which your health would be seriously compromised;
- You believe that you or your child cannot access appropriate treatment in your country of origin.
- Before taking any steps to obtain this residence permit, it is recommended that you talk to a specialised association to assess whether it is possible and worthwhile to submit this application.
You can call the COMEDE association for advice: + 33 1 45 21 39 32