PhD students with "Etudiant" visas and their family

This information concerns third-country citizens with a student ("étudiant") visa. It does not apply to doctoral students on a "talent passport" ("passeport talent") or "scientist-researcher" (scientifique chercheur) visa.

Membership of the Health Insurance Fund (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie - CPAM) is mandatory for international students enrolled in a French institution.

We strongly advise you to take out insurance to cover you when you arrive in France, while you await affiliation.

If you have a visa or residence permit with student ("étudiant") status, you must register on the website dedicated to foreign students and upload your documents in order to apply for affiliation to the French social security system.
You will then be affiliated to the CPAM in your place of residence.

Registration website for foreign students.

More information on the University of Lyon health care: "Health insurance for international students".

You will still need to provide an original birth certificate, and in some cases an official translation may be required.

Translation

Only birth certificates in Albanian, German, English, Danish, Croatian, Spanish, Finnish, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Swedish, Czech and Turkish are accepted. Birth certificates in all other languages must be translated into French by a sworn translator approved by a French Court of Appeal (cour d’appel).

Authentication

The social security system can require birth certificates from certain countries to be certified with an “apostille” stamp or authenticated. In both cases, this certifies that the document is official.
Exception: producing a multilingual birth certificate exempts you from legalization and apostille requirements.

Under certain specific conditions, you may be eligible for Universal Health Care System (PUMA - Protection Universelle Maladie).

This affiliation is possible under a research residency agreement.

Membership of PUMA for residence in France is subject to a number of conditions, in particular:

• residence in France for at least 3 months
• possession of a residence permit authorizing residence for more than 6 months in France

To benefit from PUMA, you must register with the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM) of your place of residence and send your request for entitlement by postal mail using the Cerfa S1106a or n°15763*01 form, accompanied by the required supporting documents.

Please note: early registration is not possible. You must wait until you have been resident in France for 3 months before applying for membership. You will therefore need to take out private insurance for at least the first 3 months of your stay in France.

Contacts for your local CPAM :

• In Le Rhône (Lyon)
• In La Loire (Saint-Etienne)
• In L'Ain (Bourg-en-Bresse)

Some branches are open by appointment only. Please check beforehand.

Your spouse and adult children

Under certain specific conditions, your spouse and adult children may benefit from Universal Health Care System (PUMA).

Contacts for your local CPAM :

• In Le Rhône (Lyon)
• In La Loire (Saint-Etienne)
• In L'Ain (Bourg-en-Bresse)

Your minor children: right holders

Minor children (under the age of 18) benefit from your PUMA entitlements. You must request their registration.