Talent passport (“Passeport talent”), Research scientist (“Scientifique-chercheur”) status and their family

This information is for third-country nationals with a Talent passport (“Passeport talent”) or Research scientist (“Scientifique-chercheur”) visa. It is not for PhD students with a Student (“Etudiant”) visa.
You have to take out insurance to cover you when you arrive in France pending your registration.

Registering with the local health service office (CPAM) is a procedure that can often take a long time.

Researchers who are employed with a Talent passport (“Passeport-talent”) visa must register with the Paris CPAM, which centralizes registrations for this group.
Researchers who are employed with a Research scientist (“Scientifique-chercheur”) visa (Algerian nationals) must register with the CPAM of their place of residence.

Each adult member of your family must register individually with the French National Health Service under the PUMa scheme (Universal health protection).

You can only start to be reimbursed for your medical costs incurred from the first day of your employment contract once you have received your social security number. Please retain all proof of treatment.

Your employer can register you on your behalf, please contact your human resources department to find out if this is the case. If not, you have to submit your application to your CPAM



IMPORTANT:

• If you sign your employment contract on the first day of employment, your employment contract is all you need to register.
• If you sign your employment contract before your first day of work, you will have to wait for your first wage slip to submit your application to the CPAM. The CPAM needs to ensure that you have actually taken up your position.

Once the health service has received your application, it will be processed within 1 to 2 months. You will initially receive an NIA (provisional registration number). Then, at a later date, you will receive by post an NIR (Registration Number). You will receive your “entitlement certificate” as well as the form to request your Carte Vitale healthcare card. All that remains to do is create your “Ameli” account and request your Carte Vitale to facilitate any future reimbursements.

Please note that it may take several months for you to receive your Carte Vitale.
While you are waiting to create your Ameli account and receive your Carte Vitale, for all your formalities (sending treatment forms, request for reimbursement, etc.), contact your CPAM by sending a letter to the specific address, stating your social security number.

If you hold a “talent passport” visa or residence permit, but you do not have a French employment contract, you are not eligible for cover by the social security system upon arrival.

If you are not covered in France for the entire duration of your stay by the health insurance provider in your country of origin, you have several options:

• Take out a private insurance policy in your country of origin that will cover all healthcare costs, for you and your family.
• Take out a private insurance policy in France for you and your family.

Make sure you get all the information you need before you leave, as private insurance premiums vary greatly from country to country.

The EURAXESS France network has negotiated offers for healthcare cover for international scientists. More information on the Fnak website - Negotiated insurance offers.

These offers are available to international researchers registered with the service. Here is the link to register.

In certain specific conditions, you can be covered by the Universal Health Protection (PUMa) scheme.

It is not possible to register if you are a researcher that remains employed by your home institution but is open to researchers staying in France as part of a research trip agreement.

PUMa cover while residing in France is subject to a number of conditions, including:
Residing in France for a minimum of 3 months
Being in possession of a residence permit allowing you to stay for more than 6 months in France
To benefit from the Universal Health Protection (PUMa) scheme, you must register with the local health service office (CPAM) of your place of residence and send your request for entitlement by post using the form S1106a (Cerfa No 15763*02) along with the required supporting documents.

You cannot register in advance. You must wait to have been residing in France for 3 months to register. You will have to take out private insurance for at least the first 3 months of your stay in France.

Find out if it is possible to register with the CPAM of your place of residence:

• In the Rhône department (Lyon)
• In the Loire department (Saint-Etienne)
• In the AIN department (Bourg-en-Bresse)