How to Apply for a Social Security Number & Carte Vitale in France ?

5 Comments / Carte Vitale, FAQ, Health, Mutuelle, Social Security, Work / By

Updated on: November 10, 2024 |  By: @rprasanth_kumar 

The Social Security system provides free access to the public health insurance coverage in France. It is managed by a network of CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie) agencies across France. The system provides a partial reimbursement (upto 70%) of your health expenses in the country. The coverage includes the following basic services such as,

  • Doctor and Hospital expenses (consultation, treatment, surgery, etc)
  • Expenses for medicines prescribed by a doctor.
  • Expenses for Ambulance, when prescribed by a doctor.

The remaining 30% can be covered by a complimentary private health insurance known as mutuelle. This entire process is handled via a unique Social Security Number (SSN) generated after the registration. In addition to health insurance, the SSN is used by a lot of other French government agencies like CAF, Pole Emploi, etc.

If you are a student, the initial application process is completely different. The following article explains this topic in detail. Social Security For International Students In France

If you came to France with an employment contract, usually it’s the employer who applies for the SSN. It’s part of the pre-declaration submitted to the local URSSAF and so the rights start from the 1st date of employment. If the employer doesn’t submit a SSN application to CPAM, the employees can do it themselves by following this article.

Follow on Whatsapp
Follow on Substack

Table of Contents

  1. When to apply?
  2. Where to apply?
  3. Documents required
  4. Temporary Social Security Number (NIA)
  5. Permanent Social Security Number (NIR or SSN)
  6. Carte Vitale
  7. Mutuelle or Complimentary private health insurance
  8. Contact Information and Help
  9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  10. Sources & References

When to apply?

You should apply for your social security number (SSN) as soon as you have opened a bank account and found accommodation after arriving in France.

Did you know?. People on a VLS-TS long-stay visitor visa can only apply after completing three months in France.

Where to apply?

You need to visit your local CPAM office and submit an application for your SSN. You can also send the documents by registered post. The complete list of documents is available in the next section.

Did you know?. If you have a Passeport Talent resident permit, you must send the application form and documents to CPAM Paris address given below, irrespective of where you live in France. 

CPAM de Paris, SRI / Talents, 75948 Paris CEDEX 19

If you were recruited from abroad, it is your employer’s responsibility to apply for your SSN. If they do not know the process, this article will help you to submit an application on your own.

The following personal details will be required to complete the application form.

  • Last name
  • First name
  • Date of birth
  • Country of birth
  • E-mail address
  • French postal address
  • Mobile number
  • Professional status

Documents required

  • Application form Cerfa N° 15763*01 Demande d’ouverture des droits à l’assurance maladie 
  • Proof of identity: Copy of your passport
  • Copy of your resident permit with validity. 
  • A proof of civil status
    • An apostilled photocopy of your birth certificate,
    • An apostilled photocopy of your marriage certificate (if married)
    • Accompanied by their French translations (not a photocopy).
    • Note: Birth certificates issued by your Embassy based on your passport, may or may not be accepted. There have been numerous cases of rejections across France.
  • A RIB (IBAN details) from your bank account, preferably from a bank that provides French IBAN.
  • Copy of your rental contract or rental receipts or an attestation d’hébergement .
  • Copy of a utility bill less than 3 months old such as gas, electricity, landline number, mobile number, etc.
  • Copy of your current professional status such as work contract, pay slips, attestation d’employeur, etc.

If you have minor children under your responsibility, then you need to submit the following documents too. The children will be attached to one or both the parent’s account.

Temporary Social Security Number (NIA)

After verification of all the required documents and the application, your temporary social security number will be generated.

  • It is known as Numéro d’identification d’attente (NIA) and starts with with 1 (male) or 2 (female).
  • This provisional number gives you the same social security rights as a permanent number. So, you will be provided with a temporary document known as l’attestation de droit provisoire à la Sécurité Sociale. This can be used for all social security related purposes.
  • However, you can neither login to your personal ameli account nor apply for the Carte Vitale card using this number.
  • The timeline for generating a NIA varies according to the number of applications received by your local CPAM. So, it is difficult to give a definite deadline.
  • Some applicants receive it immediately after submitting the online application, while it takes almost 2-3 months in general. In some cases, even longer.

Permanent Social Security Number (NIR or SSN)

When your identity is confirmed by the national registry system, the temporary number (NIA) will automatically convert to the Numéro d’inscription au repertoire (NIR).

  • This will be your permanent social security number (SSN) indefinitely.
  • The waiting period for the permanent number varies between 3, 6 or 9 months, depending on the conformity of your documents and the date of receipt of these documents.
  • If you do not submit the pending documents within 9 months, your temporary number will be deleted from the system.
  • After receiving the permanent SSN, you can login to your Ameli account and download another attestation known as l’attestation de droits à la Sécurité Sociale.
  • It is normally valid for a year and can be downloaded again from your ameli account.
  • This attestation can be used everywhere, to prove your social security rights, until you receive your Carte Vitale card.
  • However, the medical expenses won’t be reimbursed automatically. You must pay and then get it reimbursed by CPAM. This is done by sending the “feuille de soins” form (paper version) issued by the doctor, to your local CPAM office.

First login to Ameli Account

  • If you have issues in logging into your Ameli account, please contact your local CPAM office using the details mentioned in the contact section below. They have an English language helpline too.
  • They will provide a temporary code for the first login to your Ameli account. 

Carte Vitale

To get your medical expenses reimbursed automatically, you need to a Carte Vitale.

  • The health care professional whom you consult (doctor, dentist, etc.) will use this card to generate an electronic “feuille de soins” form.
  • This information is sent directly to your local CPAM by the healthcare professional.
  • Thus, you are reimbursed in a week without having to take any additional steps.
  • To apply, you should login to your ameli account and go to the section “Mes démarches” >> “Ma carte Vitale” >> “Commander ma carte Vitale”.
  • If you don’t have a Carte Vitale, the reimbursements are not automatic. So, you must send the “feuille de soins” forms to your local CPAM office. 

Mutuelle or Complimentary private health insurance

The social security coverage reimburses only upto 70% of your medical expenses. So, you need a mutuelle to cover the remaining 30% of the expenses.

Salaried employees, their spouse and their children will be provided with a mutuelle by their employer. Usually, employers cover 50% of the mutuelle and the remaining 50% will be deducted from your monthly salary. 

Contact Information and Help

The following article has all the useful information. How To Contact The French Health Insurance Organisations – CPAM?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I get my social security number in France?

  • You can get your French social security number by submitting the application form Cerfa N° 15763*01 and the other required documents to your local CPAM office.
  • The complete procedure has been explained above in this article.
  • If you are a student, the initial application process is completely different. The following article explains this topic in detail. Social Security For International Students In France

Q2: Is your social security number on your carte Vitale?. How to find my social security number?

  • Yes, the French social security number will be available on your Carte Vitale.
  • If you do not have a Carte Vitale, you can find the SSN on your “attestation de droits” which can be downloaded from the documents section on the Ameli website.

Q3: How long does it take to get social security number in France?

  • Normally, it takes 2-3 months for the temporary number and another 2-3 months for the permanent social security number.
  • So, it can take approximately 6 months but sometimes even longer.
  • However, you can start enjoying all the social rights after the creation of the temporary SSN.

Q4: Why does my French social security number have 15 digits?. Is a French social security number 13 or 15 digits?

  • The French social security number “SSN” consists of 15 digits: 13 digits containing information such as the gender, year, month, and place of birth plus a 2-digit key number.

Q5: Can foreigners get carte vitale?

  • Yes, all residents in France are eligible for a social security number and then a carte vitale. The process to obtain them has been explained in detail above.

Q6: Do I need to activate my carte vitale?

  • Yes, after receiving your “carte vitale”, you must activate it by going to a local pharmacy and requesting them to complete an update of the card.
  • This process must be repeated at least once every year. If not, the card will become inactive and the automatic reimbursements will stop.

Q7: How long is a carte Vitale valid for?

  • The carte vitale does not have any expiry date.
  • However, it must be updated at least once a year as explained earlier.

Q8: How to download social security certificate in France?

  • You can download the French social security certificate known as “attestation de droits” from the documents section on the Ameli website.

Q9: Can I create an Ameli account with temporary social security number?

Q10: What is the difference between temporary and permanent Social Security numbers in France?

  • The temporary SSN has the same rights as the permanent SSN except the following 2 things, creating an Ameli account and applying a Carte Vitale.
  • A permanent SSN is required for these steps.

Q11: Is it possible to have a job contract in France without a Social Security Number?.

  • Yes, your employer can provide an employment contract even if you do not yet have your French Social Security Number.
  • The employer will declare you to Social Security by means of the pre-declaration submitted prior to employment (DPAE)  to URSSAF. This is a mandatory declaration.

Sources & References

Trustpilot
Leave your feedback on Trustpilot

5 thoughts on “How to Apply for a Social Security Number & Carte Vitale in France ?”

  1. Kavana

    Hello Prasanth,

    First of all, thank you for this blog & it has made my life relatively easy here 🙂

    My question is while waiting for temporary SSN to be issued (it has been more than 2 months), should we have some other private health insurance? Because of some injury, I am in need of some scans, physio & treatment.
    What are my options?

    Thanks a lot!

    Reply
    1. Prasanth

      Hello Kavana,
      The temporary SSN can take up to 3 months or even longer. Exactly, why I always advise people to take a travel-cum-health insurance for atleast 3 months before taking the flight to France.

      Medical treatment is very expensive in France without social security and/or insurance.

      If you are employed, please check with your employer.

      Reply
  2. Abhishek Singh Chauhan

    Hello Prasanth,
    Thanks for the very useful blog !

    I see in this article that for Talent Passport Holders, they must apply in Paris CPAM.
    However, when I tried to find the mentioned CPAM using the address you gave, I couldn’t find the right one.
    Is this address correct ?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Prasanth

      Hello Abhishek,
      Yes, it’s the correct address for all Passeport Talent resident permit holders. It’s centralized.

      It’s a Cedex address & so you may not be able to find it on Google.

      If you are doubtful, feel free to call the CPAM helpline mentioned in the article.

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top