Moving from Puma to S1 at state retirement age

What happens if you are in the French health system by residency, under Puma, and you reach state retirement age and get an S1 from the UK?

Once you have reached state retirement age and obtained the S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services, you can register it with your local caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (keep a copy). As you are already in the system, the changeover should be simple.

Your social security number will not change and your mutuelle should not be affected.

However, Rachel Thomas-Bonnet of Perfide Albion, who helps Britons in France with paperwork, said that she has sometimes known the caisse to send a new carte Vitale.

She said the changeover is usually simple if you present a copy of your S1, passport, proof of address and, preferably, a recent attestation de droits which helps officials identify you in the system.

If you have an ameli.fr account you can download an attestation from your personal space under Mes démarches. You can also obtain them from machines at Cpam offices or request one by calling 3636.

Moving forward, you should request a British Ehic (European Health Insurance Card) to use for health cover when visiting other parts of the EU (though not the UK).