Insurance: the basics

Insurance in France is built around a mix of legal obligations, standardized policies and state-backed schemes designed to spread risk widely. Some types of insurance are compulsory, while others are optional but strongly recommended. French insurance is highly regulated, with standard terms and statutory guarantees, giving consumers broad protection but less flexibility than in some other countries.

The ‘big three’ - health (covered in chapter 18 on healthcare), house, and car - are the central focus, though other common forms include life insurance (assurance décès), legal expenses, pet insurance (chapter 22) and travel among others.

As in other countries, consumers benefit from a range of comparison websites (key players include meilleurtaux.com, lelynx.fr, assurland.com and lesfurets.com among others) in addition to independent consumer rights association and magazine UFC-Que Choisir.

La Médiation de l’Assurance is the official French insurance ombudsman service and can handle disputes covering most common types of insurance contracts in France (provided the insurer or intermediary is a member of the scheme and the customer has first made a formal complaint to the insurer). France Assureurs, meanwhile, is the professional federation representing the vast majority of insurance and reinsurance companies operating in France.

From July 1, 2023, most insurance contracts in France can be canceled at any time after the first year, a reform intended to strengthen consumer protection and simplify termination rules. Adopted unanimously by the Comité consultatif du secteur financier (CCSF) after consultations between 2021 and 2022, the change responds to concerns that policyholders struggle to understand cancellation conditions. 

Insurers must now inform customers of the new annual premium and remind them of their right to cancel. The reform extends to pet, legal protection, and personal accident insurance, in addition to home, car, and health cover. Life, disability, long-term care, seasonal, boating, and personal transport insurance are excluded. 

The CCSF also recommended extending cooling-off periods to 30 days where ‘free cover’ (a promotional period of initial insurance coverage at no cost that can cause policyholders to miss cancellation deadlines) is offered.