How foreign residents can be reimbursed for healthcare when on holiday out of France

Healthcare reimbursement for foreign residents of France when travelling abroad depends on your personal situation, your country of origin, and your destination. We explain the different reimbursement rules and procedures.

What are the rules for foreign residents of France travelling within the EU/EEA?

If you are registered with the French health system, you can apply for a Carte européenne d’assurance maladie (Ceam). The Ceam provides coverage for medically necessary treatment while travelling in the EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. 

Note: There are exceptions to eligibility for certain retirees - see section below re S1-holders.

The Ceam card must be ordered from your Ameli account or Cpam office at least 20 days in advance of travel. The card is free and valid for two years.

Note that a Ceam does not cover private clinics, repatriation, or healthcare costs that are not generally reimbursed in France. Private travel insurance is needed to cover these.

If you paid for care while abroad you claim reimbursement by submitting form Cerfa 12267 / Care received abroad code S3125, with receipts and prescriptions. This can be done via your Ameli account or by post / drop in to your Cpam health authority in France.

You can choose reimbursement at either the French rate or the local one - your Cpam caisse can advise which is more advantageous.

What are the rules for UK or EU retirees living in France with S1 forms

French Ceam cards cannot be used by S1 holders.

If you are a UK or EU state pensioner living in France with an S1 form registered, your healthcare is funded by the country of your pension origin. 

In this case, you should apply for an Ehic or Ghic issued by that country rather than a French Ceam so as to be covered when travelling out of France but within Europe.

Note that S1 holders cannot use these cards in the country that issued them. UK pensioners living in France with an S1, for example, cannot use a UK Ghic when visiting the UK.

If you are a UK pensioner protected by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (ie have a WA Brexit residency card) as you were living in France before 2021, you may still access NHS care during UK visits. 

Anyone affected needs to have registered their S1 with a French Cpam.

Those with this entitlement should take a copy of their S1 to show as evidence in the UK, if necessary.

Those who moved post-Brexit so after January 1, 2021 will only be able to use NHS healthcare services available to all other travellers. This includes:

• GP visits (the practice has to accept to treat you as a temporary patient, which is not obligatory),

• Treatment as an outpatient in an A&E department (but not subsequent care if you are admitted to hospital as an in-patient following this),

• Treatment for most infectious diseases, including STIs.

People in this situation are advised to get private health cover.

What are the rules for foreign residents of France travelling outside the EU/EEA

The French Ceam does not apply outside of Europe. 

You may be reimbursed by the French health system only on a discretionary basis and within French payment limits provided the care on your trip was urgent, medically necessary, and would normally be covered in France. 

This can result in very low reimbursement relative to actual expense in some cases - for example, US healthcare costs are typically far higher than French rates.

You submit bills and form Cerfa 12267 / Care received abroad code S3125 to your French Cpam health body. There is no right of appeal if reimbursement is refused.

It is good to check if the country has a bilateral healthcare agreement with France. If it does not, you can still be reimbursed for treatment, however the part covered by the French healthcare system will not be the same as it would be in France - potentially leaving you out of pocket.

The US and UK (post-Brexit) do not have such an agreement. 

If no cover is available, you should take out private health insurance.

Private insurance and mutuelles

Mutuelles typically provide top-up coverage within France after the base French medical reimbursement level. 

They are not generally designed to refund payments made for healthcare abroad although some do include top-up cover for short trips.

In all cases, private travel insurance is advisable to cover elements not covered by Ceams, Ghics or Ehics (or when travelling to countries that do not accept them), such as mountain or sea rescue or medical repatriation expenses.