S1 forms are an essential part of accessing healthcare when moving between countries in the EU and UK.
UK and EU/EEA/Swiss state pensioners are entitled to an S1 form from their home country to access healthcare in their new country. Some other eligible categories include posted workers in France temporarily, frontier workers (living in one state and working in another) and people who claim exportable disability benefits from the country they came from.
S1 forms allow eligible UK or EU residents (eg. Irish, Italian etc) relocating to France to register for healthcare benefits under the French social security system.
They also bring certain benefits when it comes to the French social charges.
What is the S1 form?
An S1 form ensures you receive healthcare coverage in France, with free or reduced costs for treatments and prescriptions, just like a French resident with similar health conditions.
The form allows your country of origin to financially compensate the French social security system for your care.
Once registered, you become part of the healthcare system in your new country, in this case, France.
The form must be requested from the national health body in your country of origin and then registered with the health authority in your new country.
How does the S1 form work in France?
When the S1 form is registered in France, the claimant and their dependants (spouse, civil partner, children) become beneficiaries of the French healthcare system.
The UK (or EU country) will continue to cover the cost of healthcare in France up to the standard rate that is applicable to French residents.
For example, GP visits are reimbursed at 70% based on a set state rate. The rest is usually covered by a top-up mutuelle health insurance policy, which most people in France have.
Are there other benefits?
Other than the usual benefits of having France's good healthcare cover, there are some benefits with regard to the French social charges (prélèvements sociaux).
People who have a registered S1 form and who thus are not a burden on the French sécurité sociale for their healthcare (as it is paid for by the country issuing the S1), are able to receive foreign pension income free of social charges.
You should supply a copy of your S1 to the tax office to request this and remind them of your status when you make your tax return.
Secondly, if you make property or investment capital gains or have income from renting out property, you should pay a reduced rate of 7.5% social charges on these instead of 17.2%.
Who can apply for an S1 form?
UK citizens living in France on or prior to December 31, 2020
Under the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK continues to issue S1 forms for certain groups of people who have been allowed to maintain their S1 entitlements.
This is mainly those who were living in France on or prior to December 31, 2020 and includes:
UK state pensioners and claimants of ESA
Recipients of ‘exportable’ UK disability benefits: Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance, provided their S1 form was issued before 2021.
Entitlement to S1 forms for those moving from UK after Brexit
Under the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK continues to maintain the S1 system. Those in the following groups can still apply for an S1 form:
UK state pensioners: if you or your spouse receive a UK state pension
Cross-border and posted workers: if you are living in France but working in the UK or else have been sent from a UK firm to work in France
Certain UK benefits recipients: if you receive widow/er’s benefits, maternity allowance, industrial injury benefits or statutory sick pay
Recipients of disability benefits like DLA and PIP are no longer eligible for new S1 forms post-2021.
- People moving to France from other EU countries (Ireland, Italy etc) also have the right to a French S1 if, for example, they are state pensioners of that EU country or are drawing an eligible disability benefit from that state.
How to apply for an S1 form from the UK
UK citizens wishing to apply for an S1 form must contact the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You can reach them by phone on +44 (0)191 218 1999 or by email at s1applications@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
You will need to provide the S1 form as part of your visa application to France.
How to register the S1 in France and what happens next?
Once in France, register the form with your local Cpam (caisse primaire d'assurance maladie).
You will receive a temporary social security number, followed by an attestation de droits à l’assurance maladie, confirming your right to French state healthcare.
After registering, you will later be given your definitive social security number and can apply for a carte Vitale, which is the French health insurance card.
During the registration period, which can take several months, you can still access healthcare by presenting your attestation de droits but may need to pay upfront and request a feuille de soins to claim reimbursement from you Cpam.
Do you need private health insurance in France with the S1?
In theory, once you have registered your S1 form, you will not need comprehensive private health insurance, as the French system covers you under the same conditions as French residents.
However, as with other residents of France, you may want to take out a private top-up mutuelle to cover elements not covered by the basic sysem.
While you are waiting for registration in the French system, UK officials told us you should use a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) until your S1 is fully processed.
You can request a PRC by calling 0044 (0)191 218 1999. This can be sent directly to you or to a health establishment where you are being treated, by email.
A PRC is a temporary version of an Ehic/Ghic travel health card, giving the same rights, and lasts for the duration of the treatment or four weeks, whichever is shorter. If the treatment is longer, the person needs to apply for another PRC if appropriate.
Britons moving to France for a stay of up to six months on a temporary long-stay visa can instead use their Ehic/Ghic card.
Please note, that if in future you make visits to EU countries other than France as an S1 holder it is the country issuing the S1 that should supply your European Health Insurance Card for healthcare that arises on such visits (people with French/EU-issued Ehics can use these in the UK also, but UK Ehics/Ghics should not be used by UK S1 holders making trips to the UK who in some cases are advised to take travel health insurance).
