How do self-employed join the health system?

I have an entrepreneur VLS-TS visa and have validated it. I would now like to register my small business but their form asks for a numéro de securité sociale, which would take me up to three months to get. Surely I do not have to wait three months before I can begin my business?

You are correct that you will need to register with your local Cpam health reimbursements body. It is also true that, for example, when early-retirees come to France, they need to provide the Cpam with evidence of three months’ stay, such as a rental contract and rent receipt slips, energy bills etc.

However, immigration expert Marta Nahay of Exilae Avocats said this is not necessary for someone coming to France on a visa to work. She added: “If your application is taking a while to process, you should ask for a provisional social security number.”

We note that Gisti, an organisation that helps immigrants to France, has stated that people coming on a VLS-TS are deemed stable residents for healthcare purposes once they have validated their visa (which must be done in the first three months).

We would therefore suggest people should prioritise this process (as you have done) and including a copy of the attestation from the Anef website confirming the validation of your visa along with your health application.