Is it possible to get a carte Vitale in France without a social security number?
Refunds may be possible for medical expenses paid out whilst waiting for healthcard
There can be a long wait for a carte Vitale
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Reader Question: Can I get a carte Vitale without getting a social security number? I have heard it can take a long time to receive your number
To apply for a French health card (carte Vitale) you are required to have a full social security number.
If you do not already have one, ie. via work, you can apply for a social security number via this form that you send to your local Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (Cpam, healthcare service).
It is only when you have your full social security number that you can apply for a carte Vitale through the Ameli (Assurance Maladie) website.
You can read how to do both of these in our article below.
Read more: How to apply for a French carte Vitale
Temporary coverage
It can take a while to receive your full social security number and apply for a carte Vitale – the application can only be made when you have your full, final number and not your provisional one. The latter starts with a 7 or 8 as opposed to a 1 or a 2.
However, you can use this provisional number to be reimbursed for healthcare costs before receiving (or being able to apply) for your full carte Vitale.
You present this provisional number to the healthcare professional alongside your attestation de droits (the form you receive alongside the provisional number, giving proof you are covered under the healthcare system).
The date your rights start depends on whether you are employed in France (the day you began working) or moved here (after three months of living). Those who do not live nor work in France cannot benefit.
At the end of an appointment or treatment you can request a feuille de soins proving you have had – and paid – for it.
This can then be sent to your Cpam via the post, or dropped off in person.
Note that you will still need to pay the full cost of the treatment or appointment in advance, being refunded at a later date.
In most cases, there is a two-year limit to submit a feuille de soins.
Read more: Is there a time limit for using feuille de soins for health repayment?
