French Social Security application for foreign students

The social security is one of many benefits to come and study in France. Upon your arrival, applying for the social security is mandatory and will entitle you to reimbursement of part of your health care expenses. If you are studying less than 6 months in France, then the application is optional in that case. During our Welcome Days, our team will help you with the process at the workshops we organize.

To be affiliated to the French Social Security Health scheme, you will need to sign up via the dedicated website HERE after your arrival in France. You can consult the tutorial from Campus France.

You will have to complete the 3-step registration process:

1/ Enter your personal information,

2/ Upload the required documents:

• Enrollment certificate (not the admission letter)
• Passport
• Visa
• Birth certificate in the original language and the translation if the language is not in French or English. Please note that the document must be issued less than 1 year ago**.  Only translations made by a certified translator in France will be accepted.  Unfortunately, translations made outside France will not be accepted.
• Visa validation certificate
• French bank account details

3/ Create your "Personal area".

Once the documents you submitted upon registration online have been checked (within 2 to 3 weeks), you will receive an email stating that your coverage certificate with your temporary social security number (NIA number) can be downloaded from your "Personal area".

If some of your documents are missing or have been rejected, you will receive an email stating which documents to upload on your "Personal area".  This can slow down the process.

Once your registration has been completed and approved (it may take months), you will receive a letter by the post containing the form to order the carte vitale. Your NIA has therefore been certified and your social security number is from now your permanent number.

After this step you will be able to create your ameli account 2 weeks after having received this letter.  To create the Ameli account, please consult our FAQ.

** Except for the following countries:  UK, Canada, Cameroon, Iran, Iraq, Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Romania, Thailand and Vietnam.