Health insurance
Registration to social security is free and mandatory for all students in France, whether French or international. Here’s everything you need to know to go through the process.
The health insurance system is officially the responsibility of the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM).
Why ?
For a partial reimbursement of your healthcare expenses (for a full coverage, please see the section “Voluntary complementary health insurance” below)
How?
Before coming to France for your studies, you need to apply for membership in the French social security citizen by signing up via the dedicated website etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr.
To guide you through this process, a Campus France video tutorial is available here.
You will also need to do so if you are a French citizen living in New Caledonia or Wallis and Futuna, or if you were born abroad.
You DO NOT need to register on this website if:
- You are a family member of an international civil servant and covered a such by his health insurance
- You are a citizen of the EU/EEA or switzerland. You can ask for a European health insurance?card, before you come to France
All you need to know about your social security coverage here.
Who ?
| French Students | EU students | Non EU students |
| Since the 1st of September 2019 at least, you will be affiliated to the CPAM from your place of residence. | With EHIC Card valid until the end of the academic year: You do not need to register online on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr: when you arrive in France, you will submit this card to the health professionnals and healthcare facilities you will go to. Without an EHIC card: See the process for non EU students | Will have to register to the CPAM through the specific online platform: etranger.ameli.fr Mandatory registration: otherwise, you will not be covered for your healthcare expenses. |
EU students
If you are a European national (member country of the European Union or the European Economic Area), you do not need to register on the etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr website.
You will continue to be covered by the health system in your own country throughout your stay in France.
You will only have to pay the “patient’s contribution” to your medical costs and your health insurance fund will reimburse the rest (depending on the system in force). You must remember to apply for an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) before your departure or check that your existing card will not expire before the end of your stay. You will need to show it to every healthcare professional you see.
Emergency numbers
- European Emergency Number – number to be dialled first: 112
- SAMU (ambulance): 15
- Police: 17
- Fire service: 18
- Drugs Information Service: 0 800 23 13 13
- Alcohol Information Service: 0 980 980 930
- Tobacco Information Service: 39 89
- SOS Médecins 35: A duty doctor is available for consultation from 10a.m. to midnight (appointment only). Tel. 02 99 53 06 06
- Poisons unit: 02 99 59 22 22
- Duty pharmacists/chemists: 32 37 (€0.34/min.)
Health centres
The Student Health Service (SSE) s an interuniversity service that intervenes on Rennes campuses through workshops and health promotion and disease prevention actions, systematic consultations for certain segments of the student population and consultations at your request. Visits are free and totally confidential.
As EHESP’s student you may access their health services. If you need to consult, or for advice and support or answers to any questions you might have, the SSE team of secretaries, nurses, doctors, clinical psychologists, health promotion and disease prevention officers as well as a dietician is available to meet you.
SSE – SERVICE SANTÉ DES ÉTUDIANTS
Monday to Friday: 8.30a.m. to 5.00p.m.
sse@univ-rennes2.fr
On the Villejean campus
University of Rennes 2
Bâtiment Erêve – 2éme étage
Tél. 02 23 23 70 85General practitioners
There are English-speaking doctors in Rennes with whom you can book an appointment. Please contact the CMI for the list. To make an appointment with a doctor, you can contact his office or make an appointment online on doctolib.fr
Find all the useful information about healtcare in the guideline from the CMI, page 5 to 7.
General support regarding your healthcare issues
The CMI Rennes may help you if you are facing difficulties in accessing healthcare with CPAM or your mutuelle. You may contact them to cmi@univ-rennes.fr or book an appointment online.