by Sarah Vincent
If you are thinking of or actually moving to France then a key aspect of your move that should be considered before taking up residence is health care.
There are different ways of accessing the French health system depending on your age and country of origin. This first article concentrates on those who are UK residents and are retired and thinking of moving to France permanently.
When moving to France permanently once you have reached retirement age you can access the French health system using an S1. An S1 form shows that your state healthcare is paid for by the UK. For UK residents this is provided by NHS Overseas. Posted workers and cross border workers who are French permanent residents are also eligible.
It is important that before moving to France you should apply for your S1 directly. You can use your S1 if you are applying for a VLS TS (this stands for Visa Long Sejour Titre de Sejour). Your Partner can also be on your S1 and benefit from the advantages.
Once in France you register your S1 with CPAM (caisses primaires d’assurance maladie) on the Ameli website (https://www.ameli.fr/) and benefit from the health care system on the same level as a French Citizen. The registration happens via post. You need to fill in the ‘ouverture de droits’ form and attach the requested documents that the CPAM list. The documents vary depending on your situation. Everything is sent via post to your CPAM office. If you are an S1 holder you can access the French health system during this time but you will have to pay up front and claim back your expenses once your registration with CPAM is complete; this can take some time.
An S1 can be applied for even if you have lived in France for many years but have not worked here. Your country responsible for health care will still be the UK and you can apply for your S1 when you reach state pensionable age.
Possessing an S1 as a retiree is advantageous in regard to taxes as you will not pay social charges on your UK pension(s), even though all pensions are declared on French income tax returns. But do be careful; by working in France you could lose your entitlement to an S1. If you have worked in France, France may decide that they are responsible for your health care and you will lose your right to an S1. So, if you are close to pensionable age, get the correct information before working or registering a business in France or you may lose your entitlement to the S1.
If you are not yet retired, are unemployed, or from a country that does not have reciprocal health arrangements with France (e.g. USA) please look out for my next article on accessing the French health system.