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France · Insurance

Insurance in France — health, travel, and digital-nomad cover, what is mandatory, and how to choose a plan.

AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.

France's Sécurité sociale provides social insurance covering health, family, pensions and work accidents, with contributions collected largely through URSSAF. The detail that catches renters out is that France has two compulsory private insurances, not one: motor third-party liability, and home insurance for tenants. A complementary health mutuelle is widely held to top up Assurance Maladie, and insurers are supervised by the ACPR, part of the Banque de France.

France's Sécurité sociale provides social insurance (health, family, pensions, work accidents), with contributions collected largely through URSSAF. On top of this, certain private insurances are compulsory: motor third-party liability, and home insurance for tenants. Insurers are supervised by the ACPR (part of the Banque de France).

  • Sécurité sociale covers health, family, pension and work-accident insurance; contributions go largely through URSSAF.
  • Motor third-party liability insurance is compulsory; home insurance is compulsory for tenants.
  • A complementary health "mutuelle" is widely held to top up Assurance Maladie.
  • Insurers are supervised by the ACPR — check before buying.

  1. 1

    Know what Sécurité sociale covers

    It covers health, family, pension and work-accident insurance. The family branch surprises people, since it sits inside social insurance rather than being a separate benefits system.

  2. 2

    Expect contributions through URSSAF

    Contributions go largely through URSSAF. If you are self-employed, that is the body you will deal with directly rather than through an employer's payroll.

  3. 3

    Insure your home if you rent

    Home insurance is compulsory for tenants in France. This is easy to miss on arrival, because in many countries renters' cover is optional or bundled by the landlord.

  4. 4

    Add motor third-party liability if you drive

    Motor third-party liability insurance is compulsory. Together with tenants' home insurance, that gives you two legally required private policies to arrange, not one.

  5. 5

    Check the insurer with the ACPR

    Insurers are supervised by the ACPR, which sits within the Banque de France. Check supervision status before buying, especially for the two compulsory lines.

  • Sécurité sociale branches understood (health, family, pension, work accident)
  • URSSAF contribution route confirmed
  • Tenants' home insurance arranged
  • Motor third-party liability in place if driving
  • Complementary mutuelle considered
  • ACPR supervision checked before buying
  • Both compulsory policies tracked for renewal

Frequently asked questions

Is home insurance compulsory in France?

It is compulsory for tenants. That makes France one of the places with two legally required private policies rather than one — home insurance if you rent, plus motor third-party liability if you drive.

What is URSSAF?

The body through which social-insurance contributions are largely collected. If you are employed it operates behind your payroll, but if you are self-employed you will deal with URSSAF directly.

Who supervises French insurers?

The ACPR, which sits within the Banque de France. Check a provider's supervision status before buying — worth doing especially for the two compulsory lines, where you cannot simply walk away from the requirement.

How to choose cover

Which cover you need is decided by your residence status and how long you are staying, not by price. Most people end up in one of three situations — and the wrong one is usually chosen by buying travel cover for what is actually a residence, or paying twice for cover the statutory scheme already provides.

Statutory or employer cover — if you live and work here

Once you register as a resident or start a local job, enrolment is usually mandatory and often automatic through payroll. This is the cheapest and broadest cover available to you, so check whether you qualify before buying anything private — see what is mandatory in this country above.

Private or top-up cover — to fill what the statutory scheme leaves out

Dental, vision, prescriptions, private rooms and shorter waiting times commonly sit outside the statutory scheme, and employers often provide a top-up policy. Read what your statutory cover excludes first — buying a full private policy when you only need a top-up is the most expensive mistake here.

International, travel or nomad cover — for short stays and the gap before enrolment

This is the right product in three cases: you are staying too briefly to become a resident, your visa requires proof of cover before arrival, or the statutory scheme has a waiting period after you arrive. It is a bridge, not a substitute — once you are enrolled locally, most people drop it.

Check before you pay

  • Does it satisfy the visa or residence requirement? If a permit asks for proof of cover, the policy must meet that authority's stated minimum — not merely exist.
  • Where does it cover you? Check whether your home country and any country you transit are included — many international policies exclude your country of citizenship or limit it to a few weeks a year.
  • How are pre-existing conditions handled? This is the most common claim refusal — look for the definition, the look-back period and whether a declaration is required.
  • Outpatient or hospital-only? Cheap policies often cover hospitalisation but not GP visits, tests or prescriptions — which is most of what you will actually use.
  • Direct billing or reimbursement? If the insurer does not pay the hospital directly, you need the cash up front and the paperwork afterwards.
  • Is the insurer licensed to operate here? The country's financial regulator — listed in the official authorities below — publishes the register. An unlicensed policy can be unenforceable locally.
  • What happens at renewal? Check age limits, whether premiums rise after a claim, and whether cover ends the day your visa status changes.

International providers people commonly use

Richbay is not an insurer or a broker and does not assess your circumstances. These are widely used international providers, listed for the third case above — check eligibility, the terms in the list above, and whether the provider is licensed where you are going.

  • SafetyWing

    Subscription travel-medical cover aimed at remote workers and long trips; monthly rolling rather than a fixed trip length.

  • Genki

    Monthly international health cover for nomads and expatriates, with a longer-term plan for people who stay abroad indefinitely.

  • Cigna Global

    Full international private medical insurance — modular, aimed at people relocating rather than travelling, and generally priced accordingly.

General information, not insurance advice. Cover, eligibility and legal requirements differ by country, visa type and personal circumstances — confirm with the authority and the insurer before relying on any of this.

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