Social and health cover

For researchers

 

If you are salaried:

Any person, regardless of their nationality, who has the status of a “salaried worker” in France benefits automatically from affiliation to the French Social Security system, subject to a minimum of hours of work and a minimum amount of paid contributions. Accordingly, salaried workers are covered for health expenses, as well as for industrial injuries, death, invalidity and old-age pensions. As regards health insurance, a researcher, by virtue of his/her salaried status, can extend such cover to his/her spouse and children in their capacity as “eligible persons”. The status of “eligible person” is granted to a married spouse and also to a partner (enjoying conjugal status) as well as a partner bound by a civil contract.

Any child dependent on the insured is considered to be eligible:
- until the age of 16;
- or until the age of 20 when continuing studies or if they are unable to work as a result of disability or chronic illness;
- or until the end of the academic year during which they reach the age of 21 if they have interrupted their studies for reasons of illness.

 

 

Administrative formalities:

The employer must make a prior declaration of recruitment of a scientist as a salaried worker to URSSAF which will undertake to transfer the application to the Social Security services. This preliminary declaration is usually conducted 8 days prior to the beginning of the contract (principally via Internet). This is known as the DUE (déclaration unilatérale d’embauche) which enables affiliation of the salaried worker to the Social Security regime so that immatriculation can be established.

As regards the researcher, he/she, within at least a month after the beginning of the contract is required to go to the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM) of his/her place of abode in order to establish “the right to Social Security” for himself/herself and the family members.
 

Researchers with European nationality, or foreign researchers who have already been affiliated in another country of the European Union, and their families must submit:
  • the duly completed form n°1104 (available on request at the CPAM and the FnAK)
  • the previous Vitale card (if the research was in possession of one)
  • a bank identity slip
  • a photocopy of the identity card or passport
  • a birth certificate and/or an individual civil status attestation
  • an employment certificate certifying that the researcher has worked for at least 60 hours in the month (attestation from the employer, work contract, payslip, etc.) (or 120 hours over the previous 3 months).
     
Foreign researchers who are nationals of countries outside the European Union and their families must submit:
  • the same documents and evidence (except form n°1104)
  • a receipt of an application for a residence permit or the consular visa for a temporary stay.
     

If you are not salaried

And if you have lived for more than 3 months in France, you may benefit from universal sickness cover (CMU) which ensures that you enjoy the same social protection as that of a salaried worker. Consult your Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie for the procedure to be conducted.

If you wish to enjoy better refunding of medical care, you are also advised to take out complementary insurance with a mutual society or an insurance company.