ChrisJH

Hello, I'm looking for some guidance: my family and I are UK citizens, living in France, and are coming up to 5 years official residency. I am an 'inactif' in as much as we have been living on investment/rental income - so although I submit a tax return each year we have not been entitled to a Carte Vitale. We have been managing with private (or self!) health insurance. If I understand correctly, after 5yrs of residency we are entitled to the same treatment as if we were french nationals. I am well below official retirement age in the UK and France. How would I go about getting registered into the French Health System? So far we have no social security numbers etc. Will I have contributions added to my taxes (assuming I continue to live off investment income)? From what I've been reading elsewhere: I am guessing I'm going to have to visit the local CPAM office... Any advice appreciated.

InVinoVeritas

Maybe I'm not understanding your situation correctly but I think you are entitled to CMU from the moment you become resident in France. Definitely CPAM is where you should go for further information taking with you anything you have proving your NI situation. I'm not sure why you didn't avail yourself of the European Medical card which would certainly have covered you for your first 12 months in France.

ChrisJH

Thanks for replying. You're right... although I was out of the UK for 12 months prior to coming to France I could have had some benefit from my UK NI contributions for a limited period. Anyway, I missed that boat. Otherwise: do you really think I've missed-out on automatic entitlement to CMU? - I thought there was a 5yr exclusion period (introdued in 2007?). I know people in my situation who have set themselves up as an Auto-Entrepreneur just to get around this...

CPAM's the next stop - but best to go in with some knowledge... as I've definitely found that in France you have to ask the right questions!

InVinoVeritas

I think I can see where you're coming from now, I didn't realise the rules changed in 2007 (23 November to be exact). It appears Sarko subsequently made a U-turn in 2011 but left, as part of his legacy, a good deal of confusion on this issue. The attached link provides some insight:-
http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/e...in-france.html

ChrisJH

Good link, thanks!

dmu

Hi, this official CMU site gives all info on the basic CMU (Couverture Maladie Universelle).
http://www.cmu.fr/cmu-de-base.php
The bottom line is that you must go to see your local CPAM to find out what documents are required to apply for it.
My elderly British neighbour on a low Pension is under the CMU system and has to renew it every year. There are apparently Commissions that meet every few months, so it's not immediate.
Hope this helps!

EuroTrash

I believe the contribution for CMU is 8% of income above a certain threshold if you're accepted. Acceptance isn't guaranteed and CPAM don't seem to be entirely consistent about who they accept and who they don't so it's hard to predict. For instance if you are applying to get in under the five year rule you have to prove five years not just residency but 'legal residency', and strictly speaking legal residency means living here with health insurance in place (because the law says you have to have this), so you might be asked to prove it, but not everybody is. But it is also possible to get accepted before you've been here for five years, often dependent on income but again not entirely consistent. As said, the best plan is to go along and talk to them and start the ball rolling.