Social protection

In France, social security coverage is compulsory.

EU Nationals

When enrolling you must provide :

  • Your EHIC (European Health Insurance card) which can be obtained from your social security centre in your home country before your departure. This will exempt you from french social security payments.
  • Your charges will be reimbursed by the CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie).

Alternatively, you can provide proof of conventional health insurance or private insurance.

Please note : Students of countries outside the European Union must be affiliated to French social security for students, unless their stay in France is for less than three months.

To be reimbursed you must provide :

  • a feuille de soins which you will obtain from your doctor
  • a photocopy of your European health card
  • a R.I.B (relevé d'identité bancaire)
  • a photocopy of your student card

You should send your documents to : Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie

Non E.U citizens

Non E.U citizens are must register and pay for the student Social security scheme or the French Universal health-care coverage, even if they are covered by their home country's insurance.


Social insurance consists of two parts :

  • 70% covered by social security
  • an extra health insurance called 'Mutuelle', which completes the reimbursement by covering the remaining 25% or 30%.
Registering for a 'Mutuelle' is not compulsory but highly advised especially in cases of hospitalisation.

Non-European citizens

  • If you are under the age of 28, it is compulsory to register for French social security for students.
  • If you are over the age of 28 you can not benefit from social security for students. You must therefore be affiliated to the Couverture Maladie Universelle or take out a French private health insurance plan.

If you are a student from Quebec

  • You are exempt from registering for French social security if you have the SE 401 Q102 bis form.
  • If you are not participating in an inter-university exchange program, you are exempt from registering for French social security if you have the SE401 Q102 bis form.
  • If you are not in possession of these forms, you should follow the procedure for non European citizens.
  • If you cannot obtain social security coverage, (neither student coverage nor CMU), you must take out private health insurance. Be sure to read the details, terms and conditions of your contract carefully!

If you have a French government grant

  • You will automatically benefit from French student social security coverage free of charge, if you are under the age of 28.
  • If you are over the age of 28 you can not benefit from French student social security coverage, and should therefore register for private health insurance, taken charge of by the organisation responsible for coordinating your grant (e.g CNOUS or Egide). .

Where to get health cover

  • You register for Social security when you enrol in the university, either by paying the 216€ fee at the same time as paying for tuition fees, or by presenting proof of health cover (European health card, private health insurance certificate etc.)
  • Private health insurance and the Mutuelle can be obtained in numerous organisations:
Student Mutuelles (LMDE, SMEBA, ...) offer contracts of various prices (between 60€ and 650€ a year). Information is available when you arrive in Nantes at the Guichet Unique.

Health and Seeing a Doctor

The SUMPPS

The Department of Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion (SUMPPS) offers free services : nursing, medical, gynaecological and social services, nutrition and relaxation  herapy, smoking cessation, counselling and first aid training. Each new student receives a medical exam. This check-up is mandatory in the first year. The calendars are updated often so you can schedule an appointment.

Social workers provide information about your rights to social assistance (scholarships, loans, budget), housing, social protection, and other routine issues.

Health promotion events are organized regularly.

The SUMPPS is a health centre. You can see a doctor at the SUMPPS if you have no primary physician for one of the following reasons :
  • financial reasons
  • you are a foreign student
  • your primary physician is far away.
Remember to bring your Vitale card when you see the doctor.
Important : If you have complementary mutual insurance, or if you are covered by your parents' insurance, remember to bring your insurance card.

110, boulevard Michelet BP 32238 - 44322 Nantes Cedex 3

Please call the number below to make an appointments with a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.:

02 40 37 10 50 or 02 40 37 10 69

Please call the number below to make an appointments with social services:

02 40 37 10 99


Monday to Friday 8h30 to 12h30 and 13h30 to 17h30

General Practitioners/specialists

You can organise appointments with a GP of your choice. Generally, the price of an appointment with Social Security coverage is 23€ (reimbursed 70-100%)

An appointment with a specialist is approximately 30€. Waiting lists can sometimes be very long.

Emergencies


Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes
1 place. Alexis Ricordeau - 44000 NANTES
Tel. : 02 40 08 33 33

Centre Hospitalier de Saint-Nazaire
BP 414, 44606 Saint-Nazaire
Tel. : 02 40 90 60 00

Centre Hospitalier Départemental Les Oudairies
Boulevard Stéphane Moreau - 85025 La Roche-sur-Yon
Tel.: 02 51 44 61 61