Are you an employee in France covered by the general social security scheme? In certain situations, you will be asked to prove your affiliation to the French scheme by providing a certificate of entitlement. What is this document for, and how can you obtain it easily? MIA Assurances explains everything.
What is the certificate of entitlement?
The certificate of entitlement, sometimes called the “social security certificate”, the “Vitale card certificate” or the “certificate of affiliation to the French statutory health insurance”, is an official document proving that you are indeed affiliated to the French statutory health insurance (Assurance Maladie). It contains the same administrative data as your Vitale card: your identity, your social security number, your dependants and the activation of your entitlements.
Important: this document contains no medical information. It is limited to the administrative details needed to cover your care.
In which situations is this document required?
The certificate of entitlement is requested by many organisations to prove your affiliation to the French statutory health insurance. You may need it in particular when starting a new job, when taking out supplementary health insurance (mutuelle), when enrolling your children in a nursery or school, during a hospital stay, or with a healthcare professional if you do not yet have your Vitale card.
It is often one of the first supporting documents requested when setting up the social protection of an employee within a company.
How do I download my certificate from my ameli account?
The quickest method is to go through your ameli account, accessible on ameli.fr, the website that brings together all the information relating to your basic health coverage. The process takes just a few minutes:
- Log in to your ameli account (or create it if you do not have one yet, using your social security number).
- Go to the “My procedures” section.
- Select “Certificate of entitlement”.
- Choose the beneficiary for whom you wish to generate the certificate (yourself or a dependant).
- Download your document in PDF format, ready to be printed or sent by email.
The certificate is generated immediately, with no delay, and the service is available 24/7.
What about from the mobile app?
If you prefer your smartphone, the Compte ameli app, available free of charge on iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play), offers exactly the same feature. Once logged in, you will find the “My procedures” section and can generate your certificate in just a few taps, wherever you are.
What if I do not have an ameli account?
Several options are available if you do not have an online account or cannot access it. You can go directly to the reception desk of your local health insurance fund (CPAM) or use a multiservice terminal available at the reception points. An adviser at a France services centre can also help you with the process and print the document for you. Finally, you can contact the French statutory health insurance by phone on 3646 (free service plus the cost of a call): depending on your situation, an adviser can send you the certificate by post.
Beware of fraud attempts
All these procedures are entirely free of charge. If you are asked to pay to obtain your certificate of entitlement, it is a fraud. Also be wary of emails impersonating the French statutory health insurance: official communications always invite you to log in to your secure personal account, never to send your information by return email.
How MIA can help
Beyond the basic coverage provided by social security, an employee’s social protection also relies on supplementary benefits: group health insurance, death and disability cover, and pension. As a specialist insurance broker, MIA Assurances supports companies in setting up and managing these benefits, in France and for foreign companies establishing themselves there.
